HOLDSWORTH, Maurice Joseph

1894 - 1988

Maurice Joseph Holdsworth was born in Streatham, Wandsworth, London, on 13 December 1894, youngest son of Henry Godfrey Holdsworth, an oil merchant, and his wife Emma Whitlock née Banes (1862-3 August 1951), who married at St Jude's, Herne Hill, London on 22 February 1887. In 1911, Maurice was a 15-year-old apprentice, living at 39 St Julians Farm Road, West Norwood, London with his parents, 64-year-old Henry, now a commercial traveller, and 49-year-old Emma with three siblings Godfrey Edward 23, Laurence Henry 20 and Marjorie 10. Maurice joined the regular army and after serving in the ranks in the London Regiment was promoted 2nd Lieut in the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1915, Lieut in 1917 and awarded the Military Cross in 1918 'for distinguished service in Italy' and, after serving in the Indian army in Bannu [Pakistan], retired in 1923 with the rank of captain. He married at St Mark's Church, Broadwater Down, Ticehurst, Sussex on 30 August 1921, Winifred Mary Peploe Earle (4 June 1894-7 October 1978), youngest daughter of Samuel Robert Earle of Tunbridge Wells and in 1939 they were living at Puddinghole Copse, Reigate Road, Brockham, Dorking, Surrey. He re-joined the army in the Pioneer Corps in 1940 and by the end of the Second World War was a Lt Col being Mentioned in Despatches. In 1949 he was living at Church Farm, Withersdale, Suffolk and was a member of the Ipswich Art Club from 1961 and in 1977 exhibited from Stockhouse Cottage, Benhall, Saxmundham, Suffolk 'Man Resting' and another picture the following year and exhibited from the same address in 1980 'Orfordness' and 'Bareback in the Woods'. A member of the Norfolk & Norwich Art Circle 1963-1973 from Benhall, there was also a member Joseph Holdsworth 1966-1969 from Benhall, who is the same person. His wife Winifred died at Benhall, Suffolk in 1978 and Maurice Joseph Holdsworth died in the Deben district of Suffolk on 16 November 1988, and buried at Benhall. They had one daughter Mary R. Holdsworth, born at Guildford in 1932.

---

Works by This Artist