Moorsom’s par­ents were Ad­mi­ral Con­stan­tine Ri­chard Moor­som (who was in­volved with the abo­li­tion of slav­ery move­ment in the Unit­ed King­dom, and with rail­ways) and his wife Ma­ry Maude. Ro­bert at­tend­ed King Ed­ward’s School, Birm­ing­ham, Trin­i­ty Coll­ege, Cam­bridge (BA 1854, MA 1858). Tak­ing Ho­ly Or­ders in 1857, he was Cur­ate of Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire (1857-59); Barnham-Broom, Nor­folk (1861); and Rec­tor of Sad­berge, Dur­ham (1861-81). His works in­clude:

• A His­tor­ic­al Com­pan­ion to Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1889

• Frost, p. 562

1. Behold the Bride­groom Draw­eth Nigh
2. Lo! Now the Time Ac­cept­ed Peals
3. Sweet Sav­ior! in Thy Pi­ty­ing Grace