Gatacker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Gatacker is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Gatacker was a name used for a a cat. It was given to someone who was cunning, malicious, or nimble. The surname Gatacker also referred to someone who enjoyed good eating. This surname may also be referred in the patronymic as the son of the one nicknamed gata.

Early Origins of the Gatacker family

The surname Gatacker was first found in Shropshire which was "a family of great antiquity, and which is said to have been established at Gatacre by a grant from Edward the Confessor." 1

The Gatacre local cannot be found today but the History of Parliament notes about William Gatacre (by 1499-1577): "Although not a leading family in Shropshire, the Gatacres were influential at Bridgnorth, five miles from their home."

Indeed the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: John de Gatacre and Stephen de Gatacre, both from Shropshire. 2

Early History of the Gatacker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatacker research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1160, 1331, 1499, 1533, 1553, 1554, 1574, 1577, 1593 and 1654 are included under the topic Early Gatacker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatacker Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Gatacker include Gatacre, Gataker and others.

Early Notables of the Gatacker family

Notables of the family at this time include William Gatacre (by 1499-1577) was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Shropshire in November 1554; and his son, Thomas Gatacre (by 1533-1593), an English politician and cleric; and his son, Thomas Gataker (1574-1654), an English clergyman and theologian. He "was born on 4 Sept. 1574, in the rectory house of St. Edmund's, Lombard Street. His father was Thomas...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gatacker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gatacker family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Gatacker were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: John Gatacre who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1832.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)