Show ContentsClutterbuck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Clutterbuck emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Clutterbuck family originally lived in a place called Cloerterbooke or Cloerterbook in Flanders, which has since been lost to the map. The name is a "a Flemish refugee name; a Thomas Cloerterbooke was Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1586." 1

Early Origins of the Clutterbuck family

The surname Clutterbuck was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from early times, approximately the 1400's and granted land there.

Early History of the Clutterbuck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clutterbuck research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1924 is included under the topic Early Clutterbuck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clutterbuck Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Clutterbuck, Clitterbuck, Clutterbook and many more.

Early Notables of the Clutterbuck family

Prominent in the family at this time was

  • Sir William Clutterbuck


Clutterbuck migration to Australia +

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

Clutterbuck Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Clutterbuck, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2
  • S. Henry Clutterbuck, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sibella" in 1850 3

Clutterbuck migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Clutterbuck Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth A. Clutterbuck, (b. 1860), aged 18, Cornish nurse departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878 4
  • Miss Harriet Clutterbuck, (b. 1858), aged 20, Cornish cook departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878 4
  • Miss Sarah Clutterbuck, (b. 1862), aged 16, Cornish settler departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878 4
  • Mr. Enoch Clutterbuck, (b. 1838), aged 40, English farm labourer from Gloucestershire departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878
  • Mrs. Fanny Clutterbuck, (b. 1838), aged 40, English settler from Gloucestershire departing on 10th August 1878 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 9th November 1878
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clutterbuck migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5
Clutterbuck Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Edward Clutterbuck who settled in Barbados in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Clutterbuck (post 1700) +

  • Anne Clutterbuck, American lawyer and politician, Member of the Houston City Council, representing District C (2006-2011)
  • Bryan Richard Clutterbuck (1959-2016), American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers (1986-1989)
  • Robert Clutterbuck (1772-1831), English antiquary and topographer, the eldest surviving son of Thomas Clutterbuck, esq., of Watford, Hertfordshire 6
  • Henry Clutterbuck M.D. (1767-1856), English medical writer, the fifth child of Thomas Clutterbuck, attorney, who died at Marazion in Cornwall 6 Nov. 1781 6
  • Richard Clutterbuck CB OBE (1917-1998), English army officer who pioneered the study of political violence, Engineer-in-Chief of Thailand (1968–1970)
  • Katherine Mary Clutterbuck CSC MBE (1860-1946), English-born, Australian Anglican nun, known as Sister Kate, she pioneered a cottage home system for orphan babies and children in Western Australia
  • James Clutterbuck (b. 1973), former English cricketer
  • Henry Robert Clutterbuck (1809-1883), English cricketer who represented Oxford University in the 1800s
  • Henry James Clutterbuck (1873-1948), English professional footballer who played from 1897 to 1905
  • Dorothy Clutterbuck (1880-1951), wealthy English woman who was named as a leading member of the New Forest coven, a group of pagan Witches in 1939
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SIBELLA 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Sibella.gif
  4. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  6. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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