Index to Chatfields investigated by me in the
course of my researches. I am fortunate that the
Chatfield name in Sussex has been extensively
researched.
In 'The English Origins of New England
Families' Vol I * published in Baltimore by
Genealogical Publishing Company in 1984 (available
on Ancestry) there is a
section on the Chatfield family which includes
"The Chatsfield family is of Sussex origin and
doubtless derived its name from Catsfield, a parish
in southeastern Sussex, one mile from the famous
Battle Abbey, which was built on the spot where King
Harold fell in the Battle of Hastings or
Senlac.
As early as 1300 the family was established in Mid-Sussex,
the first of the name there of whom records have
been found being William de Cattefeld, who in 1327-8
and 1332-3 was taxed in subsidies in the township of
Street, in the very centre of the county and about
twenty five miles west of Catsfield. For over three
centuries the family continue in Street and the
adjoining parishes of Ditchling and Chailey; but
after 1332-3 there is a gap of about one hundred and
twenty years, covering four or five generations,
concerning which no records have been found. The
next of the family who is known is
1.
Thomas Chatfield,
born probably about 1450, from whom a continuous
descent can be traced. According to the Visitations
of Sussex he was of Bedyles in the parish of
Ditchling. He was probably living in 1523, when
Thomas Chatfield, Jun., presumably his son, appears
in a subsidy.
Children
2. i.
John, b. probably
abt. 1475
ii.
Thomas, b. abt.
1480. As Thomas Chatfeld Jun. he was assessed in the
subsidy of 1523 for the Hundred of Street. In 1527/8
he and his son Thomas acquired "Loffeld" in the
parish of Chailey. His s. Thomas b. abt.
1505, was father of John, b. abt. 1530, who was the
father of John, b. in 1587, d. 10 Sept. 1638, who
was the father of John, b. in 1625. All these were
of Chailey, as is shown in the inquisitions post
mortem of John who d. in 1598/9 and of John who d.
in 1638.
iii.
William, appears in
the subsidy for the Hundred of Street in the subsidy
of 1523.
2.
John Chatfield (Thomas)
born probably about 1475, was of
Bedyles in the parish of Ditchling according to the
Viitations of Sussex, which also state that he
married ALICE STAPLEY, daughter of Richard of
Twineham, co. Sussex. He is evidently the John
Chatfield, Sen., who was assessed in the Hundred of
Street in the subsidy of 1523.
3. i.
Richard, b. abt.
1500.
ii.
John, enrolled in
the subsidy for the Hundred of Street in 1523 as
John Chatfeld, Jun.
iii.
Robert,
assessed in the subsidy for the Hundred of Street in
1545/6.
3.
Richard Chatfield (John,
Thomas) the testator of 1582, of Bedyles in the
parish of Ditchling, of Oving, Treyford, Sidlesham,
and Chicester co. Sussex, and of the Isle of
Hayling, co. Hants, born about 1500, died in July
1586. When he was a young man he removed thirty
miles westward from his ancestral home of Mid-Sussex
amd settled in Chichester. In this city he probably
secured in trade the means which enabled him to
acquire numerous pieaes of property (some of which
formerly belonged to monasteries disolved by Henry
VIII), and to raise his branch of the family into
the armigerous gentry with its pedigree and arms
entered in the Heralds' Visitations, while the
branches in Mid-Sussex remained among the yeomanry.
In the subsidy of 1523 he was assessed for lands in
the Hundred of Street and for goods in
Chichester. Between 1544 and 1572 he was assessed in
the Rape of Chichester in various subsidies and
acquired property at Chichester, Oving, West
Ashling, Sidlesham, Treyford, Westmeston, Middleton,
Twineham and Bolney. Wheh he made his will in 1582
he was living at Chichester, and he was buried in
the Cathedral there 26 July 1586. His will is a
brief and unsatisfactory document as it names only
two of his children, although it is certain that he
had at least six and probably even more. It is
evident that he had given portions to his children
during his lifetime. No monument to him remains, as
the iconoclastic partisans of Cromwell wrecked that
part of the Cathedral in which he was buried.
.......
*Note that this is a selection of articles from
The New England Historical and Genealogical
Register and is thus a tertiary source. However
it has a good reputation. The interests of the
authors lie with the immigrants to New England and
follow the Chatfields who moved to Chichester rather
than those who remained in East Sussex. The
introduction to the book should be read to assess
its reliability.
Colin John Chatfield has a very good Chatfield
genealogy website:-
Chatfield Family History Genealogy
(chatfield-genealogy.website)
Colin
Chatfield's home page (one-name.net)
Descendant tree of Thomas Chatfield of Ditchling,
Sussex, England (one-name.net)
According to Colin, Robert Chatfield (1622-1680)
moved from Ditchling to Cuckfield. Robert was
descended from Thomas Chatfield of Ditchling
(c1446-after 1523). He had a son Robert (1659-1726),
and grandson Charles (1705-1782).
Thomas Chatfield (c1446 - after 1523)
Roger Chatfield (1481-before 1545)
Robert
Chatfield (1510-1589)
Robert Chatfield
of Chiltington (1535-1610)
Robert Chatfield
of Newick (1560-1629)
Robert Chatfield (1597-1660)
?Robert Chatfield (1622-1680)
Robert Chatfield (1659-1726)
Charles Chatfield (1705-1782) (fourth child of
second marriage)
This version of the family tree (on
chatfield.one-name.net) is easier to trace.
The links between some generations seem
to be possibilities in East Sussex parishes rather
than always backed up by wills, etc, though I may be doing
Colin an injustice. I count 16 generations
between myself (AJS) and Thomas Chatfield, 500
years!
chatfield families of sussex is a blog listing
Chatfield members in different parishes in Sussex
organised by parish and birth date (and reign). It
is described as "a work in progress and is published
as an informal guide to assist family researchers
find their own ancestral Chatfield connections in
Sussex. Except for vital missing links, only people
whose birth, baptism or marriage dates are available
online are listed. Not all births and marriages were
recorded and, of those that were, not all records
have been checked yet. So, not all of the people
listed are in the right place and some people may
have been missed altogether. "
Chatfield Family History book part 1
(chatfield-genealogy.website)