American father

[Andreab]

My mother-in-law's father is reputed to have been an American. She was born in 1914 in London. The fathers name is given on the birth certificate. We have no information about him other than his name (William Benjamin Arnold-Clayton) and that he was an Ivory Merchant. We have name searched on several sites without success. Where and how is the best place to start researching americans like this.
If anyone can point us in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
Regards
Andrea

[bwarnerok]

I have not run across too many American men with hyphenated names. Typically you see that in the UK when the man marries "up".

It's a stab, but I think I would strongly consider that William Benjamin's mother was british and might have the surname of Clayton, and his father (the american, Arnold).

You also don't see very many ivory merchants in the US. Regardless wherever William was born (US or UK or beyond), just because his father was an American citizen would allow him to also claim that he was an american (and most likely might have held a dual citizenship).

I think I would search around London for Arnolds & Claytons... and see if you can't get a directory for 1914 which hopefully will list him. Who knows.. Arnold, Clayton might even be his company's name... but that probably would be TOO easy.

When your mother in law married, what did she put on her marriage certificate as her father's name? Was she an only child?

betsy

[Geoffers]

My mother-in-law's father is reputed to have been an American. She was born in 1914 in London. The fathers name is given on the birth certificate. We have no information about him other than his name (William Benjamin Arnold-Clayton) and that he was an Ivory Merchant.

Does he appear in the 1901 census?

Is he shown in a directory? (A directory entry may show him as having offices in London and wherever).