Show ContentsSedgewick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Sedgewick date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Sedgewick family lived in the township of Sedgewick in the parish of Heversham in Westmorland.

Early Origins of the Sedgewick family

The surname Sedgewick was first found in Sussex where the family held an ancient castle and manor near Horsham. 1 Horsham "is supposed to have derived its name from Horsa, the brother of Hengist, who is said to have been interred in the immediate vicinity, in 457, after the battle with Vortimer, near Aylesford, in which he was slain." 2

Early History of the Sedgewick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sedgewick research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1558, 1573, 1600, 1610, 1611, 1656, 1658 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Sedgewick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sedgewick Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Sedgewick are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Sedgewick include: Sedgewick, Sedgewicke, Sedgwicke, Sedwick and many more.

Early Notables of the Sedgewick family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Sedgwick (Segiswycke) (d. 1573), an English Roman Catholic theologian. Under Queen Mary he became Regius professor of divinity at Cambridge in 1557, and in 1558 both rector of Stanhope, Durham and vicar of Gainford, Durham. William Sedgwick (ca.1610-1669), was an English Puritan and mystic, born in Bedfordshire, son of William Sedgwick of London. He was known as the "Apostle of the Isle of Ely" and "Doomsday Sedgwick."Obadiah Sedgwick (c.1600-1658), was an English...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sedgewick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Sedgewick migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Sedgewick or a variant listed above:

Sedgewick Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Miss Marie Sedgewick, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Speedwell" 3

Canada Sedgewick migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sedgewick Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Sedgewick, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
  • John Sedgewick, aged 39, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1774

Australia Sedgewick migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sedgewick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth Sedgewick, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

New Zealand Sedgewick migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sedgewick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • P Sedgewick, who landed in New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1842


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo


Houseofnames.com on Facebook