Sedgwitch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

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

Early Origins of the Sedgwitch family

The surname Sedgwitch 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 Sedgwitch family

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

Sedgwitch 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 Sedgwitch 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 Sedgwitch include: Sedgewick, Sedgewicke, Sedgwicke, Sedwick and many more.

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

Migration of the Sedgwitch family

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 Sedgwitch or a variant listed above: 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.