Marjorie Moisey was born at Manor Farm (now Manor Farmhouse) in August 1933, the fourth child of Farmer Arthur Moisey and his wife Emma Beeby (known as Lena). Marjorie had two sisters, Joan (born 1923) and Dorothy (born 1926), and one brother, Alan (born 1931). Tragically, when Marjorie was just seven weeks old, her mother passed away after a short illness. The situation that Arthur found himself in was incredibly difficult; not only was he grieving the loss of his wife, but he also had the responsibility of keeping the farm running and caring for his young children.

In the immediate aftermath of Lena’s death, a young village girl was hired to help look after the older children, but it was decided that it would be best for Marjorie to go and live with her aunt and uncle, John and Emma Moisey (Arthur’s elder brother and sister-in-law) in Cotterstock. To Marjorie they became known as Mum and Dad.

By 1939, the Moisey family had moved to a cottage at The Oaks, situated between Woodnewton and Fotheringhay.

Throughout her childhood, Marjorie visited Woodnewton frequently, even though her father had remarried and the rest of her family moved to Denford in 1935. During these visits, she would often visit the Blacksmith in Woodnewton with her uncle, where, when she was four and he was eight she first met a young George Fitzjohn, who lived across the road. 

Marjorie was educated at Wellingborough school for girls before training to be a nurse at Mansfied hospital, Northampton.  However, having started courting George Fitzjohn at a dance in Woodnewton and writing to him whilst he was on National Service, Marjorie’s nursing career was cut short as she and George married in 1951 when she was just 18. 

After marrying, the couple moved to Apethorpe, where George worked for the Apethorpe Estate. However, George’s parents lived in Meadow View in Woodnewton, which had a long garden leading down to the Willowbrook. With planning permission granted, Marjorie and George built a bungalow at the end of the garden, alongside the Willowbrook. While living at Brook View Bungalow, now Bridge Cottage, Marjorie and George became actively involved in village life, organizing and participating in numerous local events. As Marjorie understood the difficulty that patients in villages faced when traveling long distances for treatment, she and George decided to raise money towards the appeal of £750,000 for the purchase of a state-of-the-art MRI scanner for Edith Cavell Hospital in Peterborough. To support the cause, they organized a coffee morning in their garden, featuring stalls, refreshments, and a raffle, which was drawn by Lady Caroline Brassey.

Between 1966 and 1996, Marjorie worked at PC Howard Ltd in the neighboring village of Kings Cliffe, where she served as the accounts and office manager. She initially worked at Rosary Farmhouse, before the company moved its offices to its headquarters on Park Street, and later to West Hay in 1987. Marjorie was a loyal member of the team and for many years, worked alongside her dear friend, Joan Danks. A few years after retiring, Marjorie and George moved to Deeping Gate in 2002 to be closer to their family.

While Marjorie didn’t spend her entire life in Woodnewton, it could be said that she was very much a Woodnewton girl at heart, and the village always remained an important part of her life.

1933 – 2025

(Information from her son in law, Terry Hollowell)