Catchpole
Encyclopedia
Catchpole is a rare surname
derived from a law enforcement implement found in medieval England. The 'catchpole' usually consisted of an eight foot wooden pole
with some sort of noose or barbed fork on one end. Law enforcement officers (usually the Sheriff
) would place the noose around the neck of the criminal and use it to lead them around and so forth. Catchpoles are still used today, mostly by animal control officials to ensnare uncontrolled animals such as aggressive dogs.
A second source of the name, also dating from medieval England, mostly in Norfolk
and Dorset
, comes from the local tax collector
s. It was often the case that smallholders
were unable to pay cash for their local land-owners tax and hence collectors were sent round to take goods in lieu. When the tradition that one's surname was one's profession took hold and passed through the generations, the name became contracted to Catchpole.
Catchpole was a Merriam-Webster word of the day. They had this to say:
Imagine chasing a chicken
around the barnyard. Catching it would be no mean feat. And chasing down someone who owes you money is pretty challenging too. It's no surprise then that these two taxing tasks come together in "catchpole," which derives from a word that literally means "chicken chaser"—Anglo-French "cachepole." Before it referred to the debt police, "catchpole" was used more generally for any tax collector. That's the sense demonstrated in a 12th-century homily
about the apostle Matthew: "Matheus thet wes cachepol thene he iwende to god-spellere" ("Matthew who was a catchpole until he turned into a writer of the Gospel").
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
derived from a law enforcement implement found in medieval England. The 'catchpole' usually consisted of an eight foot wooden pole
Pole weapon
A pole weapon or polearm is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is placed on the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, thereby extending the user's effective range. Spears, glaives, poleaxes, halberds, and bardiches are all varieties of polearms...
with some sort of noose or barbed fork on one end. Law enforcement officers (usually the Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
) would place the noose around the neck of the criminal and use it to lead them around and so forth. Catchpoles are still used today, mostly by animal control officials to ensnare uncontrolled animals such as aggressive dogs.
A second source of the name, also dating from medieval England, mostly in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, comes from the local tax collector
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....
s. It was often the case that smallholders
Smallholding
A smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
were unable to pay cash for their local land-owners tax and hence collectors were sent round to take goods in lieu. When the tradition that one's surname was one's profession took hold and passed through the generations, the name became contracted to Catchpole.
Catchpole was a Merriam-Webster word of the day. They had this to say:
Imagine chasing a chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
around the barnyard. Catching it would be no mean feat. And chasing down someone who owes you money is pretty challenging too. It's no surprise then that these two taxing tasks come together in "catchpole," which derives from a word that literally means "chicken chaser"—Anglo-French "cachepole." Before it referred to the debt police, "catchpole" was used more generally for any tax collector. That's the sense demonstrated in a 12th-century homily
Homily
A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
about the apostle Matthew: "Matheus thet wes cachepol thene he iwende to god-spellere" ("Matthew who was a catchpole until he turned into a writer of the Gospel").