Tributes have been paid to a 'one in a million' Sotonian who brought history to life for tens of thousands of residents and visitors over the years. 

Well-known and much loved local historian Genevieve Bailey was a 'fount of knowledge' on the old town and a renowned expert on the Titanic and the impact the loss of the liner had on her beloved Southampton and its people. 

A regular in the pages of the Daily Echo and on TV, her research was considered 'go to' information for Southampton guides. 

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An only child, Genevieve was born in 1954 in Simnel Street where her mother ran the pub The Queen. Her father was in charge of all tug boats and their movements around the Docks.

As a poorly child, her parents were told she wouldn't live beyond infancy and christened her immediately at St Julian's Church on Winkle Street, the chapel of the Hospital of St Julien or God's House which was founded in 1197 and may have been the beginnings of her love of history.

Genevieve attended Deanery School in the 60s and became an authority on the area around her, exploring every nook and cranny. She lived in Inner Avenue for most of her life, moving to Maybush in recent years. 

Long-time friend and fellow Southampton history buff Lucien De-Laloi is hoping to have a blue plaque installed in Genevieve's memory. 

Daily Echo: Genevieve Bailey at a Titanic event in Belfast

He told the Daily Echo: "She was just a lexicon of information and wowed everyone with it.

"I admired her so much. I always wished she'd been my history teacher, it would have made it a lot more interesting. Whether she was talking about Henry VIII or the Earl of Southampton, she brought them to life.

"Genevieve was so passionate about what she did I don't think she realised how many admirers she had. She knew so much history and so many people. She was a very real person, so genuine, and that's what I loved about her."

Another friend Will Burns, who runs the Southampton Sotonians and Friends Facebook group, said: "She was our one in a million who not only promoted our fantastic Southampton history and heritage but whose passion and fortitude we are unlikely to see again."

Other online tributes described Genevieve as 'a true Sotonian' with 'a love of old Southampton' and 'one of the strongest and proudest advocates of Southampton'.