THE discovery of a set of paintings in an attic has cast light on the story of a well-known Monmouthshire family.

The Williams family lived at 16th Century Pencoed Castle and farm during the 19th century. Today the site is infamous as the site of the 2016 murder of Georgina Symonds.

The paintings of the family were uncovered in an attic in Ludlow following a house sale.

Margaret Williams snr and Amelia Williams paintings

Margaret Williams snr and Amelia Williams paintings

Margaret Williams snr and Amelia Williams paintings

Shrewsbury’s Halls Fine Art Auctioneers paintings specialist Abigail Molenaar was called about the oil panel portraits.

Ms Molenaar said: “I love a good mystery, one of my favourite aspects of being an auction specialist is coming across a painting about which nothing is known and trying to identify the sitter and piece-by-piece seek to reconstruct the history of an artwork.”

There are four generations in the paintings, Margaret Williams snr (1826-1902), her eldest daughter Amelia (1844-1929), granddaughter Margaret (1880-1969) and an infant great-grandchild.

Ms Molenaar made contact with a number of historical groups in the area and teamed up with genealogist researcher Michael Edwards from Athena Ancestry – who happens to be the great-great nephew of Margaret Williams snr.

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During the research, it was found that Margaret Williams snr, the matriarch of the family, was a generous hostess and a figurehead in the local community. The family worked the land and farm at Pencoed Castle throughout the 19th century, until Ms Williams’ retirement in 1895. She then put the estate up for public auction.

Pencoed Castle

Pencoed Castle

Pencoed Castle

The mystery of how the paintings ended up in Shropshire was solved when records were located that showed Ms Williams’ son Thomas moved with his family near Bridgnorth in the 1880s, settling and working in the country. Margaret junior married a Frederick Brookes and they also raised their family in the area, continuing the farming tradition.

The paintings date to 1906, after the estate at Pencoed Castle was sold and the family went their separate ways. Ms Molenaar believes the paintings were created at the same time and passed down the generations, but were forgotten about at some point and left in the attic of the Ludlow home.

They are a folk-art style and all painted by the same person who is believed to either be an amateur artist or a family friend. Descendants will be able to get their hands on the portraits as the portraits will be up for sale in the spring auction at Hall’s Fine Art on March 17. They are lots 127-129.

For more information contact fineart@hallsgb.com