This very unusual and interesting surname recorded in the spellings of Cattermole, Cattermoul or occasionally Cattermul, is English. It is mainly recorded in the East Anglian counties of Norfolk and in Suffolk, with some examples in London. There are two possible origins for the name. The first being as a derivative of the localised term "atten moul", denoting one who worked or lived on a mole or dyke, East Anglian and the surrounding Fen Country being a network of dykes. The second possible source is Low German or Flemish of unknown origin, but thought to be a Flemish Huguenot name brought to England in the first mass immigration of Protestant refugees from religious persecution in Europe in the late 16th Century. Early examples of the name recording include: the marriage of Mary Cattermole and Thomas Burgis at Aldburgh, Norfolk, on November 18th 1672, and George Cattermole of Diss, (1800 - 1868), the famous Victorian water colour painter. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Anne Catmoll, who married John Dearns, at Woodbastwick, Norfolk, in 1641. This was during the reign of King Charles 1st of England, known as "The Martyr", 1625 - 1649. Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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