Edward Moorby was an innkeeper in the village of Broughton, about 5 miles South West of Banbury in the county of Oxfordshire.
In 1812 he signed the marriage bond for his daughter Susannah's marriage to James Busby, this was the start of an interesting trail for me.
The first thing I wanted to find was which Inn Edward was Innkeeper at. I wrote to the Archivist at Broughton Castle ( about 400 yds away) only to get a kind response from the owner Lord Saye & Sele. He had no record of either my James Busby or Edward Moorby - apparently not many records survive from the early 19th century.
After a visit to the castle (it's open to the public during the summer months, and well worth a visit) and a subsequent visit to the Oxford Archives I have located the missing Inn.
According to the Victuallers Recognisances - a kind of early licence - Edward Moorby was the innkeeper at the Twistledon Arms in Broughton, form at least 1812 to 1826. The recognisance was 10 pounds sterling in 1812 and increased to 20 pounds by 1826, Another party also had to stand as surety for the innkeeper and would put up the same amount, I understand that this would have been returned as long as the Innkeeper had kept a respectable house during the year i.e. No fighting, gambling or loose women !
The Twistledon Arms has changed it's name at least three times between 1812 and the present. In about 1820 it changed to The Saye & Sele Arms, in 1848 it was back to The Twistledon Arms and now it is The Saye & Sele Arms again, I think it depends on the title of the castle's owner.
In about 1816, four years after his marriage to Susannah M. James Busy stood surety for Edward M. for the sum af 10 pounds, Edward M. also stood surety (and on one occasion paid the recognisance) for the innkeeper of the Roe Buck in North Newington.
If anyone has any information about these Moorbys please get in touch with the author.
The name MOORBY is sometimes spelt MORBY or MOOREBY depending on who was writing it down
A Ged2html list of Moorbys and associated people
A Ged2html list of Surnames associated with the Moorbys
This site was last updated on Sat 26th September 1998 by Dave Rossiter