One more thing for tonight & I'm hitting the sack! Will send rest
tomorrow.
From "A Dictionary of the Famiy Names of the United Kingdom"
by Mark
Anton Lower:
CATER. CATOR. Formerly acater, a caterer or purveyor. Halliw. LE Catour,
Le Catur. H.R. The place alloted to the keeping of provisions purchased
for the court was called the acatry, and the purchaser himself bore the
name of the Achatour. Le Achatur is another form in the H.R. "A gentil
manciple was ther of the temple, Of which achatours mighten take
ensemple." Chaucer, Cant. T. 570.
CATO. An old Germ. name. Ferguson.
From: "Family Names and Their Story" by S.Baring-Gould, M.A.:
CATER, a confectioner, maker of cates. "Though my cates be mean, take
them in good part; Better cheer may you have, but not with better
heart." Comedy of Errors, III.L
...In the next we will step out of the castle into the village, from the
chatter of French tongues to the grave speech of the English farmer &
peasant in the field. It will be seen that both have contributed to the
formation of English surnames. ACHATOUR, the purveyor of the castle or
hall, purchasing the necessary food, and handing it over to the
steward. Hence our surnames of CATOR, CHATER, ASTOR, & CATERER.
Chauncer remarks of the manciple who was so "nise in buying of victuals"
that of him "Achatour mighten take example." Among Oxford University
accounts for 1459 mention is made of the "catours." (Nothing in this
book for CATO.)