This most interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from Chadderton, Lancashire, which was recorded as "Chaderton" in the Coucher Book of Whalley Abbey, circa 1200 and "Chaterton" in the Patent Rollls of 1224. The placename is composed of the initial element "cader", an early Welsh word for "hill fort", identical with the Old Irish "cathir", town, and the second, the Olde English element "tun", village, enclosure. Other surnames from this source include Chaterton and Chaderton. The surname first appears in records in Lancashire in the early 16th Century (see below). George Chatterton was christened on January 28th, 1542 at Middleton by Oldham, Lancashire and Catherine Chaderton was christened on April 12th 1558 at St. Mary's, Oldham. One William Chadderton married Katheryn Revell at St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, London on June 27th, 1569. William Chadderton, Chaderton or Chatterton (1540-1608) was Bishop of Chester and Lincoln. Coats of Arms were granted to Chaderton families in Lancashire and Yorkshire, the former depicting "a red griffin segreant on a silver field". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Chaderton, which was dated 1536, who was a christening witness at Oldham, Lancashire, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Good King Hal", 1509 - 1547. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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