Celebrating the life of city’s historian Kate Taylor

The event at Wakefield Cathedral on Saturday, September 26, will honour the work of Miss Taylor, who died in May aged 81.

At the service, the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dr Ingrid M Roscoe, will present her son Simon Jenkins with an MBE awarded to Miss Taylor before her death from a short illness.

A letter confirming the honour, made as part of the Queen’s 2015 Birthday Honours List, was found by Miss Taylor’s family in her personal files after she died.

Miss Taylor, penned and edited many books about the city, was an active member of Wakefield Historical Society and the city’s civic society.

She was a former Open University tutor and had been heavily involved with the city’s Chantry and Westgate chapels.

Following her death, the former Bishop of Wakefield was among those who paid glowing tributes to Miss Taylor.

The Rt Rev Dr Stephen Platten made Miss Taylor a Lay Canon in recognition of her church work.

Former Bishop Platten said at the time: “Kate was such good company.

“She was a real fund of information about the locality and wrote so accessibly.

“I enjoyed working with Kate enormously and was so grateful when she agreed to write what turned out to be both a history and a memorial volume of Wakefield diocese.”

The memorial service will start at 2pm.

Refreshments will be served in the nave after the service.

People planning to attend the memorial service are asked to RSVP by e-mailing [email protected]