Show ContentsChadderton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Chadderton is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Chadderton family once lived in Chadderton, or Catterton which had two locations. The first in the parish of Oldham in the county of Lancashire, the second, a township in the parish of Healaugh in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name is derived from the Latin word Cathedra, which means the place by the hill. 1

These locations probably derived their name from the "Saxon, cete-doir-ton, the cottage-town in the wood; from cete or cyte, a cottage, hut, cabin; doir, a wood, and ton, a town." 2

Early Origins of the Chadderton family

The surname Chadderton was first found in Lancashire where "in the 13th century, a Richard de Trafford gave lands of the name Chadderton to his son Geoffrey (circa 1235-1332) who adopted the name of the estate, becoming Geoffrey de Chadderton. Possession of the manor left the family when Margery, a daughter and heir of Chadderton Manor, married a John de Radcliffe in circa 1367. Chadderton Hall was the birthplace of Dr. Laurence Chadderton, an eminent divine at the period of the Reformation, of which he was a zealous promoter; he lived to the great age of 103 years, and died at Cambridge on the 16th November, 1640. " 3

"The Chaddertons were an ancient family, descended from Geoffrey de Trafford, the younger son of Richard de Trafford, who about 1200 received from his father the manor of Chadderton." 4

The Assize Rolls of Lancashire list Geoffrey de Chaderton there in 1281 and later, William de Chaderton, de Chaterton was found in there in 1324. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alan de Caterton, Yorkshire and over one hundred years later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus de Caterton as holding lands there at that time. 6

"Although in general Chatterton must be regarded as a variant of the Lancashire Chadderton, it is almost certain that some of the Chattertons found in the Yorkshire directories are variants of Catterton, a township in the West Riding." 6

Looking at other early records in Lancashire, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 listed Margaret de Chadreton, of Chaderton, Lancashire. 6

"In the 16th century there was a gentle family of Chatterton at Lichfield, Staffordshire, its members often serving as bailiff or mayor of that city." 7

Early History of the Chadderton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chadderton research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1536, 1540, 1584, 1591, 1608, 1640, 1752, 1760, 1765, 1770, 1810, 1824, 1844 and 1871 are included under the topic Early Chadderton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chadderton Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Chadderton family name include Chatterton, Chadderton, Chatherton, Chaderton and others.

Early Notables of the Chadderton family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • William Chaderton, Chadderton or Chatterton (1540?-1608), was successively bishop of Chester and Lincoln, was born about 1540 at Nuthurst, a hamlet of Moston in the ancient parish of Manchester. He wa...
  • James Assheton of Chadderton, Esquire, was High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1591; and Thomas Chatterton (1752-70), was English poet, a scholar of Colston's bluecoat hospital (1760-1765) and an apprentice...


Chadderton migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Chadderton surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Chadderton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • N. Chadderton who arrived in San Francisco in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Chadderton (post 1700) +

  • Emily Chadderton, Australian actress, known for The New Legends of Monkey (2018)
  • Maria Chadderton, Australian actress, known for Niel Lynne (1985)
  • Tanya Buchanan Chadderton, British actress, known for Fight for Redemption (2015) and United World (2015)
  • Hugh Clifford "Cliff" Chadderton CC OOnt (1919-2013), Canadian World War II veteran and Chief Executive Officer of The War Amps (1965-2013)

Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Mr. Bryan Harry Chadderton (1930-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Papatoetoe, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 8
  • Mrs. Valerie Enid Chadderton (d. 1979), New Zealander passenger, from Papatoetoe, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 8


The Chadderton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Loyal a Mort
Motto Translation: Loyal unto death


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  8. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx


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