Coat of Arms

by Catherine Sevenau on January 27, 2011

The arms of the CHATFIELD FAMILY were granted in 1564 and recorded in the Heralds College at London, England and are thus described:

MOTTO: “Fidus ad extremum” (Faithful to the end)

ARMS: Argent, a griffin sable on a chief purple, three escallop shells

CREST: An heraldic antelope’s head erased argent, ducally gorged or

  • Argent signifies silver, which is an emblem of purity.
  • The griffin is a fabulous animal used in heraldry, combining the eagle and the lion, and was used by those having both temporal and spiritual authority, as for example, the early church barons.
  • Sable is black, and is indicative of antiquity.
  • In heraldic language chief means the upper part of the shield.
  • The escallop shells indicate the ancestor of the family made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
  • The antelope is symbolical of unswerving fidelity.
  • Ducally gorged means with a ducal crown around its neck.
  • Or is gold, which indicates sterling worth.

Richard Chatfield (1500 – 1586)
Awarded the Chatfield Coat of Arms

RICHARD CHATFIELD was born Sep 10, 1500 in Bedyles, Ditchling, Sussex, England, and died Jul 26, 1586 in Chichester, Sussex, England. He married (1) ELIZABETH BRANE/BRONE circa 1530 in Sussex, England; his 1st her 2nd marriage, daughter of JOHN BRANE/BRONE and SUSAN LAPPAGE. She was born circa 1514 in East Hampset, Sussex, England, and died circa 1555 in Sussex, England. He married (2) AGNES/ANNE (MNU) CHATFIELD circa 1555 in Sussex, England; his 2nd marriage. She was born 1510 – 1552.

Notes for RICHARD CHATFIELD:
Richard was the son of John and Alice (Stapley) Chatfield, b. in 1500, and d. in 1586. He was the testator of 1582, of Bedyles in the parishes of Ditchling, Oving, Sidlesham and Chichester, co. Sussex, England, and of the Isle of Hayling, co. Hants, England.

When he was a young man he removed thirty miles westward from his ancestral region of Mid-Sussex and settled in Chichester, Sussex, England. In this city he probably secured in trade the means which enabled him to acquire numerous pieces of property, and to raise his branch of the family into the armigerous gentry, with its pedigree and arms entered in the 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, Sussex, England. Between 1544 and 1572 he was assessed in the Rape of Chichester, Sussex, England in various subsidies, and acquired property at Chichester, Oving, West Ashling, Sidlesham, Treyford, Westmeston, Middleton, Twineham, and Bolney.

When he made his will in 1582 he was living at Chichester, Sussex, England, and he was buried in the Cathedral there on Jul 26, 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.

Feb 16, 1554/55: Licence granted to Thomas Devenysshe of West Hampnett, Sussex, England, Esquire, on payment of 34s. 4d. into the Hanaper, to alienate all those his five crofts of land, parcel of the farm of Groves, in the tenure of William Goble, in the parish of Oving, Sussex, late belonging to the dissolved Monastery of Boxgrave, five crofts, parcel of Groves farm, in the tenure of Robert Whyghtm ten crofts of land, parcel of the same, in tenure of William Smyth, and another, ten crofts by Oving and two pastures called the Leasnes in the marsh there, and a small parcel of land, waste and furze and heath in the tenure of John Hamlyn in Oving, five crofts of land, parcel of Groves Farm, in the tenure of Thomas Newman in Oving, and all woods, underwoods, etc., held of the King and Queen in chief, to Richard Chatfield of the Isle of Hayling, co. Hants, gentleman, to him and his heirs and assigns for ever. Patent Roll 887, 1 and 2 Philip and Mary, part 7, fo. 289.
(Patent Rolls: Preserved in Public Record Office, London, England.)
Several more entries in “Fete of Fines: Preserved in Public Record Office, London, England.