STOURBRIDGE Historical Society members are mourning the loss of their founder, Dr Geoffrey Beard OBE, who died recently at the age of 86.

Dr Beard founded the Society when he was just 16 years old while still a pupil at King Edward Grammar School in Stourbridge.

The first meeting of the Society was in March 1946, where Dr Beard was elected as secretary. He later became president in 1954.

Born in Kingswinford, Dr Beard went to work at Birmingham Reference Library after leaving school.

During his career he also worked as Director of the Cannon Hall Art Gallery in Barnsley, Assistant Director of Leeds City Art Gallery, Senior Lecturer at Manchester Polytechnic and up until his retirement he was Director of the Visual Arts Centre at the University of Lancaster.

He wrote his first book, A History of Wollaston in 1946 which was published by Mark and Moody of Stourbridge.

He went onto to write another 36 volumes and established himself as one of the best known scholars working in the fields of conservation and the decorative arts.

His reputation grew to the point where he became an authority on a wide range of decorative arts following such publications including Nineteenth Century Cameo Glass, The Work of Grinling Gibbons, The National Trust Book of the English House, Decorative Plasterwork in England and Modern Ceramics.

Dr Beard also wrote for a number of periodicals including Country Life, Apollo and Connoisseur before going on to edit the journal Furniture History.

He was awarded honorary degrees by both Wolverhampton and Cardiff Universities and also presented with an OBE for his services to English Heritage.

His daughter and only child, Helen Tonkin, said: "My father was very popular and his books were an inspiration to others. His legacy still lives on.”

Following his retirement from the University of Lancaster, Dr Beard and his wife Margaret moved to Bath where he continued to work as a freelance author and lecturer.

Margaret died in 2013 and Dr Beard then spent the last couple of years of his life at The Coach House in Prestwood.

Helen Tonkin added: "After lecturing all over the world, my father came back to his roots. He'd had a couple of strokes and it was good to be near his family but his brain remained active to the end."

He leaves three sisters, Margaret, Dot and Joyce.

There will be a memorial service for Dr Beard at St George's Church in Bloomsbury, London on October 29 at 5pm.

Helen Tonkin said: "It will be an occasion for everyone, but especially for my father's peers in the art world to remember and celebrate his life."