Sedgewicke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Sedgewicke family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the township of Sedgewick in the parish of Heversham in Westmorland.

Early Origins of the Sedgewicke family

The surname Sedgewicke 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 Sedgewicke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sedgewicke 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 Sedgewicke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sedgewicke Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Sedgewicke include Sedgewick, Sedgewicke, Sedgwicke, Sedwick and many more.

Early Notables of the Sedgewicke 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 Sedgewicke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sedgewicke migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3

Sedgewicke Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Sedgewicke who settled in Barbados in 1678 with his son George

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies