Rustington historian dies less than three months after his beloved wife

The couple were dedicated to researching and preserving the history of the village, working together on a number of books about Rustington.

Bev, who was also 91, died at home in North Lane on Sunday, March 20. His funeral on Thursday, April 28, will follow a similar format to Mary’s, with a drive through the village from around 9.45am, a service at Worthing Crematorium for family only at 10.30am and a memorial service at Rustington Parish Church at 1pm, when all are welcome.

Bev’s parents, Harry and Muriel Taylor, ran The Lamb, in The Street, Rustington, and it was love at first sight when he saw Mary cycling past on her way home for lunch in the summer of 1950.

The couple were married at Rustington Parish Church on October 27, 1951, and had two sons, Andrew and Graeme. They celebrated their platinum wedding last autumn.

Together, they charted the history of the village, formed Rustington Heritage Association in July 1983 and contributed to many exhibitions at Rustington Museum.

Bev was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, and his family moved to Rustington in 1946 to run The Lamb.

Bev worked as an engineer at Ford and Tangmere airfields but at the latter, he suffered a serious spinal injury while working on a fire engine, which, combined with throat cancer shortly afterwards, effectively ended his working life.

Graeme said his mother had a vision that something was going to fall and told Bev he should move quickly out of the way. It was this warning that saved his life, as he rolled when he heard the crack, but he was still hit on the back and was in a coma for six months.

Mary had begun her historical research by then, spurred on by her father, Edgar Sopp, and as Bev recovered, the opportunity for the couple to work together on projects proved the perfect antidote after his career was cut short.

Over the years, they gathered thousands of photographs and documents, and this vital record of Rustington’s past will eventually be passed on to West Sussex Record Office in Chichester.

Bev designed and laid out most of Mary’s books and kept on top of their extensive archive of old photographs, postcards, documents and other material relating to Rustington.

Graeme said: “Dad did so much research from old wills and parish records. He did all the maps, and they are beautiful maps.”

Mary and Bev received the Rustington Parishioners’ Award in 1998 and in June 2012, Mary was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the community in Rustington.

Also in the news: Rustington historians make history themselves

See also: Watch village say its final farewell to Rustington historian Mary Taylor

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