A 102-year-old woman who never left Yorkshire was able to live in her own home until her death because of the huge support from the community, her family has said.

Emily Ridsdill, nee Moll, – known as Em – had friends, relatives and local businesses all rallying around to help her stay in her own house.

She died on Wednesday, but her family said she was a remarkable woman whose house was always full of the smell of baking.

Mrs Ridsdill was born on January 31, 1907, in Newborough Street, off Burton Stone Lane, York, and was one of seven children, who with their parents lived in a two-bedroom house.

She attended Shipton Street Primary School and then Manor School before leaving at 14 and going into service.

Granddaughter, Karen Hull, said that at the age of 21, the as yet unmarried Mrs Ridsdill had a love affair with the chauffeur at the house she was working.

She fell pregnant but the chauffeur then told her that he was already married.

According to her family, she was forced to go away to have the baby – a little girl – which she was made to send to an orphanage.

But the conditions in the orphanage were so harsh she and her mother eventually persuaded her father to let the child come home.

Her father agreed – but only on the condition that he could raise the child as his own.

Even when Mrs Ridsdill married her husband, Tom, her father would not let the girl live with her true mother, although in later years he relented.

Her husband and all her children pre-deceased her, but Mrs Ridsdill remained in her home in Gordon Street, off Heslington Road.

This was in no small part thanks to the local community.

Karen said that when relatives were unavailable the local café, Snack Shack, would provide her meals three times a week, make her cups of tea and check whether she needed anything. A hairdresser would pop round and do her hair and many people who were not related would call round regularly and take her out for the day.

But despite being 102, Mrs Ridsdill did not feel her age.

When it was thought she would have to go into a nursing home for a short period when her relatives were away, she had a look round and declared it was full of old people.

Karen said her grandmother was mortified when she had to wear a hearing aid and didn’t like having to use her wheelchair to travel longer distances.

She died peacefully at home with her granddaughter and niece, Ricky Moll, by her side.

Her funeral will be held at York Crematorium on May 1 at noon.

She leaves three grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.