Among the five and half miles of historical documents cared for by Shropshire Council’s Shropshire Archives, researchers have unearthed a tale of intrigue and murder, involving the Shropshire ancestors of television personality and comedian, Alexander Armstrong.

Shropshire Archives, based at Castle Gates, Shrewsbury, recently played host to Alexander Armstrong and his TV film crew for a day, as he uncovered his Shropshire roots in their Search Room for the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? The results of this research can be seen on BBC One at 9pm this evening.

Delving into the Shropshire family papers, Alexander found a letter from a direct ancestor over two hundred years ago, complaining about the shortcoming of her wastrel eldest son Edward. Alexander discovers that Edward inherits a baronetcy from a cousin and that foul play is suspected.

Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for culture and leisure, said “This is great news for Shropshire Archives and recognises the importance of these services, its excellent resources and professional and helpful staff. I look forward to watching this popular programme.”

Shropshire Archives holds records and documents relating to the county of Shropshire, but can also help get you started in family history, and uncover your ancestors, criminal or otherwise, wherever they come from. Friendly volunteers are on hand to help new starters, Wednesday to Saturday mornings from 10am-1pm, and free introductory tours on Fridays at 10am can introduce you to the wealth of information available.