Author: John Roby

John Roby (1793-1850) was an English banker, poet, and writer. In some respects, Roby”s efforts presaged later work in folkloristics. He used the term “oral tradition” long before it came into common academic usage. He noticed and wrote about similarities between folk beliefs in different regions in different eras. Roby denied any authority as a folklorist (antiquarian) and instead called himself simply a collector of oral traditions.