By 1901, the Durbar family (in some spellings Doorbar) was occupying Ladymoor Gate as tenants. They were the sitting tenants when the property was sold by Richard Harrison's executors to James Goodwin who in turn sold it to George Mellor in 1906 and they were still there in 1911. William Durbar had been born in Norton in the Moors, son of Daniel and Lucy Durbar and he was christened on 29th Feb 1864.
George Mellor, of Clay Lake, mortgaged the property to Elizabeth Venables, a widow of Park Lane, Congleton, Cheshire on 2nd October 1906 for £1,000 at 3.75% interest and redemed it on 27th April 1908. ((View Mortgage Deed)
On 15th August 1910 George Mellor, still of Clay Lake, Staffordshire sold Ladymoor Gate Farm to Walter Mellor a china dealer of Pontypridd, Glamorgan for £1,350.(View Deed of Conveyance)
1910 Conveyance...the freehold messauage or dwellinghouse Outbuildings land and hereditaments situate at Crowboro in the parishes of Horton and Endon in the County of Stafford comprising in the whole thirty acres and three roods or thereabouts known as Ladymoor Gate Farm now in the occupation of William Doorbar...
In 1901 Walter Mellor 29, a china merchant from Leek, Staffordshire was already living in Pontypridd with his wife Margaret,25 from Brecon.
In 1911 George Mellor, 58 a retired pottery dealer, (born Horton) was living with his wife Sarah Ann from Wiltshire at Spring Bank, Endon. They had been married 33 years and had had one child. Ten years earlier he had been living at Houghwood (Clay Lake) and was described as farmer born Biddulph, working on own account. With him was his nephew Hugh Proctor, 13 born in Manchester.
It is highly likely that George and Walter are related in some way. It is possible Walter is George's son from a previous marriage, but as yet I have found no direct link other than the conveyance documents.
On 8th March 1920 Walter Mellor, china merchant, of 23 Stow Hill off Wood Road Pontypridd, Glamorgan and Daniel Durber of Ladymoor Gate Farm, Horton, Staffordshire made a memorandum of agreement
whereby Walter agreed to let the farm comprising about 31 acres to Daniel on a year to year tennancy, with a six month notice period for termination, commencing on 25th March 1921 for £60 per annum payable in two halves on 25th March and 29th September.
Daniel Durber is William Durber's son so it is reasonable to assume that William has either retired or died prompting the formal transfer of tenancy. The death of a William Doorbar, aged 66 was registered in June 1931 in Leek (6b 288) so he may have retired in favour of his son.
