Contents [hide]

Garratt History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Garratt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Although the Garratt surname came to Britain with the Normans, it derives from the Germanic personal names Gerard, or Gerald, composed of the elements "gar," or "ger," meaning "spear," "hard," meaning "brave," or "strong," and "wald," meaning "rule." 1

Not all of the family made the crossing with the Conqueror as Roger and William Garet were both listed in Normandy in 1180. A few years later, Arnulph and William Garet were also listed there in 1198. 2

Early Origins of the Garratt family

The surname Garratt was first found in Lincolnshire, where a Geraddus filius Simonis is on record in 1242 in Liber Feodorum. The same source also included Peter Geraud son of Robert Gerold 1250-1251 in Northumberland. 3

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included the family as a forename and surname: Johannes Gerard; Thomas Gerard; and Gyrerd Tolus. 1 In Cumberland, Thomas Gerad was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332. 4

In Somerset, Adam Garet was registered there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign) 5 and John Gerad was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1230. 4

Early History of the Garratt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garratt research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1379, 1511, 1551, 1560, 1579, 1594, 1597, 1603, 1621, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1648, 1650 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Garratt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garratt Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Garrett, Garratt, Garret, Garrat, Garet, Garitt, Garatt and many more.

Early Notables of the Garratt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet (1560-1621), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1597 and 1621. He was the son of Sir Thomas Gerard, of Bryn and his wife Elizabeth Port, daughter of Sir John Port, of Etwall, Derbyshire. George Garrett or Garrard (1579- after 1650), was an English Member of Parliament. He was a younger son of Sir William Garrard of Dorney Court, Buckinghamshire. He was educated at Merton...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Garratt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Garratt family to Ireland

Some of the Garratt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garratt migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Garratt or a variant listed above:

Garratt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Samuell Garratt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 6

Garratt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Hann Garratt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1873 6

Garratt migration to Australia +

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

Garratt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Samuel Garratt, British Convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
George Garratt, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 29, 1828, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. William Garratt, British Convict who was convicted in Bedford, England for 14 years for theft, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Job Garratt, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Mitchell" in 1840 10
Louisa Garratt, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Mitchell" in 1840 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Garratt 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:

Garratt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas L. Garratt, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Light Brigade" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th August 1868 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Garratt (post 1700) +

John Garratt, English politician, Lord Mayor of London in 1824-25
Chris Garratt, English co-creator of the Biff cartoon character
Martin Blake George Garratt (b. 1980), English former football midfielder
Humphry Stone Garratt (1898-1974), English cricketer, active in the 1920s
Herbert William Garratt (1864-1913), English mechanical engineer, inventor of the Garratt system of articulated locomotives
Steven Arthur Garratt (b. 1953), English cricket umpire from Nottingham
Wayne Malcolm Garratt (1968-1992), British speedway rider, active from 1986 through 1992 when he died as a result of a crash on Sunday, September 13th at Brough Park
Nick Garratt, Australian women's sculling team coach at the 2008 Summer Olympics

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)
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)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. 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 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1828 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1828
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WILLIAM MITCHELL 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840WilliamMitchell.gif
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html