Michael Aufrère Williams (b. 1942) is the author of The Whitby-Loftus Line, published by The Jet Coast Development Trust, Staithes, Saltburn, Teesside (viii, 156p.: ill.: 30 cm.).The book was published on April 25th, 2012.[ISBN: 9780956789013]. This book expands, with extra chapters, illustrations, graphs, and maps the University of York M. A. thesis (2011) 'A more spectacular example of a loss-making branch would be hard to find'; a financial history of the Whitby-Loftus line 1871-1958.(137p.: ill.: 30 cm.).
The Golden Horseman (Bournemouth, 1969).
Mrs Ames's Angel (Wellington, 2008).
The Whitby-Loftus Line, Oakwood Press [Locomotion Papers #244], Catrine, Scotland (188p.: ill.: 20.5 cm.) Published 23rd May., 2019 [ISBN: 9780853615422].
Degrees awarded:
1. BA (Hons) [Class 2 Division 1] History and English (1972). The University of Kent.
2. MA Medieval History (1993). The University of Exeter. Title of dissertation: Crime in Wiltshire 1249-1306.
3. MPhil Medieval History (2003). The University of Cambridge, Corpus Christi College. Title of dissertation: The nature of fealty and the tenants of the manors of Walsham and High Hall, Suffolk, in the fourteenth century.
4. PhD History (2008). The University of Exeter. Title of thesis: Medieval English Roodscreens with special reference to Devon.
5. MA (Railway Studies) (2011). The University of York. Title of dissertation: 'A more spectacular example of a loss-making branch would be hard to find':a financial history of the Whitby - Loftus line 1871-1958.
6. MA (History of Art) (2017). The University of York. Title of dissertation: The nature of landscape in the work of Gerard David.
Professional Qualifications:
Post Graduate Certificate of Education (1979). The University of Exeter.
Further Publications:
'The Whitby-Loftus line:"a more spectacular example of a loss-making branch would be hard to find". Is this really the case?' Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, 216, March 2013, pp.33-46.
'The Viaducts and Tunnels of the Whitby-Loftus Line', Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, 218, November 2013, pp. 33-47
'The Tunnels and Viaducts of the Whitby-Loftus line', Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age, http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/whitbyloftus.html
'A Difficult Year in the History of the Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway', Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, 219, March 2014, pp. 32-41.
'Medieval Devon Roodscreens from the Fourteenth Century to the Present Day', The Devon Historian, 83, 2014, pp. 1-13.
'Closing a line before Beeching: the end of the Whitby-Loftus line', Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, 221, November 2014, pp. 149-58.
'The Iconography of Medieval Devon Roodscreens', The Devon Historian, 84, 2015, pp. 17-34.
'The importance of fieldwork in researching railway history', Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, 224, November 2015, pp. 377-87.
'The Suez Specials', The Gresley Observer (The Journal of the Gresley Society), 169, Summer 2016, pp. 19-27.
'How the Coast Line could have been saved', The Gresley Observer (The Journal of the Gresley Society), 172, Summer 2017, pp. 32-33.
'The costs of working a failing branch line: a financial study of the Whitby-Loftus line, 1910-1933', Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, 233, November 2018, pp. 351-362.
'Devon Roodscreens after the Reformation: Destruction and survival', The Devon Historian, 87, 2018, pp. 11-24.
'Seconds from disaster', The Gresley Observer (The Journal of the Gresley Society), 179, Autumn 2019, pp. 88-92.
'A reluctant revolution: the evidence of Devon (and some Somerset and Cornwall) churchwardens' records concerning the construction and maintenance of roodlofts and screens immediately prior to and after the Reformation in England', Rep. Trans. Devon. Ass. Advmt Sci., 151, 2019, pp. 245-272.
'The Classification of Devon Roodscreens: A Re-Assessment', The Devon Historian, 89, 2019, pp. 11-33.
Whitby Gazette feature articles:
Unlocking the secrets of the Whitby to Loftus line, Friday, May 20th., 2011
The rise and fall of Sandsend station, Tuesday, May 24th., 2011.
Historian is on track with book on railway, Friday, March 30th., 2012
Lost Viaducts brought the coast together, Friday, May 9th., 2014.
Mystery of signal cabin at 'Owen's Cliff', Friday, August 1st., 2014.
How Whitby escaped a major rail disaster, Friday, December 5th., 2014.
The forgotten tunnel to Kettleness, Friday, January 2nd., 2015.
Unearthing a hidden secret of railway line, Friday, May 8th., 2015.
How prospect of third station hit the buffers, Friday, July 17th., 2015
A look back at coastal railway days, Friday, March 30th., 2018.
Railway to the rescue with Suez Specials, Friday, October 26th., 2018.