MOSELEY, Seth Lister. [1849-1929] Manuscript bird and nest drawings. Thirty-eight watercolour paintings, each approx 13.7 cm x 9 cm with handwritten captions, and some with what seem to be hand stamped or printed captions. All have a fraction to denote scale [ ie 2/3 for two thirds life sized] and a couple are signed “SLM”. There is some foxing largely to the edges of the paintings. The collection is contained in an original envelope with Moseley’s name and the address of Ravensknowle Museum typewritten on it. An obituary was given in the Leeds Mercury 8/2/1929 [below]. The death of Mr. Seth Lister Mosley, of Wasp Nest Road, Huddersfield, has removed one of the best-known residents of the borough, a naturalist of widespread reputation, and a "character" of a remarkable kind. A frail man, whose life was more than once despaired of, he reached the age of eighty years — in itself a tribute to the frugal and simple mode of life which he imposed upon himself. Mr. Mosley, the son of a hand-loom weaver, who afterwards became a game-keeper, was born at Lepton. His health was so poor that his total period of school life was only six months. His father became interested in taxidermy, and used to walk from Lepton to Doncaster to take lessons in the art. Mr. Mosley ascribed his love of nature and nature study to the influence of his father. Early in life be began the study of entomology, and the knowledge he acquired was so great that he was eventually selected to remodel the collection belonging to the Board of Agriculture at the Bethnal Green Museum.So well did be perform this work that he was selected to undertake a similar duty for all the principal museums of the country, and for the museums of Melbourne and Philadelphia.Forty years ago Mr. Mosley was appointed a botanical teacher, under the Science and Art Department, and for seven years he taught voluntarily and without payment at local schools. About thirty years ago he was appointed curator of the Technical College Museum, and held that position for about twenty years.For part of that time he was also curator of the Keighley Museum. in 1920, when the Tolson Memorial Museum was opened at Ravensknowle, Mr. Mosley became curator of that institution, and held the position until his retirement on superannuation in 1926. During his retirement he worked on an illustrated natural history of the Huddersfield district, a work which remains unfinished. For a long period Mr. Mosley was secretary of the Huddersfield Naturalist Society. He was a Fellow of the Entomological Society of London. He founded the Christian Nature Study Mission in 1900. He produced a number of colour drawings of butterflies which are considered unique.The paper "Natural History," which Mr. Mosley purchased in 1894, became, under his editorship, the most widely circulated organ of the kind in the country.When 21 Mr. Mosley married Miss Sarah Taylor, of Lockwood, who survives him. Seth Lister Moseley lived in Wasp Nest Road, Huddersfield and is described in his obituary as a naturalist and a “character of a remarkable kind”. Despite being in frail health he lived to 80. He was the son of a hand-loom weaver and gamekeeper, and because of ill health hardly had any formal education, but following his father’s influence began to learn taxidermy, entomology, eventually being asked to rearrange the collection at the Bethnal Green Museum, and in Melbourne and Philadelphia. His father became interested in taxidermy, and used to walk from Lepton to Doncaster to take lessons in the art.Mr. Mosley ascribed his love of nature and nature study to the influence of his father. Early in life be began the study of entomology, and the knowledge he acquired was so great that he was eventually selected to remodel the collection belonging to the Board of Agriculture at the Bethnal Green Museum.So well did be perform this work that he was selected to undertake a similar duty for all the principal museums of the country, and for the museums of Melbourne and Philadelphia.Forty years ago Mr. Mosley was appointed a botanical teacher, under the Science and Art Department, and for seven years he taught voluntarily and without payment at local schools. About thirty years ago he was appointed curator of the Technical College Museum, and held that position for about twenty years.For part of that time he was also curator of the Keighley Museum. in 1920, when the Tolson Memorial Museum was opened at Ravensknowle, Mr. Mosley became curator of that institution, and held the position until his retirement on superannuation in 1926.During his retirement he worked on an illustrated natural history of the Huddersfield district, a work which remains unfinished.For a long period Mr. Mosley was secretary of the Huddersfield Naturalist Society. He was a Fellow of the Entomological Society of London.He founded the Christian Nature Study Mission in 1900.He produced a number of colour drawings of butterflies which are considered unique.The paper "Natural History," which Mr. Mosley purchased in 1894, became, under his editorship, the most widely circulated organ of the kind in the country.When 21 Mr. Mosley married Miss Sarah Taylor, of Lockwood, who survives him.