Dear Marian & Listers
I would think it very likely that the William WILLIAM(S) whom you found on
the IGI born or bpt 1800 & son of William & Catherine Evans was never known
by the surname WILLIAM(S). As I understand it the compilers of the IGI
assumed that patronymic surnames were in operation until 1813, when in fact
they died out around 1700 or earlier in many areas. Consequently they have
automatically taken the father's first name and put it down as the son's
surname. (J & S Rowlands explain this in their first book on researching
Welsh Family HIstory .) Probably the same goes for the father in this
example whose father was likely to have been an Evan. I am very wary of the
Welsh IGI pre 1813 for this reason. Perhaps other listers can let me know if
I am right about this. I would be delighted to be proved wrong. (I recently
tried to find someone with the surname JAMES in a batch search of a Welsh
parish & it threw up all the people whose father had the first name James. I
shouldn't have been surprised, but I was!!)
Regards, Ruth