| ![Show Contents]() Gatacre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England produced the name of Gatacre. It was given to a a cat. It was given to someone who was cunning, malicious, or nimble. The surname Gatacre 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 Gatacre familyThe surname Gatacre 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 Gatacre familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatacre 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 Gatacre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gatacre Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Gatacre has appeared include Gatacre, Gataker and others. Early Notables of the Gatacre familyNotables 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 so...
- Thomas Gatacre was the "younger son of William Gatacre of Gatacre Hall, Shropshire, where the family had maintained an uninterrupted succession from the time of Edward the Confessor. His parents, zeal...
 Gatacre migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Gatacre arrived in North America very early:
Gatacre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John Gatacre who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1832
| Contemporary Notables of the name Gatacre (post 1700) | + |
- Lt. General Sir William Forbes Gatacre (1843-1906), English soldier
- 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)
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Gatacre migration to the United States 
