Gataker History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe name Gataker comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for a a cat. It was given to someone who was cunning, malicious, or nimble. The surname Gataker 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 Gataker familyThe surname Gataker 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 Gataker familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gataker 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 Gataker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gataker Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Gataker has undergone many spelling variations, including Gatacre, Gataker and others. Early Notables of the Gataker familyNotables of the family at this time include
Migration of the Gataker familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Gataker were among those contributors: John Gatacre who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1832.
|