In this first episode of Season Nine of The Family Histories Podcast, host Andrew Martin meets Canadian genealogist Ron Williams whose family tree research resulted in him encountering a 57 year old mystery...  Understandably, Ron couldn't not investigate and in doing so, uncovered a fascinating story which he then turned it into a book.THE LIFE STORY - ALFRED VICTOR WILLIAMSRon has chosen to tell the fascinating story of his paternal Grandfather - Alfred Victor Williams - one that involves mystery and intrigue, and 57 missing years.The story sees Ron find just a few clues that hint towards some very different elements of his Grandfather's missing first 57 years - an affidavit, a school photograph of a son, and a letter. Why did Alfred spend years living under the alias Roy Hammond?Ron has turned Alfred's story into a book titled 'The Lost Fifty-Seven - A genealogical journey of discovery, deception, secrets and scandal' (2024).THE BRICK WALL - MARY WILLIAMS It's the identity of his 2x Great Grandmother - Mary Williams - that is causing Ron problems in his research. He knows that she was born in about 1831, and likely in Shropshire (or Salop as it was known back then). After finding a confusing 'Cumberland in Salop' reference, Ron has found further Salop references in her census entries after her marriage to George Williams.As Ron doesn't know the birth name of Mary, he's struggled to find the correct marriage, which he estimates was circa 1853, as the couple rapidly grow a family, starting with his Gt Grandfather in 1854.What was Mary Williams' pre-marriage surname?If you think you have a clue or a research idea, you can contact Ron at his website, or alternatively you can find him on Twitter and Bluesky. You can also send us a message, and we'll pass it on to him.In the meantime, Ron is fascinated by Andrew and Sándor's offer of help... but someone's clearly hungry....- - -Credits:Andrew Martin - Host and ProducerRon Williams - GuestJohn Spike - Sándor PetőfiJoin in with All About That Place 2025 on YouTube, Facebook, Substack and Bluesky from 24th September to 3rd October. Just search for #AATP25Explore over 300 years of historyTrace your family history through 50 million+ newspaper pages at the British Newspaper Archive.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThank you for listening! You can sign up to our email newsletter for the latest and behind the scenes news. You can find us on Twitter @FamilyHistPod, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky. If you liked this episode please subscribe for free, or leave a rating or review, or consider giving us a 'tip' to keep the show funded.

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