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Show ContentsSlatter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The name Slatter comes from one of the family having worked as a person who covered roofs with slate. Slatter is an occupational surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Occupational surnames were derived from the primary activity of the bearer. In the Middle Ages, people did not generally live off of the fruits of their labor in a particular job. Rather, they performed a specialized task, as well as farming, for subsistence. Other occupational names were derived from an object associated with a particular activity. This type of surname is called a metonymic surname. This surname comes from the Old English word esclate, which means splinter or slat.

Early Origins of the Slatter family

The surname Slatter was first found in Derbyshire where the earliest records of the family were found at Barlborough near Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

As an occupational name, the family name was a trade name of a roofer and was originally spelled Sclater. This spelling is still used as far north into Scotland, specifically the Shetlands and the Orkney Islands, where their territories were in Burnes. "Robert Sklatare sold his tenement in Glasgow in 1430, John Sclater was a burgess of Arnbroath in 1458, and another John Sclatar witnessed a Forfarshire obligation in 1497." 1

Early census records in Britain revealed Thomas le Sclatatere in Worcestershire in 1255 and Saundr le Sclattur in 1278 in Oxfordshire. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Adam le Scatterre and Richard le Sclattere in Oxfordshire and Walter Sclatter in Buckinghamshire. 3

"The living [of Tetsworth, Oxfordshire] is a vicarage, in the gift of the Slater family: the great tithes have been commuted for £210, and the small tithes for £115." 4 The Sclaters of Hoddington, claim to have borrowed their name from the parish of Slaughter, or Schlauter in Gloucestershire where they were lords of the manor of over three hundred years. 5

Early History of the Slatter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slatter research. Another 234 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1508, 1514, 1550, 1571, 1575, 1576, 1609, 1612, 1615, 1616, 1620, 1623, 1626, 1634, 1636, 1640, 1659, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1667, 1676, 1679, 1683, 1684, 1685, 1690, 1699 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Slatter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slatter Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Slatter have been found, including: Sclater, Slater, Slatter, Sklater and others.

Early Notables of the Slatter family

Distinguished members of the family include William Sclater (1575-1626), rector of Pitminster, the second son of Anthony Sclater, of ancient Northumbrian descent, who is said to have held the benefice of Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire for fifty years, and to have died in 1620, aged 100. William Sclater (d. 1717?), was an English nonjuring divine, born at Exeter, the only son of William Sclater, rector of St. Peter-le-Poer, and grandson of William Sclater...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Slatter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Slatter family to Ireland

Some of the Slatter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Slatter migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Slatter, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Slatter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Slatter, who landed in Virginia in 1658 6
  • Artick Slatter, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 6
Slatter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Slatter, who arrived in Norfolk, Va in 1760 6
  • Caspar Slatter, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 6
  • Casper Slatter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 6

Australia Slatter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Slatter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Slatter, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Sarah Slatter, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Harpley" in 1849 8
  • Mr. Edward Slatter, (b. 1834), aged 22, English labourer from Gloucestershire, England, UKtravelling from Plymouth, Devon, UK aboard the ship "Aliquis" arriving in Adelaide, Australia on 26th August 1856 9
  • Edward Slatter (aged 22), a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Aliquis"

New Zealand Slatter migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Slatter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Slatter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1863 10
  • Mr. John Slatter, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gertrude" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th February 1863 11
  • William Slatter, aged 43, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
  • Mary Ann Slatter, aged 43, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
  • Mr. John (Benoni) Slatter, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "May Queen" arriving in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand on 16th December 1881 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Slatter (post 1700) +

  • Leslie Arthur Heber "Les" Slatter (b. 1931), English former professional footballer who played as a winger in the Football League for Luton Town and York City
  • Tim Slatter, British rugby league footballer of the 1980s
  • Neil Slatter, Welsh former professional footballer, who played at left back
  • Air Marshal Sir Leonard Horatio Slatter KBE, CB, DSC & Bar, DFC, DL (1894-1961), British naval aviator during the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Coastal Command
  • Helen Slatter (b. 1970), British swimmer who won the 1994 ASA National British Championships title in the 200 metres butterfly
  • Heber Slatter (1887-1918), British footballer who played in the Southern League for Reading as a left half
  • Angela Slatter, Australian speculative fiction writer based in Brisbane
  • Kate Elizabeth Slatter OAM (b. 1971), also known as Kate Allen, an Australian former rower, sixteen time national champion, world champion and Olympic champion from Adelaide, three-time Olympian who in 1996 won Australia's first Olympic gold in women's rowing
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Reginald William Slatter, British Petty Officer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 12

The Slatter 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: Crescit sub pondere virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue thrives under oppression.
  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARPLEY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Harpley.htm
  9. The Ships List Passenger Lists Ship Aliquis (Retrieved 26th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aliquis1856.shtml
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
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