Black Sedgwicks:
In the pre-Civil War years, there are amazing number of free blacks with the name Sedgwick. You can get an idea of this from the Maryland Census records. In the post-war years there are likewise many Black Sedgwicks.
The earliest Free Black Sedgwicks I find are in 1820 MD Montgomery and 1820 NY Kings.
Several Black Sedgwicks fought in the Colored Infantry Units of the Civil War.
I would like very much to include a major section at Sedgwick.org to document all the Black Sedgwicks. Would you like to coordinate the research for such a project? If so, please contact me, address below.
If you are a descendant of a Black Sedgwick, or if you have any information about Black Sedgwicks, please contact me, address below.
Black Sedgwick Families:
Henry Harrison Sedgwick
b. abt 1840, Maryland
Alexander Eagan
AKA Alexander Higgins, Iggins, Egins
b. 1843, Port Republic, Calvert, Maryland
d. March 16, 1942, Los Angeles County, California
son of James Cook Sedwick (1786-1853), relationship confirmed by DNA testing
James Edward Egans, brother of Alexander above
AKA Edward Iggins, James Egins
b. abt 1845, Port Republic, Calvert, Maryland
d. October 13, 1906, Battle Creek, Calvert, Maryland
son of James Cook Sedwick (1786-1853), relationship confirmed by DNA testing
Did you know?
Theodore Sedgwick (B4, 1746-1813) was the attorney who argued successfully in favor of Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman.
His grandson Theodore Sedgwick, III (B441, 1811-1859) was one of the attorneys who appeared as counsel on behalf of the Amistad Africans and helped them to regain their freedom.
Charles Baldwin Sedgwick (B2A3, 1815-1883) "is credited with making the first speech for the abolition of slavery on the floor of Congress."