Chatfield

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)


	Home Page Swindell ONS Individuals Source Extracts Background Information Search
Index Allen Chatfield 1742 - 1798 Anne Chatfeild 1602 - ? Charles Chatfield 1705 - 1782 Charles Clayton Chatfield 1736 - ? Devericks (Devereux) Chatfield 1739 - 1763 Edmond Chatfeld 1612 - 1632 Elizabeth Chatfield 1745 - ? George Chatfeild 1608 - 1608 John Chatfield 1601 - ? Mary Chatfeild 1609 - 1610 Mary Chatfield 1748 - ? Nicholas Chatfeild 1608/9 - 1620 Richard Chatfeild 1605 - 1620 Richard Chatfield 1754 - 1800 Robert Chatfeild 1535 - 1610 Robert Chatfeild c1560 - 1629 Robert Chatfeld 1597 - 1660 Robert Chatfield 1622 - 1680 Robert Chatfield 1659 - 1726 Robert Chatfield 1738 - 1820 William Chatfield 1747 - 1753 Thomas Haselgrove cc1540 - c1614	Chatfield 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)