Sir – I read with interest your article about the completed restoration of the Victorian fountain on The Plain (Report, March 26).
I had taken a close look at it for the first time only a couple of years ago and was saddened by its filthy, smelly and graffitied condition. It has a special interest for me as my family history has it that my great grandfather, Alfred Williams, was the mason who did the stonework for the fountain.
The story as we understand it, is that he was a Welshman who left his home and came to Oxford as a young man, seeking work. He lodged in Jericho, married his landlord’s daughter and eventually set up home in Charles Street, off the Iffley Road.
I confess to being a little disappointed that he didn’t get a mention. Can anyone shed any further light on this man and his work?
Lynn Gardiner (née Williams), Headington
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