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By Alan Wyatt, Friday, 14 August, 2009 14:13

THE CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART AND SAINT CATHERINE
DROITWICH

MR. MAURICE JOSEY

UPON the eve of your departure from Droitwich we desire to place on permanent record our appreciation of your work as an Artist, and of your personal character.

YOU have been here twelve years. During this time you have enriched this Church with your skilful and brilliant mosaic work, which has evoked the admiration of countless visitors. Ably supported by your colleague, Mr. Fred Oates, you have interpreted with singular success the designs of Mr. Gabriel Pippet in translating them from one artistic medium to another.

DURING your sojourn here you have won the respect and affection of us all, and we hope that you will carry away with you pleasant memories of the friends you have made during the years you have spent in Droitwich and its neighbourhood.

On behalf of the Members of the Congregation.

February 5th, 1933

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By Alan Wyatt, Wednesday, 5 August, 2009 00:24

Maurice Josey working at Droitwich

At Witton, near Droitwich. – After seven years’ work half the mosaic decoration of the interior of the Church of the Sacred Heart and St. Catherine, at Witton, near Droitwich, Worcestershire, is now almost completed. Above we show Mr. Gabriel Pippet, the artist, and Mr. [Maurice R.] Josey, his assistant (on the scaffolding), at work. The church is being erected at the munificence of Mr. H. R. Hodgkinson.

THE TIMES Tuesday April 17th 1928

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By Alan Wyatt, Tuesday, 4 August, 2009 23:49

A letter between 2 of Maurice’s nephews, discusses their childhood and memories of their relatives. The subject turns to Tom, Maurice’s brother, also a mosaicist and an uncle to the sender and recipient of the letter.

‘Jack’ tells of how he never worked with Maurice, but was taken up on scaffolding in London to see the mosaics in progress. Jack goes on to tell of how he later worked with Tom and on a particular occasion had seen an error in a mosaic that Tom was preparing to send to the Far East in order to win a commission. Jack was too afraid to say anything, but eventually Tom walked back to take a view of his work and realised his mistake and that it was too late to correct it. Jack tells of how he heard Tom utter language he had never before heard him use.

Jack goes on to say that in the full maturity of adulthood, he built up the confidence to tell Tom that he thought Maurice was the better artist.

With a sorrowful look, Tom asked, ‘How long have you known this, Jack?’
To which Jack replied, ‘Since I was a boy..’
Tom said, ‘Is it that obvious?’

Tom then told Jack that before he died, he must go to Droitwich and see the fantastic work that Maurice was capable of.

Jack’s final comment on Maurice concerns two oil paintings that he did of his parents (Richard and Elizabeth Josey). Jack wrote that he could not find fault in either of these portraits, and that Maurice was the supreme artist of the Josey family

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By Alan Wyatt,

DEATH OF MR. M. R. JOSEY

His Fine Work at Droitwich Church

The death occured recently at Margate [Shepherds Bush] of Mr. Maurice R. Josey, the clever mosaicist, who, with his assistant, executed the whole of the magnificent mosaic work in the Church of the Sacred Heart and St. Catherine, Droitwich.

His work, extended over a period of nearly 13 years, has been greatly admired by thousands of visitors from far and wide, and his interpretation in mosaic of the designs of Mr Gabriel Pippett are a splendid example of craftsmanship combined with great patience and a devotion to duty.

Mr. Josey’s work has provided Droitwich with one of the finest examples of mosaic decoration in the world, and the lovely interior of the church will be a lasting memorial to him.

Mr. Josey resided in Droitwich during the latter years of work at the church and it is a matter of regret that his death deprived him of the opportunity of returning to execute the mosaic work which is to be carried out in the new chapel to St. Richard, now in the course of erection.

‘Guardian’ Droitwich Spa and District, 1938

Notes

The mosaics in the St Richard chapel were completed by Maurice’s younger brother Tom.

Death of Mr M. R. Josey

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By Alan Wyatt,

Some newspaper cuttings have come to light recently in family papers regarding the mosaics at Westminster Abbey Cathedral, London.

One of the articles (unknown publication at the moment) mentions the ‘head man, Josey’, the other article is from The Catholic Times.

In due course these will be scanned and also transcribed for the website.