Sedgewyke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Sedgewyke is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the township of Sedgewick in the parish of Heversham in Westmorland.

Early Origins of the Sedgewyke family

The surname Sedgewyke 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 Sedgewyke family

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

Sedgewyke Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Sedgewyke has been spelled many different ways, including Sedgewick, Sedgewicke, Sedgwicke, Sedwick and many more.

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

Migration of the Sedgewyke family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Sedgewykes to arrive in North America: Major General Robert Sedgwick (c. 1611-1656), who settled at Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1635; Joe and Mary Sedgwick who settled in Virginia in 1679.

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.