Chatfield Family History & Genealogy

History

We don't have any information on the history of the Chatfield name. Have information to share?

Name Origin

If you look at the population spread of the Chatfield name it is quite clear that there are two major areas in England where they are settled. One being in Sussex and spread into Kent, Surrey and London with another in the north Midlands in Staffordshire, south Derbyshire and north Warwickshire. There are a few other pockets of Chatfields in places like Manchester and Liverpool.


It could be that the two areas have no connections with each other at all. Certainly we have never come across a genealogical connection and neither has the Society been approached by any member of either area showing a cross connection. During the summer of 1990 following a national appeal some communications were received from the Midlands but no offers of assistance were forthcoming nor did any person show any interest in the Sussex Chatfields.
Various possibilities have been made as to how the name came about and it would seem quite reasonable to assume that the name could quite easily have developed separately as there is a Catfield village in Norfolk on the same latitude as the Midlands and the village of Catsfield in Sussex. Both villages are about the same size and quite probably came about their name for the same although separate reason.

Whilst some people romantically believe that the Chatfields came from France at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 as the French word 'chat' means a cat it is very unlikely indeed. The connection through the two villages is far more likely.


Catfield, a parish of England, co. Norfolk, 12 miles N.E. Norwich. Area 2400 acres. Population 665 in 1850.


Catsfield, a parish of England, co. Sussex, 2 miles S.W. Battle. Area 2430 acres. Population 589 in 1850.


Historiography of Chatfield: by Macaulay Mann Heraldry of Croydon, Surrey in 1974.


"The family name of CHATFIELD is locational in origin and is said to have been derived from the Norfolk place name of Catfield, 'a feld frequented by wild cats'. Such a name would indicate residence in or near a field or tract of open country free of trees. The modern use of the word field as 'an enclosed or fenced in plot of land' did not arise in England until the large scale enclosure of open pasture lands which occurred after the Black Death epidemic of 1349. Seen as Catefelda, this name is found as early as the time of the Domesday Book and was later recorded as Cattfeld in 1197 and Catefeld in 1198."

Spellings & Pronunciations

Cattesfelde, Chadfield, Chatefeild, Chatefeilde, Chatefeld, Chatefield, Chatefild, Chatefyil, Chatefyild, Chatefyld, Chatfeeilde, Chatfeeld, Chatfeelde, Chatfeild, Chatfeilde, Chatfel, Chatfeld, Chatfelde, Chatfell, Chatfelld, Chatfeyld, Chatffeeld, Chatffeelde, Chatffeilde, Chatffelde, Chatffield, Chatffild, Chatfiel, Chatfield, Chatfielde, Chatfields, Chatfifle, Chatfil, Chatfild, Chatfilde, Chatfold, Chatfon, Chatford, Chatfyeld, Chatfyilde, Chatfyld, Chatfylde, Chatfyled, Chattefeld, Chattefield, Chattfeild, Chattfield, Chattfielde, Chattifield, Chaxfeild, Chaxfill, Chetfeld, Chetffeeld, Chetffeelde, Chetfield, Chettefeld, Chxfeild plus variations of Shatfield.

Nationality & Ethnicity

England

Famous People named Chatfield

Alfred John, Admiral Chatfield C.B., R.N., K.St.J. 1831-1910. Served in RN ship, HMS Ganges which was in Greek waters in Jan 1850. A boat, commanded by a Lt. Breen & a Midshipman Chatfield, was sent to Piraeus to collect water & on the return journey the boat capsized. 12 of the crew were lost incl. Breen.   Midshipman Chatfield wrote his journal up & he then published his memoirs in 1902. A newspaper article can be read by clicking here.  Served in Baltic Expedition 1854, in the Black Sea during Crimean War and in Ashanti Campaign 1874. He wrote "The Navy and Defence", the first half of his memoirs really, published by Heinemans. There is a photograph of him in the book.

Chatfield, Alfred Ernle Montacute, C.V.O., C.M.G., C.B., K.C.M.G., K.C.B., G.C.B. O.M. 1st Baron of Ditchling. (1873-1967), admiral of the fleet; educated at St Andrew's School, Tenby; entered R.N. at Britannia, Dartmouth, 1886; joined Iron Duke, 1888; specialized in gunnery; lieutenant in Caesar, 1899; captain, commanded Albermarle in Atlantic Fleet, 1909; Capt. of H.M.S. Medina during tour of India of King George V and Queen Mary 1911-1912; flag captain in Lion with David (later Admiral of the Fleet first Earl) Beatty, 1913; fought in battles of Heligoland Bight (1914), Dogger Bank (1915), and Jutland (1916); flag captain and chief of staff to Beatty in Iron Duke, 1916; fourth sea lord, Admiralty, 1919; assistant chief of staff, 1920; rear-admiral, 1920; senior naval delegate at Washington, 1921; concerned with negotiations for naval armaments limitation, 1921-2; commanded Third Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean, 1923-5; third sea lord and controller of the navy, 1925-9; vice-admiral, 1926; commander-in-chief, Atlantic Fleet in Nelson, 1929; admiral, Mediterranean Fleet, in Queen Elizabeth, 1930-2; first sea lord, 1933-8; secured naval control of Fleet Air Arm, 1937; admiral of the fleet, 1935; baron, 4th June 1937; minister for co-ordination of defence, sworn to the Privy Council PC, OM, 1939; post abolished, 1940; honorary degrees, Oxford and Cambridge; April 3 1940: Churchill is appointed chairman of the Ministerial Defense Committee following the resignation of Lord Chatfield.;  published The Navy and Defence (1942) and It Might Happen Again (1947). NPG 4602

Portrait of Alfred Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield by Reginald Grenville Eves. Date: 1937. Medium: oil on canvas. Measurements: 24 in. x 20 in. (610 mm x 508 mm) Held by National Portrait Gallery but not on display.

Ernle David Lewis, Lord Chatfield 2nd Baron of Ditchling. 1917-. Educated at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and Trinity College Cambridge, late Hon. Lieut. R.N.V.R., A.D.C. to Governor General of Canada 1940-45. Succeeded his father 1967.

Bianca Lee Chatfield, b. 1982, Australian Netball player. Played for Melbourne Phoenix and Vixens, Victoria and Australia. Played at 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games winning a Silver medal and a Gold medal at the 2007 World Netball Championships. Parents Glenda and Geoff C. Sisters: Natalie and Carly.

Edward  Chatfield, (1800-1839), painter; son of a Croydon distiller; pupil of B. R. *Haydon ; painted portraits and historical scenes, 1821-38; wrote in the magazines under pseudonym of `Echion'.

Ewan Chatfield, New Zealand test cricketer. Ewan played 43 Tests, 114 one-dayers and taken 263 international wickets, 123 of those in Tests.  In 2009 he was a driver for an executive taxi company in New Zealand.

Frederick Chatfield, born 1861. Mayor of Appleby, Cumberland 1898-99.

George Chatfield, Mayor of Chichester, Sussex 1586 and 1599 until he died on 4th May.

George Chatfield, RA, 19th century artist.

Harold B Chatfield, Flight Sergeant RAAF. In the South East Asian theatre, the first Spitfire Vcs reached three squadrons on the India-Burma front in November 1943. Spitfire pilots met Japanese for the first time on Boxing Day, 1943. A pair of Spitfires piloted by Flying Officer Geoffrey William Andrews and Flight Sergeant Harry B. Chatfield attacked a formation of Japanese planes over Chittagong. Andrews destroyed a fighter and a bomber, damaging a second, while Chatfield shot down another two. On the last day of 1943, Royal Australian Air Force Spitfires destroyed eleven Japanese bombers and three fighters. Churchill complimented the Australian Squadron for their "brilliant exploit". Harry was married to Heather June Painter in 1948 at Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

Jason Chatfield, b. 1984, Melbourne, Australian editorial and comic strip cartoonist and stand-up comedian.

Philip Chatfield, Ballet dancer. Married to Miss Rowena Jackson. Director of the New Zealand National School of Ballet.

Rev. Alan Chatfield, uncle of the first Admiral Chatfield, translator (mainly from Greek) of hymns in the 1904 "Hymns, Ancient & Modern", Nos. 250 'With him on the holy mount' and 480 'O look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me.'

Rev. Allen W Chatfield, (1808-1896) (Translator).  Songs and Hymns of the Earliest Greek Christian Poets.  SONGS AND HYMNS of  Earliest Greek Christian Poets  BISHOPS AND OTHERS

Rev. Canon Norman Chatfield  Diocese of Portsmouth born 1937


ANIMALS
'Chatfield', Famous Racehorse. Ran in the Derby and many other races in Australia in the late 1930's to 1950. Sired by Manitoba in Victoria, Australia.

Apprentice Injured In Epsom Fall.

Friday 24 January 1947. Apprentice rider R. Houlihan sustained a fractured left collarbone when his mount, the two-year-old 'Lady Chatfield', fell while galloping at Epsom yesterday morning.

Greyhound 'Chatfield'.

Early Chatfields

These are the earliest records we have of the Chatfield family.