History of Welsh Surnames

[D ap D]

This is a 19th century satire about about an English judge trying to sort out Welsh surnames as part of the "anglicization" process...

Then strove the judge with main and might
The surrounding consonants to write
But when the day was almost gone
He found his work not nearly done.
His ears assailed most woefully
With names like Rhys ap Griffith Ddu,
Aneirin, Iorweth, Ieuan Goch,
And Llwyarch Hen o Abersoch,
Taleiesin ap Llewelyn Fawr
And Llun ap Arthur bach y Cawr.
Until at lenght, in sheer despair,
He doffed his wig and tore his hair
And said he would no longer stand
The surnames of our native land.
"Take ten," he said, "and call them Rice,"
"Take another ten and call them Price."
"Take fifty others, call them Pughs,"
"A hundred more--I'll dub them Hughes."
"Now Roberts name some hundred score,"
"And Williams name a legion more."
"And call," he said in disdained tones,
"Call the remaining thousands Jones."

I suppose we could also add:

then he lifted his eyes up to the heavens
"What shall we do with all the Evans?"

[kathy p]

look up needed to find family of Evans . Llanfair 1800 s