The surname TATTERSFIELD is very rare. It seems extremely likely that we are all branches of one family. A study of available records points to West Yorkshire as the place where the family name originated, and to Dewsbury in particular.
From about 1770 to 1816 the name began to appear in other parts of England, notably in Heckmondwike (adjacent to Dewsbury), York, Hull, London, Leeds and East Lancashire. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries movements overseas took place, particularly to the USA, Canada and New Zealand.
Some 1056 TATTERSFIELDs were registered as born in England in the 161 years from 1837 to 1998; fewer than seven per year.
The 1881 census of England recorded 283 TATTERSFIELDs living at that time, of whom 243 were in Yorkshire. By county, these were divided as follows:
| County | # in England |
|---|---|
| TOTAL in England | 283 |
| Yorkshire | 243 |
| Middlesex (London) | 13 |
| Warwickshire | 6 |
| Lancashire | 19 |
| Northants/Notts | 2 |
The location of those in Yorkshire was:
| PLACE | # in Census |
|---|---|
| TOTAL in Yorkshire | 243 |
| Dewsbury, Batley, Thornhill, Soothill, Ossett | 71 |
| Heckmondwike, Liversedge | 59 |
| Mirfield | 70 |
| Huddersfield, Kirkheaton | 3 |
| Bradford, Pudsey | 6 |
| TOTAL within a radius of 8 miles of Dewsbury | 209 |
| York | 14 |
| Hull | 9 |
| Leeds | 11 |
It is important to realise that places such as Heckmondwike and Mirfield are immediately adjacent to Dewsbury. The map below shows the relative positions in West Yorkshire of many of the places mentioned in this article.
