"Is there an Avarina in your tree?" There follows a query about a 3rd great grandmother who was an Avarina. "According to the IGI for Wales, Given Names section, there were 136 girls baptised in Cardiganshire as Avarina, and variants, and only 5 in the rest of Wales."
Then: "Further information can be added to the above" . . . and gives several references to the name Avarina, one as early as the late 1600s.
Here is a death record for "our" Avarina, of the house at Bontfach, Llanafan, Cardiganshire, Wales.
Certificate of Death, Wales, Cardiganshire, Aberystwyth Dist, Rheidol Sub District. 1847
Entry 14 Eighth of December 1847, at Bontfach, parish of Llanavan, Avarina Richard, female, 27 years, daughter of John Richard, labourer. Cause of death: decay, not certified. Informant: Jane Richard, by mark, present at the death, Bontfach, Parish of Llanavan. Registered Eighth of December 1847, John Davies, Registrar.
This is from the parish records. I viewed the film at the Family History Center in September 1993. At the time, I remember the film being of better quality than the prints that were made from it.
Wales, Cardiganshire, Diocese of St David, filmed 1949. Bishops Transcripts, 1811-1878; Llanafan y Trawscoed 1811-1815, 1818, 1820-1878. [FHC film 0105150, copied 1 Sept 1993 by LC]
*1847 Burials, Entry 271 Avarinah Richard, Bontfach, buried Dec 11th, age 27, David Davies, off[iciating] Minister
Avarina Richard is my 2nd-great-great aunt, according to my computer - the daughter of John and Jane Richard(s), my third great grandparents. I also have a baptism date for Avarina, but don't seem to be able to locate my source for that record. Nevertheless, the date is March 18, 1821. Since I have baptisms from the area and the time period, I may be overlooking it for now.
There are five other Avarinas in my family files, all related, but at a greater distance. This Avarina appears on a census record with a Rowlands.
1841 Wales, Cardiganshire, Llan Ilar Ucha
Maesnewydd
Richard Rowlands, 25, farmer, b in county / Eleanor, 20, b in county // Richard, 3, b in county; David, 1, b in county /// Lem Davies, 15, ag lab, b in county; Avrina Richards, 20, ag lab, b in county; John Powel, 12, ag lab, b in county
There is no neat and tidy closing to this article. Some day . . .
