Show ContentsChaderton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Chaderton date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Chaderton family lived in Chadderton, or Catterton which had two locations. The first in the parish of Oldham in the county of Lancashire, the second, a township in the parish of Healaugh in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name is derived from the Latin word Cathedra, which means the place by the hill. 1

These locations probably derived their name from the "Saxon, cete-doir-ton, the cottage-town in the wood; from cete or cyte, a cottage, hut, cabin; doir, a wood, and ton, a town." 2

Early Origins of the Chaderton family

The surname Chaderton was first found in Lancashire where "in the 13th century, a Richard de Trafford gave lands of the name Chadderton to his son Geoffrey (circa 1235-1332) who adopted the name of the estate, becoming Geoffrey de Chadderton. Possession of the manor left the family when Margery, a daughter and heir of Chadderton Manor, married a John de Radcliffe in circa 1367. Chadderton Hall was the birthplace of Dr. Laurence Chadderton, an eminent divine at the period of the Reformation, of which he was a zealous promoter; he lived to the great age of 103 years, and died at Cambridge on the 16th November, 1640. " 3

"The Chaddertons were an ancient family, descended from Geoffrey de Trafford, the younger son of Richard de Trafford, who about 1200 received from his father the manor of Chadderton." 4

The Assize Rolls of Lancashire list Geoffrey de Chaderton there in 1281 and later, William de Chaderton, de Chaterton was found in there in 1324. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alan de Caterton, Yorkshire and over one hundred years later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus de Caterton as holding lands there at that time. 6

"Although in general Chatterton must be regarded as a variant of the Lancashire Chadderton, it is almost certain that some of the Chattertons found in the Yorkshire directories are variants of Catterton, a township in the West Riding." 6

Looking at other early records in Lancashire, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 listed Margaret de Chadreton, of Chaderton, Lancashire. 6

"In the 16th century there was a gentle family of Chatterton at Lichfield, Staffordshire, its members often serving as bailiff or mayor of that city." 7

Early History of the Chaderton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chaderton research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1536, 1540, 1584, 1591, 1608, 1640, 1752, 1760, 1765, 1770, 1810, 1824, 1844 and 1871 are included under the topic Early Chaderton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chaderton Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Chaderton are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Chaderton include: Chatterton, Chadderton, Chatherton, Chaderton and others.

Early Notables of the Chaderton family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Laurence Chaderton (c.1536-1640), Puritan divine, first master of Emmanuel College in 1584, who was among the translators of the King James Version of the Bible. he was the son of Thomas Chaderton of...
  • William Chaderton, Chadderton or Chatterton (1540?-1608), was successively bishop of Chester and Lincoln, was born about 1540 at Nuthurst, a hamlet of Moston in the ancient parish of Manchester. He wa...


United States Chaderton migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Chaderton or a variant listed above:

Chaderton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Chaderton, who arrived in New York, NY in 1837 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Chaderton (post 1700) +

  • Roy Chaderton Matos (b. 1942), Venezuelan diplomat


The Chaderton Motto +

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: Loyal a Mort
Motto Translation: Loyal unto death


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  8. 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)


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