The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Gatensbey family name to the British Isles. Gatensbey is a name for a watchman. The watchman was responsible for keeping guard over the gates of a castle or manor.
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Early Origins of the Gatensbey family
The surname Gatensbey was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Gatenby. One of the first records of the family was Stephen de Gaitenbi (c. 1190-1212) who was listed in Early Yorkshire Charters.
In 1327, the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire listed Thomas de Gaytenby and later Peter de Gaytenby was listed in the Calendar of Inquisitiones post mortem of Yorkshire (1405-1406.) 1
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Early History of the Gatensbey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatensbey research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gatensbey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Gatensbey Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Gattonsby, Gatensby, Gatonby, Gattenby, Gatenby and many more.
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Early Notables of the Gatensbey family
More information is included under the topic Early Gatensbey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Gatensbey family
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Gatensbey or a variant listed above: George Gaton settled in Virginia in 1638; Thomas Gatens arrived in Philadelphia in 1840; Patrick Gatans arrived in Philadelphia in 1858; William Gattens settled in Maryland in 1774..
England
