Grace Winifred Taylor (nee Lanchbury): 1926-2025
'Grace felt that her Christian calling was to support the minister. Wife of the Revd Derek Taylor, they were very much 'a preaching team' who served all the congregation'
Grace Winifred Taylor nee Lanchbury (1926-2025) died at her care home on 18 March 2025. She was the wife of the Revd Derek George Taylor (1927-2018) who had been minister of Llandudnu (English), Stourbridge, Cradley Heath/Netherton, Harlesden, Burton Latimer and Walgrave Churches. He was also moderator at Wellingborough and Kettering Carey Churches, and a frequent preacher at Aldwinkle Church as well as several other Northamptonshire Baptist, Independent and URC Churches.
Grace was born in Botley, then in Berkshire to her parents James Charlton and Violet Irene nee Long. Her father had been injured three times in World War I and was a lifelong print worker in Oxford. She had two sisters, Joan and Irene. The family were all lifelong Christians and she grew up attending Botley Baptist Church and New Road Baptist Church Oxford.
On Sunday School Anniversary Sunday 1946 she was seen by Derek Taylor, then training at Regent’s Park College, and seeing her washing up he thought she looked useful. Their first date was to see a play called The Little Minister. They courted for four years and married at New Road Church where the Revd Walter Bottoms was minister on a rainy, still rationing day on 12 August 1950.
Prior to this, in 1948 Grace caught polio and was several weeks in hospital in a contraption called an iron lung. Derek supported her through this and thankfully Grace was unaffected apart from a weakened left arm.
Grace had four children and one miscarriage. She was a trained telegraphist, but later had different clerical and shop jobs.
She often earned as much as Derek and while she went to work Derek was very much a house husband, doing house work and preparing meals around his ministerial duties. Without her earnings the financial situation would have been impossible.
Grace and Derek were very much a preaching team. Grace felt that her Christian calling was to support the minister in ensuring correct clothing, his meals prepared on time so meetings were attended and basically the household run so that he could meet his duties. Ministerial duties were more important than any family considerations.
She preferred to be called Mrs T because she felt the minister and wife served all the congregation and should not have particular friends or favourites. Despite this formality she would enjoy washing up after functions, baking for and staffing cake stalls and making things for sales, as she was a skilled clothes maker, needle worker, knitter and crocheter.
Derek and Grace Taylor's 25th wedding anniversary at Regent's Park College in 1975. Walter Bottoms is the preacher
She was a traditionalist, believing Corinthians that she would never go to a formal church service without a hat and dress formally. She much preferred the traditional service and the Baptist Hymnal and frowned at loud modern music and choruses. She was always in church choirs, performing a soprano, often singing a solo, or a lead in cantatas. From time to time she would lead women’s meetings and the women’s international day of prayer. She was at various times a leader in Guides and the Girls Brigade and for over 20 years a cook for Boys Brigade camps.
She was very proud of passing her driving test when 48. One of her first solo trips she was taking some church members to a women’s meeting at another church. However during the hymn her group started laughing. Mum was leading the meeting and explained that why the hymn Amazing Grace was so funny was because of the verse:
Through many dangers,
Toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought
Me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
She is survived by four children, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
There is an open service at 2.30pm Tuesday 15 April 2025 at Kettering Crematorium Warren Hill, Kettering NN16 8XE.
Please contact the family if you wish to attend the wake: Markmop777@gmail.com