| ![Show Contents]() Catton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The Anglo-Saxon name Catton comes from the family having resided in Norfolk. However, there are numerous other places named Catton including: a chapelry in the parish of Croxall, Derbyshire; a parish in East Riding Yorkshire; a township in the parish of Topcliffe, North Riding of Yorkshire; and Caton, a chapelry in the parish of Lancaster. 1 One source notes that the family may have been anciently Norman in origin: "Herebert Katune, of Normandy, 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). This may mean the English family of De Catton, which it shows to have been Norman." 2 Early Origins of the Catton familyThe surname Catton was first found in Norfolk "from time immemorial till the middle of the last century. Until the close of the XVI. cent., Catton and De Catton; from the manor of Catton near Norwich, which in Domesday is spelt Catun and Catuna. The Latinizations Catonus, Gathonus, and Chattodunus occur in old records." 3 "The Catons of Essex are probably a branch of the ancient family of Caton or Catton of Norfolk." 4 Researchers scanning through early rolls discovered the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Robert de Catton, or Cattune: Norfolk, 1273; and John Caton, Huntingdonshire. The Lay Subsidy Rolls listed John de Caton, of Lancaster, Lancashire. And the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Catton; and Willelmus de Caytton. 1 Walter Catton or Chattodunus (d. 1343), was "a Franciscan friar of Norwich, was, according to some authorities, head of the Minorite convent situated between the churches of St. Cuthbert and St. Vedast. He seems to have been an author of some repute in his generation, and was, according to Bale, a great student of Aristotle. Towards the close of his life he was summoned to Avignon by the Pope, and died a penitentiary in that city in 1343. " 5 Early History of the Catton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catton research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1636, 1652 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Catton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Catton Spelling VariationsCatton has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Caton, Catton, Cattan, Catten, Caten and others. Early Notables of the Catton familyDistinguished members of the family include William Caton (1636-1665), an early English Quaker itinerant preacher and writer. He "was probably a near relation of Margaret Askew, afterwards wife of Thomas Fell, vice-chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster. At the age of fourteen he was taken by his father to the judge's house at Swarthmore...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Catton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Catton migration to the United States | + |
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Cattons to arrive on North American shores:
Catton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Hanah Catton, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 6
- John Catton, who settled in Virginia in 1654
Catton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Edward Catton, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 6
- John Catton, who landed in New York in 1831 6
| Catton migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Catton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Thomas Catton, English sawyer who was convicted in Ipswich, Suffolk, England for 7 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 7
| Contemporary Notables of the name Catton (post 1700) | + |
- Charles Bruce Catton (1899-1978), American historian and journalist and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- George R. Catton, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 11th District, 1892 8
- Thomas Catton (1760-1838), English astronomer who took a degree of B.A. in 1781 from St. John's College, Cambridge 9
- Charles Catton the Elder (1728-1798), English painter, born at Norwich, one of a family of thirty-five children, apprenticed to a London coach-painter 9
- Charles Catton the Younger (1756-1819), English painter, born at London, son of Charles Catton the Elder 9
- Eleanor Catton (b. 1985), Canadian-born, New Zealand author, winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize for her book The Luminaries
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Cautes metuit fovean lupus
Motto Translation: The cautious wolf fears the snare.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 25 Nov. 2019
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Catton migration to the United States 
Catton migration to Australia 
