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Benjamin Sedgwick the locksmith who died  in 1772 in Kings Bromley was baptised in 1702 in Lichfield, the son of John Sedgwick. He had a sister Elizabeth baptised  in Lichfield 1698 and brother John, baptised in Lichfield 1705.

A John Sedgwick married Anne Brewood in 1697 in Lichfield(prob bpt 1673 Lichfield  daughter of Nicholas  Brewood who apparently married Elizabeth Smith 1663 Lichfield)- so I believe these are Benjamin's  parents.

John's two sons were apprenticed- both details are on FindMyPast/Ancestry- Benjamin (Sedgewick) to William Smith, locksmith of Wolverhampton in 1715, John (Sidgewick)to John Parker, tailor of Lichfield  in 1717.

Benjamin married Catherine Turner in 1724 in Wolverhampton, their children were John 1725-84 William 1728-1801 (my 6ggrandfather) and Frances 1733,all bpt Wolverhampton.

Catherine died 1733 in Wolverhampton, Benjamin married Sarah Wolley 1736 in Lichfield, -no issue she was buried Kings Bromley 1756.

Benjamin then married Ann Porter 1764 in Lichfield and they had Benjamin 1765-1789 bpt Kings Bromley who married Elizabeth Bonnell in 1786.

Benjamin's 1772 will leaves land in Kings Bromley to his son John and mentions his  son William,daughter Frances Barber and his son Benjamin (by Ann Porter)


Benjamin's 1702-1774  eldest son John married Hannah Reynoldson 1763 in Kings Bromley. They had no children,and his will, written in 1782 passed his land (inherited from his father Benjamin) in Kings Bromley first to his widow Hannah for life, then to his brother William for his life, and then to William's eldest son John bpt 1759 Armitage d1848 Kings Bromley = Ann  Silvester   1782 Burton upon Trent.

John's younger brother William 1728-1801 married Elizabeth Corbett in 1756 in Stafford.  Their children were John  b &d 1757 Armitage , John bpt 1759 Armitage d 1848 Kings Bromley, Catherine  d 1767 Armitage,Mary bpt 1762 Armitage, William 1769 -1837 (armitage) and Thomas 1773- 1843 Armitage.

William inherited his elder brother John's land on the passing of his sister-in-law Hannah in 1793. In William's will of 1801 in Kings Bromley, he mentions his widow Elizabeth and his estate is then to pass to his son Thomas and his daugther Mary Bird. He states that his sons John and William had already been provided for (John would receive the Kings Bromley land that had been willed in William's  elder brother's will).

This is where a problem in the records that has taken a very long time for us to work out and resolve:
of the baptisms of John, John, William ,Mary and Thomas, no mother is mentioned except in the case of Thomas whose parents are listed as William and Ann Sedgwick. After further research I have concluded that "Ann" is a mistake made by the priest or clerk. These are my reasons:

-There is no record  of a marriage of a William Sedgwick to an Ann that would fit.

-William's stepmother Ann, who was only one year older than William would in all likelihood have been present at the christening and this may be how the mistake arose.

-The burial record of Catherine in 1767 lists her parents as William and Elizabeth- (although there is no baptism record for her).

-The 1801 will of William Sedgwick names his wife Elizabeth and the living children as John, William, Mary (Bird) and Thomas

So I think this is conclusive. Further research has shown that the area farmed by John Sedgwick 1725-84 his brother William 1728-1801,and William's son John 1759-1848 in Kings Bromley was in fact pretty much adjacent  to the Tuppenhurst Farm in Armitage that was farmed by William's second son William 1769-1837, grandson James 1801-1862 and great-grandson Benjamin 1832-1905 (my 3ggrandfather). The farm was sold in 1915 after the death of Benjamin's widow Mary.

William Sedgwick 1769-1837 (my 5 gggrandfather) and his wife (married 1793 Lichfield) Patience Bradbury who appears to have been  born Hammerwich 1770 as Patience Mottram ,the daughter of William Mottram and Mary Bradbury (and who for reasons unknown appears to have married William using her mother's maiden name), were the  parents of:

William 1794 bpt Stonall = Harriett Waltho 1827 Kings Bromley
Benjamin 1796 (your 5ggrandfather)
Catherine bpt 1798 Armitage d prob 1863  =Samuel Wilcox 1815 Armitage
James  bpt 1801 Armitage d 1862 Armitgae = Mary Pool 1827 Armitage (my 4ggranfather)
George  bpt 1803 Armitage d 1869 Kings Bromley = Ann Skater Sutton 1827 Colton
Thomas bpt 1805 Armitage = Mary Hall 1823 Armitage
John 1807-1807
John bpt 1810 Armitage d 1886 Wolverhampton = Sarah Roberts 1838 Armitage

So the above is how I have interpreted all the above information that I have found in terms of wills, vital records, apprenticeships. A 3rd or 4th cousin of mine had first proposed on Ancestry that Benjamin Sedgwick originally of Lichfield 1702-1774 was the father of William Sedgwick 1728-1801 and that the latter had married Elizabeth Corbett and not in fact an unknown Ann. At first I didn't believe it as for decades we believed William married an Ann, but having looked and re-looked at all the evidence I am convinced that she is right although there might be a minor detail here or there that we disagree on . The evidence of the locksmith apprenticeship of Benjamin in Wolverhampton is compelling, particularly seen in tandem with his 1772 Kings Bromley will where he declares himself to be a locksmith.


I'm happy to clarify anything particularly if you can't find the docs.