A surprise ‘time capsule’ unfolds
Clockwise from top left: Custos Dylan shows Sue Hamilton where the prayer book was discovered;Joyce Austin’s niece, great nephew and great great nephew with the St Anne’s Chapel kneelers; Canon Rev Bill Richards (Vicar of Malvern Priory when Joyce worshipped here) with Joyce’s watercolour; the St Anne’s Chapel kneelers work-party.
When Dylan, the new Custos (verger), was checking the candle supplies, he couldn’t have imagined the chain of events that would have followed.
Beneath the Communion Table, a prayer book was concealed, tucked away out of sight. Opening it , he discovered inside the inscription ‘Joyce M Austin March 1928’. Some online research revealed that Joyce was an accomplished artist and that her family had set up a website dedicated to her art.
Contact was made with her great nephew, who shared a photograph which showed Joyce working with the team making the kneelers for St Anne’s Chapel, in 1980. Dylan then made another discovery, as he prepared for a Priory baptism at Malvern College Chapel; that the Priory’s portable font has a dedication plaque to Joyce.
The family was invited to visit the Priory so that Joyce’s prayerbook could be returned, and today three generations were welcomed - her niece, great nephew and great great nephew.
Dylan handed the prayer book to Sue, who identified the inscription as being in Joyce’s mother’s hand - Hilda Austin. Sue told Dylan about the bench on the Malvern Hills, near the Wyche cutting, dedicated to Hilda and Harry Austin, Joyce’s parents. The family were shown the portable font and the kneelers and were introduced to Canon Revd Bill Richards who had been the Priory Vicar for some of Joyce’s time at the Priory.
Bill’s Priory leaving present had been a watercolour painting…by Joyce Austin! A beautiful view of Moat Court, Sherrards Green, the Malvern Hills in the background and with Joyce’s notes about the building carefully fixed to the back.
As Joyce’s great great niece sat at the piano, effortlessly filling the Priory with glorious music, tentative plans began to be made, for an exhibition of Joyce’s art, in the Priory.
Watch this website for more information.
