Catterick
Major Settlement in the Parish of Catterick
Historical Forms
- Cataractam uicum, Cataractone uico 8 Bede
- Cateracta(m), Ceteracte c.1130 SD
- Cetrehttun, Cetrihtun, Cetreht worþig(n)e 10 BedeOE
- Catrice 1086 DB Hy2 MaryH6d
- Catherick 12 FountC
- Kateriz, Cateriz 1198–1208 YD c.1200 Easby 1289,1301 Ebor
- Catrich 1238 Pap
- Cheteriz 1241 Ch
- Caterik, Katerik 1283 Rich 1285 KI 1305 MaryY 1396 Pap
- Caterich 1295 Abbr
- Katrici 1308 Ch
- Catrik 1362 Archd 1400 Test 1441 BM
- Catteryke 1396 Pap
- Catheryk 1536 YChant
- Catherick(e) 1556 RichWills 1586 Pickhill
Etymology
It has been suggested (IPN 23) that Catterick is a Celtic name probably of the same origin as Chatteris (C); some of the spellings such as Cateriz , Cheteriz certainly support this.
There was at Catterick during the Roman occupation an important station and the extant site of the encampment is near Watling Street, the great Roman road running through the North Riding. It seems possible that the name, therefore, is ultimately connected with Welsh cader , OIr cathair 'hill fort,' which enters into Catterton (YWR), Cadretone 1086 DB, etc., in the old kingdom of Elmet. The Brit form of this element would be *catar -, which is cognate with Lat. caterva 'a troop of soldiers,' and -t - did not undergo Brit “mutation” to th as it did in Catterton.
The second part of the name is not clear, but Sir John Morris Jones suggests that the original Brit name had two forms, Caturacto , gen. Caturactonos , and a derivative form Caturact-on , gen. -ion ; this was read by the Romans as Lat cataracta 'waterfall,' which, curiously enough, is apt, as near this point the river Swale has a very swift flow.
Noteworthy is the rendering of Bede's vicus by the alternative tun and worþig in the OE Bede.
The modern form Catheryck is due to the local sound-change of ME -t - to NEDial -th -; v. Introduction xxxii.