Show ContentsChattour History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • England
Chattour Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Chattour

What does the name Chattour mean?

Chattour is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Chattour family lived in Bedfordshire. They were originally from Carteret Manche, Normandy, 1 having derived their name from the Ancient French word acatour, or acateor,which both mean "buyer" as in "buyer of provisions for a large household." 2

Other sources claim the name was "derived from the office of king's escheator-the person appointed to inquire into escheats, or property lapsing to the crown through want of heirs and other causes." 3 4

Early Origins of the Chattour family

The surname Chattour was first found in Bedfordshire where William le CHatur was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1220. A few years later in Cambridgeshire, Robert le Achatour was recorded in 1229 and later Amicia Lakature and Elias le Katur was listed there in 1271. Early Oxfordshire records show William le Catour, le Chatur, le Katour was listed at Balliol in 1310. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include an entry for Henry Escactor, Oxfordshire; Walter le Chatur, Cambridgeshire; and Agnes le Chatur, Cambridgeshire. 4 The source Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I includes two entries: Ralph le Chatere, Warwickshire; and Stephen le Chatere, Warwickshire. 5.

Early History of the Chattour family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chattour research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1178, 1494, 1639, 1671, 1721, 1737 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Chattour History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chattour Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Chattour are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Chattour include Chaytor, Chater, Chaters, Chator, Chators and others.

Early Notables of the Chattour family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chattour Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chattour family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Chattour, or a variant listed above: J. Chayter who settled in Baltimore in 1823. James Chaytor settled in Baltimore in 1823; Mary and William Chaytor arrived in New York City in 1823; John Chaytor settled in Newbury in 1635..

The Chattour 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: Fortune le veut
Motto Translation: Fortune so wills it.
  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)

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