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TL7729 : St. Katharine's church, Gosfield, EssexTL7729 : St. Katherine: the parish church of GosfieldTL7729 : A glimpse of St Catherine's

Katharine, Katherine or Catherine?

All three spellings are found for the dedication of this church. Although most modern authorities (including English Heritage, Pevsner and the church's own website) use the spelling Catherine, the Little Guide (last revised in 1952) prefers Katharine, whilst the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (1916) has Katherine.

The patron saint's name has also been a popular baptismal name in England since the Middle Ages, encouraged perhaps by its being borne by five Queens Consort, including three of the six hapless wives of Henry VIII and ending with Catherine of Braganza, consort of Charles II in the 17th century. If the present Duchess of Cambridge in due course becomes Queen she will revive the tradition after a gap of some 400 years. Traditionally the K spellings were more common (often abbreviated to Kate), but later the spellings with C became increasingly used - perhaps under French influence. St Catharine's College in Cambridge uses a fourth variant of the spelling.