Bewdley history expert and museum friend Terry Vaughan has died

A long-term member of the Friends of Bewdley Museum, Terry took over from his late wife Brenda as group secretary in the 1970s and remained in the role for several years, until a stroke made it increasingly difficult for him to write.

Nevertheless, Terry remained an active and popular volunteer in the museum for decades, chatting to visitors about the exhibits and local history.

A lover of the town's colourful history, Terry was particularly knowledgeable about the Brass Foundry and the brass-making process.

Terry was an active supporter of Bewdley Museum

In fact, Terry was the narrator of a video regularly played there until the foundry was refurbished.

In January 2006, Terry went to London to be presented with the prestigious Champion for Worcestershire Volunteer of the Year Award.

Terry was also one of the first members of Bewdley Historical Research Group, founded in 1980.

Unsure of how long local interest would last, the group began by setting out to discover exactly where in Bewdley High Street the individual houses were located.

Using the Manor Court Books, Terry and the team discovered that much of Bewdley's properties were originally owned by the Crown.

Whenever a tenant died, his heir had to go to court to be sworn in to the deceased's house, and the transactions were handwritten into these books in chronological order.

The books usually described on which side of the street the houses lay, and often named the neighbour on either side.

Interest in the project grew to include learning about the occupants, and membership expanded. Gradually, previously-uncovered views of Bewdley's history came into focus.

As a result, tours of the town took off, and Terry was one of four original volunteer guides - a role he continued to enjoy for many years.

In 1991, alongside two other group members, Terry contributed a chapter 'Inns and Innkeepers' to Bewdley in its Golden Age, volume one.

In 2012, Terry went to live in Herne's Nest House care home in the town.

Here, he told a delighted member of staff all about the house's history.

Friend Susan Brown said: "He was still deeply interested in local history and current affairs when I last saw him in early February.

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"My abiding memories of him are his cheeky grin and his sense of humour.

"Once, on becoming rather wet in an unexpected shower while on the way to a Friends of Bewdley Museum meeting, he remarked philosophically, 'well, fortunately my skin’s waterproof!'

"Terry will be much missed by more people than he would have realised."

He passed away on April 15.

Donations in Terry's memory will be shared equally between the Friends of Bewdley Museum and Kidderminster Foodbank.

Cheques are payable to B. Ince at the Funeral Directors, 8 Severn Side South, Bewdley, DY12 2DX.