Chatto History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

Clan Chattan or 'Clan of the Cats' was a powerful confederation of Scottish clans united in the year 1609. Originally composed of the Mackintoshes, Davidsons, Macphersons, MacGillivrays and MacBeans, it was later strengthened by the addition of the Farquharsons and other smaller clans that joined for protection. All these clans share the same Clan Crest and Motto, but have an individual Coat of Arms. Gillechattan Mor is claimed to have been the clan's first chief.

Early Origins of the Chatto family

The surname Chatto was first found in on the lands of Chatto in Roxburghshire came a family bearing this as a surname. But records also reveal that the Chattan Clan originated in Warwickshire where they were recorded at Bromwich with manor and estates in that shire. They were originally of Chatou in Normandy. They moved northward at 1150 at the invitation of David, Earl of Huntingdon, and were granted lands on the Kale Water in the parish of Hounan, Roxburghshire, which they named Chatto. One of the first notables on record was Alexander Chatto, Constable of Roxburgh. Sir Adam Chatto rendered homage to King Edward I of England during the latter's brief conquest of Scotland in 1296, as did William and Robert Chatto. A later Sir Adam Chatto of Kelso was Sub Prior in 1531, and Richard Chatto was Sub Prior of Melrose in 1534. The Chattos family intermarried with the two distinguished Northumbrian families of Percy and Potts, and became involved in border warfare.

Early History of the Chatto family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chatto research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1672 and 1938 are included under the topic Early Chatto History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chatto Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Chatto has been spelled Chatto, Chattoo, Chato, Chatoo, Katto, Cato, Schatto, Shatto, Chattow, Chattone and many more.

Early Notables of the Chatto family

Notable among the family at this time was

Sir Adam Chatto of Kelso

Chatto migration to the United States +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Chatto Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lewis Chatto who arrived in New York in 1820

Chatto migration to Australia +

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

Chatto Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Chatto, (b. 1800), aged 28, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1863 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Chatto (post 1700) +

William Andrew Chatto (1799-1864), English writer who used the pseudonym Stephen Oliver Jr, only son of William Chatto, a merchant who died at Gibraltar in 1804 2
Beth Chatto OBE VMH (1923-2018), British garden designer and author, best known for creating the Beth Chatto Gardens near Elmstead Market in Essex
Ronald Keith Chatto (1924-1992), Australian comic book artist and writer
Tom Chatto (1920-1982), British actor who appeared on 28 titles from 1957 to 1982, known for Battle of Britain (1969), Quatermass II: Enemy from Space (1957) and When Eight Bells Toll (1971)
Edgardo "Edgar" Migriño Chatto (b. 1960), Filipino politician, Governor of Bohol (2010-)
Daniel St. George Chatto (b. 1957), British artist and former actor, husband of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones
Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Chatto (b. 1964), only daughter of the 1st Earl of Snowdon and Princess Margaret

The Chatto 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: Omnibus amicus
Motto Translation: A friend to everyone.

Citations +

Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 25 Nov. 2019