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Matterson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Matterson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The surname Matterson is a patronymic name derived from the well known first name Matthew. This name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew personal name "Mattathaigh," meaning "gift of Jehovah;" it was Latinized as Matthaeus and Mathaeus. It was introduced to England by the Normans, and quickly became quite a popular name.

Early Origins of the Matterson family

The surname Matterson was first found in the Domesday Book in 1086, listed as Mathiu and Matheus. They family came to England following the invasion of William the Conquerer in 1066.

Early History of the Matterson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Matterson research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1273, 1395, 1546, 1577, 1628, 1655, 1790, 1797, 1824, 1856, 1863, 1889, 1890 and 1941 are included under the topic Early Matterson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matterson 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 Matthew, Matthews, Matthewson, Matheson, Mathew, Mathews and many more.

Early Notables of the Matterson family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Tobias Matthew (1546-1628), Archbishop of York, statesman and writer; Sir Tobie Matthew (1577-1655), English MP, courtier, diplomat and writer; Father Theobald Mathew (1790-1856), who campaigned in Ireland...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Matterson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Matterson family to Ireland

Some of the Matterson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matterson migration to the United States +

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 Matterson or a variant listed above:

Matterson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Margaret Matterson, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 1

Matterson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Matterson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Matterson, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749

Matterson migration to Australia +

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

Matterson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Matterson, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Constance" 2
Barbara Matterson, aged 26, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Joseph Soames" 3
Barbara Matterson, aged 26, a servant, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Joseph Somes" in 1850 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Matterson (post 1700) +

Donald Matterson (1953-1972), alias of Salvatore Antonio "Sal" Naturale, an American bank robber, inspiration of the film Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Neil Matterson, Australian professional sculler who coached World Champion Henry Ernest Searle
Francis Albert "Frank" Matterson (1904-1980), Australian rugby league player who played 85 games for the Western Suburbs Magpies (1924-1933)
Ryan Matterson (b. 1994), Australian professional rugby league footballer
Terry Matterson (b. 1967), Australian rugby league football coach and former player
Garth John Matterson, New Zealand leader of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (1960-1961), eponym of Matterson Inlet, Antarctica

Citations +

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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Constance.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOSEPH SOMES / SOAMES 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850JosephSomes.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOSEPH SOMES / SOAMES 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850JosephSomes.htm