Thank-you to everyone for your help.
AMCass was able to find Major in the Scarborough workhouse records... having entered as an "emergency", stayed approx 3 years and left at the age of approx 12 when he had found employment. A big thank-you AMCass!
There seems to have been a family with the surname of Major in the Muston area but, although it could be likely that one of the males in this family is Major's father, it is all pure speculation. Unfortunately, apart from the Parish records that I have looked at (in which no father is listed) I have been unable to find out any more about his parentage. It may be one of those things I never uncover but I would like to say thank-you for helping me.
Sandra