Catch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Catch family

The surname Catch was first found in Norfolk where the "surname is derived from a nickname 'the catcher,' a huntsman, a follower of the chase." 1

The first records of the family were found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Adam le Cacher, Norfolk; and Richard le Catchcre, Norfolk. 1

The History of Norfolk notes William Catchare, Norfolk, temp. Edward I and Hugh Catchare, Norfolk, 3 Edward III. 2

Early History of the Catch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catch research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1455, 1487, 1584, 1586 and 1624 are included under the topic Early Catch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Catch Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Catch include Catcher, Cacher, Ketcher, Kecher and others.

Early Notables of the Catch family

Distinguished members of the family include

Edward Catcher or Burton (1584?-1624?), English Jesuit, son of Edward Catcher of London, born in 1584 or 1586, and studied at Balliol College, Oxford3...

Catch migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Catch or a variant listed above:

Catch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Catch, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 4
Tho Catch, who landed in Virginia in 1698 4

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. 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)