The Rev. John Sedgwick, D.D., and Mrs. Sedgwick.

The above is Rev. Sedgwick's entry in the list of Rectors found in the front of the Parish Records and shows he was Rector from 9th December 1876 to his death on 14th November 1910.

The following comes from the 'Ruridecanal Magazine,'  April, 1911.

THE SEDGWICK MEMORIAL - A Vestry Meeting was held on Saturday evening, February 25th, in order to consider the proposal to erect a Lych Gate at the main enterance to the churchyard as a memorial to the late Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Sedgwick.  The subscribers to that Memorial wish it to take this form.  The plans for the gate drawn up by Messrs. W. French and Son were submitted to the meeting, and approved by it.  It was decided to apply to the Channcellor of the Diocese for the necessary Faculty.  Further Mr. Sherwood was appointed to act with the Rector and Churchwardens in superintending the work as it proceeds.

The Chancellor has since issued the Faculty, and the order has been given for the construction of the gate to be at once proceeded with.

The follwing comes from the 'Ruridecanal Magazine,' May 1911:

THE SEDGWICK MEMORIAL - The Lych gate is now being begun.  It is intended that it shall be finished before May 23rd, when the Bishop of Colchester is coming to dedicate it.  The service is to be at 8 o'clock in the evening.

The following comes from the 'Ruridecanal Magazine,' June 1911:

THE SEDGWICK MEMORIAL - The Lych Gate, which has been erected at the enterance to the Churchyard by the subscribers to the Memorial of the late Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Sedgwick, was dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Colchester, on Tuesday Evening, May 23rd.  There was a large congregation.  The first part of the service took place in the Church, the Rev. W.A. Pywell reading the lesson.  After the second hymn had been sung, the congregation, preceded by the clergy and choir, went out to the Lych Gate, where the Bishop read the dedication prayers.  The hymn "The Church's one foundation" was then sung, after which the Bishop gave a short address.  The gate is a most pictuesque addition to the Church yard, and forms a most fitting memorial to one who spent so much labour in restoring the fabric of the Church itself.

The following comes from the pamphlet, The Sedgwick Memorial, printed by Haverhill Echo in 1911, part of the Church archive and is reproduced with the kind permission of Rev. Micheal Hewitt.

The Sedgwick Memorial

November 16th, 1909, was a sad day in the history of the little Essex village of Birdbrook; for upon that date were borne to their last resting-place in the Churchyard, the mortal remains of the Rector, Dr. John Sedgwick, and his wife, Mrs. Sedgwick.

The "dear old Doctor," as he was affectionately styled by his numerous friends, had been failing health for some considerable time past, and during the last year of his life he was practically incapacitated from carrying out his parochial duties, and though to the very last he scouted the idea of entirely relinquishing his work among the people he loved so well, and had served so faithfully for 33 years, it neverthe less became imperative that he should refrain from exertion of any kind, and the duties therefore devolved upon his son, the Rev. Mostyn Sedgwick, who had been acting as his father's curate for some past years, and who now took control of the parish with splendid zeal and energy.  As long as his health permitted him to leave the house, the Doctor might have frequently been seen in his bath-chair, chatting to his numerous friends in the village, and with ever a kindly smile and word of greeting for all he chanced to meet.  But gradually these little excursions became less frequent, and then ceased altogther, for he was now entirely confined to his room and finally, after lying unconscious for nearly a week, he passed peacefully away on November 14th, 1909, in the 87th year of his age.  It was a pathetic coincidence that Mrs. Sedgwick, his devoted wife, whose health had for the last two years given the family cause for much concern, should have passed away only thirty-six hours before her husband, her end being undoubtedly hastened by her anxiety for the Doctor's failing strength.

I have had the great privilege of being invited to write a brief account of their two lives; it will indeed be a brief one, I fear, for despite strenuous endeavours to obtain reliable information and details of the family history, owing to the fact of the two families being almost extinct, my efforts have not been rewarded with the success I had hoped for.  Although frequently urged to do so, the Doctor could never be prevailed upon to commit to writing even the most meagre notes in relation to the history of his long and eventful life.  Skilled raconteur and fine scholar as he was, and moreover, endowed with the priceless gift of an excellent memory, it is indeed much to be regretted that he left no record whatever of his life and doings behind.  And yet, those who knew him will readily understand and appreciate the motives which actuated him in this sin of omession: modest and self-effacing to a fault, he truly regarded as his axiom, "Facta non verba."

Born on April 24th, 1823, Dr. John Sedgwick was the only surviving son of John Sedgwick, of Wimbledon, surrey.  In his boyhood's days he appears to have been somewhat delicate, and it was probably for this reason that he was never at a public school.  It may also have been for the sake of his son's health, that John Sedgwick. Senr., removed later to an estate he seems to have possessed of in the country, though I am unable to ascertain the position of the property.  Here, no doubt, the Doctor became imbued with those sporting instincts which so strongly characterised him throughout his life.  In his young days he was a good cross-country runner, and my father, who is now in his 87th year, and who first met the Doctor at Preston, in Lancashire, in 1845, is able to recount how they had many a log-distance run in company with the two sons of Sir George Arthur, who chanced at that time to be the Doctor's pupils.  In addition to his prowess as an athlete, he was an excellent "shot," retaining his skill right up to the time when, owing to defective eyesight, he was compelled to abandon the sport.

On the 26th of May,1841 the Doctor matriculated at Christ Church College, Oxford, and in 1842 became Fell Exhibitioner.  In 1844, having been elected a Demy of Magdalen College, he migrated thence, and in 1845, he passed out with "Honours" in "Litterae Humaniores."  At this period, the famous Dr. Martin Joseph Routh was head of Magdalen, and for this remarkable old man the Doctor always entertained a profound admiration and respect.  He used constantly to allude to him, and many were the amusing anecdotes he related of the old President's ready wit, which, when occasion demanded, was capabhle of being exceedingly caustic.  There used to hang in the study at Birdbrook Rectory a fine portrait of Dr. Routh, to which the latter had attached his signature and afterwards presented to Dr. Sedgwick.  Dr. Routh was born in 1754 and died in 1854, at the great age of 100.  To the very last he wore the old "bob" wig, which was fashionable during the latter half of the eighteenth century, and in which he is depicted in the portrait before alluded to.

In Januray, 1846, Dr. sedgwick graduated as B.A., and in the following June was ordained deacon.  In May, 1848, he took his M.A. degree, and in June of the same year, was ordained priest by the Bishop of Oxford.  Up to this period, when not engaged in his duties at Magdalen, he occupied his spare time in the vacations as a private tutor, either staying at the residences of his various pupils, or travelling abroad with them.

In 1848 he took the post of senior classical master at the Ordnance School at Carshalton, which he appears to have retained for two years.  About this time he was busily engaged in the preparation of his first work, "An Elementary History of France," for which he doubtless received his inspiration from his experiences at the Ordnance School.  this work was published in 1849.  In the following yead he received the appointment of private chaplain to the Earl of Guildford, and he also brought out his second work entitled "A History of Europe."  In 1852 he was again busy with his pen, and published a little volume of sacred poems, based on the collects for each day, and entitled "Oremus," which he dedicated to his old friend and chief, Dr. Routh.  In 1853, he was appointed to his first curacy, in the little parish of GReinton, in Somersetshire, situate not far from Glastonbury.  Here, he seems to have occupied his spare time on his 4th work, "Hints on Public Industrial Schools," which was published in the same year.  In 1854 he was elected a Fellow of Magdalen Hall.  For his mother, the Doctor always entertained the warmest affection and regard, and during the latter portion of her life she resided with him.  There used to hang in the Dining Room at Birdbrook a remarkably beautiful portrait of this lady as a child.

Dr. Sedgwick resided at Magdalen for some years, being appointed Bursar of the College in 1858, and Vice-Preisdent in 1859.  The two latter years appear to have been very fully occupied, for he also received the appointment of Chaplain of High Legh, in Cheshire (1858), and in addition, brought out his fifth and last work entitled "Shall we elect Mr. Gladstone?" published at Oxford in 1859.  In 1859 he also received the appointment of private chaplain to Frederick Thesiger, Lord Chelmsford, who had become Lord Chancellor on February 26th, 1858.  On the 30th June, 1859, he took the degree of Doctor of Divinity, having become B.D. in May, 1855.

On August 6th, 1862, he married Rebecca Maria Mostyn, the only daughter of Captain Roger Mostyn and Mrs. Humffreys, and as his marriage necessarily vacated his Fellowship, the College presented him, on August 16th, 1862, to the Rectory of Great Houghton in Northamptonshire.  Here, he threw himself heart and soul into the work of a parish priest, endearing himself to all with whom he came in contact, by his genial and kindly disposition.  Having held this benefice for 10years, he exchanged, in 1872, to that of Stoke Climsland, in Cornwall.  The bleak moorland air, however, did not suit Mrs. Sedgwick, who was never very robust, and after residing there for four years, an exchange was effected with Dr. Manley at Birdbrook in 1876.  At this period, birdbrook Church was in a lamentable condition, and sorely in need of extensive restoration.  With characteristic energy, the Doctor at once set to work to obtain funds for the repair of the Chancel, for which, as Rector, he was directly responsible, and with this object in view, he had collected between £700 and £800; but with the generosity for which he was eminent, he devoted the whole of this sum to the fund which was then being raised by the parishioners for the restoration of the Nave.  This work was completed in 1882, at a cost of £1,020, and the Doctor again concentrated his efforts on the Chancel.  After much hard work, and not a few disappointments, the necessary funds were forthcoming, and the Doctor had the great satisfaction of seeing his labours crowned with success, the restoration being completed in 1891, at a cost of between £700 and £800.

A few years prior to this, the Doctor had begun to experience serious trouble with his eyes, which eventually culminated in an operation for cataract.  The operation which was performed by an eminent London surgeon, afforded him considerable relief, but owing to the advanced stage of the disease, and the fact that he never, if he could possibly help it, permiitted bodily ailments to interfer with his work, there is little doubt that injury of a more or less permanent nature had been caused to the optic nerve, and gradually the sight of one eye entirely failed.  In consequence of this calamity, and to his great mortification, he was compelled to abandon the use of his gun.  Only lovers of the sport will apreciate what this meant to a man of the Doctor's temperament, who was never so happy as when he was circumventing some fine hare, which he had espied on the "Allotments" ground from the study window, or walking up a covey of "birds" on the glebe fields down in the valley.  As has been previously stated, the Doctor was not only a good sportsman, but a fine "shot."  I well recollect being with him on one occasion, when we found a large covey of birds on the glebe down at "New England."  With consummate skill and patience, and real sporting methods, the covey was broken up, and of the 14 birds it contained, 11 fell to the Doctor's gun in 12 shots, 4 being the result of "right-and-lefts."  From his earliest days he was ever a lover of his kind, delighting in the company of young men, who were greatly attracted to him, and over whom he was always able to exercise much influence.  The pupils he prepared for the Universities, Church, Army and Navy, and other callings in life, must have numbered many hundreds, and included members of the noblest families in the land.  Being an accomplished liguist, and able to converse in four or five different languages, opportunities of foreign travel with some of his pupils not infrequently occurred, and thus it was that the Doctor had acquired an intimate knowledge of serval foreign countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Palestine, and Eygpt.  In the latter country he travelled for some months with Mr. Smith-Barry, M.P., one of their expeditions extending as far as the 4th Cataract of the Nile.  It was during this trip that he shot the fine specimen of bustard, which used to stand in the hall at Birdbrook Rectory, and which many of his old pupils will doubtless recollect.

In addition to his othe accomplishments, the Doctor was a good musician, and, in conjunction with his son, did much towards making Birdbrook Church choir one of the best and most effcient in the neighbourhood.  Of Dr. Sedgwick it might well be said that he was a fine example of the best type of churchman of the old school.  Thoroughly earnest in all that he undertook, Catholic in his teaching, a constant and charming and fascinating personality, it is little wonder that he aroused in the minds of those with whom he came in contact a love and reverence seldom accorded in these matter-of-fact days.  With all his great mental attainments and scholarly powers, his teaching was of the simplest and most intelligible to all whose privilege it was to learn of him.  Above all, he was the kindly, courteous gentleman, the true friend, and the ever-ready helper and sympathiser in the time of affliction and sorrow.  Birdbrook will mourn her beloved Rector for many a long day, for, as an old friend of his so aptly quoted in an appreciation of the Doctor, "It was not so much what he did as what he was"; I would further add "Opera ejus eum sequuntur."

Rebecca Maria Mostyn Sedgwick, the wife of Dr. Sedgwick, to whom she was married on August 6th, 1862, in Marylebone Church, London was the only daughter of Captain Roger Mostyn and Mrs. Humffreys (nee Hawkes).  She was born in India in 1830.  Her father, who was an officer in the Indian Army and stationed at Mysore, died during her infancy, leaving his widow and infant child in residence there.  This gallent officer met with his death in a noble effort to save his favourite servant from a tiger, which was about to spring at the man.  It appears that a luncheon party was in progress to celebrate the occasion of the presentation of a sword to Capt. Humffreys by his brother officers, in recognition of an act of consicuous gallantry.  While they weresitting at table, some native servants entered the room to report that a man-eating tiger, which had recently haunted the district, was close at hand, and had carried off a child the previous evening.  The officers immediatlely rushed from the room with the intention of killing the brute, Capt. Humffreys picking up the presentation sword as he went.  The tiger appeared almost immediately, and was on the point of springing at Capt. Humffrey's servant, when the former, with great gallantry, stepped in front of the man with no other weapon but the sword, and received the full impact of the tiger's charge, the beast striking him on the head and inflicting a mortal wound.  He was conveyed to the bungalow, but only survived a few minutes.

Upon the death of her father, Mrs. Sedgwick was brought to England by her uncle, Mr. Thomas Humffreys, and placed under the care of her grandmother, Mrs. Humffreys sen., who lived near Shrewsbury, and who undertook the education of her grand-daughter.  After the death of her grandmother, Mrs. Sedgwick went to reside at "Cronkhill," near Shrewsbury, with the Honble. Maria and Emily Noel-Hill, her aunts by marriage.  These two ladies weresisters of William, the 6th Baron Berwick, their other brother, the Honble. and Rev, Thomas Henry Noel-Hill, Rector of Berrington having married Harriet Rebecca Humffreys, the sister of Mrs. Sedgwick's father.  The Barony eventually devolved upon the Rector of Berrington'seldest son, Henry Richard, who became 7th Baron, so that he and his two sisters, the Honble. Harriet Maira Selina and Anne Noel-Hill, who were mrs. Sedgwick's first cousins.  I well recollect Miss Selina Noel-Hill, who was a great favourite at Birdbrook Rectory, where she occasionally stayed. She died some years ago, as also her sister.  Miss Selina was a charming lady; she was gifted with a "pretty wit," and was particularly adroit at ex tempore acrostics, which at one time were much the rage with the Doctor and his pupils.  On one occasion, while at the dinner table, she compsed an excellent one relating to the Doctor, which I unfortunately do not recollect, but which caused us all much amusement at the time.  For a few breif moments the Doctor was silent, and then with that imperturbable expression he was wont to assume, he replied as follows:- 

"My third is a difficult place to climb, My second is Christmas in olden time, My first, you cannot score for a hit, And my whole at the table now doth sit."

I leave the solution of this to my readers.

After the deaths of the Misses Maria and Emily Noel-Hill, Mrs. Sedgwick went to live with her mother, who had now returned to England and married again, her second hsuband being a Mr. Willson, an architect.  At first they took a house in Bulstrode Street, london, but subsequently went to live in York Terrace, where they were residing at the time of Mrs. Sedgwick's marriage with the Doctor in 1862.  After her second husbands's death, Mrs. Willson came to live at Birdbrook Rectory, where she died in 1884, and lies buried in Birdbrook Curchyard.

At the time of his marriage, the Doctor having just been presented with the benefice of Great Houghton, in Northamptonshire, the newly-married couple took up their residence in the Rectory house.  Here they lived and worked for ten years, Mrs. Sedgwick, by her never failing sympathy and kindness, doing much to further her husband's work in the parish.  In 1872, they went to Stoke Climsland, in Cornwall, and from thence, in 1876, to Birdbrook, where Mrs. Sedgwick died at the Rectory on November 12th, 1909, in the 79th year of her age, having pre=deceased her husband by only thirty-six hours.  During the declining years of her life,, Mrs. Sedgwick suffered severely from gout and rheumatism, and it was a source of great grief to her, that the dear old lady was latterly quite unable to get about.  Of generous and kindly disposition, and with a wonderfully sympathetic nature, she was ever a real friend and averse to anything savouring of parade or display, and never would she allow her "right hand to know what her left hand did."

The Doctor and Mrs. Sedgwick leave one son, the Rev. John Harfield Halifax Mostyn Sedgwick, born at Great Houghton Rectory on June 6th, 1871.  After being for a year or two at a private school at Worthing, he went to Winchester in 1884, and in 1892 matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1895, and M.A. in 1898.  After being ordained, he became his father's curate, and Birdbrook and its neighbourhood will long remember the able and zealous manner in which he carried out the parochial work during the Doctor's declining years.  He married, in April 1899, Miss Alice Constance kirby Morgan-Kirby, eldest daughter of the late Rev. Dewi David Morgan-Kirby, Rector of Stradishall, Suffolk.  After his father's death, he was, on March 3rd, 1910, instituted Vicar of White Notley, in Essex.  He has one son, Noel Mostyn, born December 1st, 1902.

In conclusion, I should like to take this opportunity of conveying my most grateful thanks to all those old friends and relatives of the Sedgwick family, who have afforded me very valuable information, and without whose assistance, it would have been impossible for me to have compiled this brief history; especially would I mention the President of Magdalen College, Oxford; Dr. W.D. Macray, of Magdalen; Mrs. W.B. Gramlen, of Oxford; Mrs. B. Crosby dunn; and the Rev. W.A. Pywell, Rector of Wixoe Suffolk.

Wykeham Chancellor

Life Sketch, by Rev. W.A. Pywell.

After many months, and, indeed, some few years, of increasing weakness, Dr. John Sedgwick died at Birdbrook Rectory, on Sunday, November 14th, 1909, at the great age of 86 years.  Mrs. Sedgwick, who had been ill and weak for some time, had died on the previous Friday.  "In death not divided" - as has been put on their gravestone - they wereburied in the same grave together on the following Tuesday, amid many signs of sorrow in the whole parish, and much sympathy was felt for their only child, the Rev. Mostyn Sedgwick, thus doubly bereaved at the same moment.

They were deeply endeared to the Birdbrook people  for their high-bred courtesy and exceeding kindness.  The poor and the sick were their constant care, and many a nice "Takings-to" went out from Birdbrook Rectory to the sick and poor in their times of weakness, for many a year.

Owing to the strenuous exertions of Dr. Sedgwick, aided fully by Mrs. Sedgwick, and, of course, others in Sales of Work, and so on, the Parish Church was transformed into a well-appointed Sanctuary for Worship.  As to this - the "Doctor's" main work for the parish - it may, once again, be mentioned, that he had collected from his numerous friends at a distance, and from former pupils, some of high social position, the sum of £700 for the Restoration of the Chancel, for the due repair of which he was, as Rector, personally responsible.  The Nave roof, however, was found to be in a bad state, and Dr. Sedgwick threw his £700 into a scheme for nave Restoration.  This was duly carried out under the direction of Mr.F. Chancellor, the well-known architect of Chelmsford, and a life-long friend of Dr. Sedgwick's.  Later on the Chancel was restored to the joy of the Rector and the parishioners.  At a later time, a large Organ was obtained through the exertions of his son, who had become his Curate.

Thus was a full and fruitful incumbency well filled, and his and Mrs. Sedgwick's works do "follow them."  Their influence still works, it may well be thought.  As the pamphlet, of which these few words form a part, gives an account, a "Lychgate" has been placed in Birdbrook Churchyard, "In Memoriam" of the kind and gracious persons the loss of whom the parishioners are still feeling.  The word "lik" (pronounced "leek") is used in Sweden, where the present writer lived for fifteen months, for a corpse - hence the word Lychgate.

Lych-gate Dedication at Birdbrook

Memorial to the Late Rector

After having been rector of Birdbrook for 33 years, the Rev. John Sedgwick, D.D., died on November 14th, 1909 at the ripe old age of 86, hie wife, who was 79 years of age, having pre-deceased him by 36 hours.  They were interred together in the Churchyard on November 16th, the funeral being largely attended.  Not long afterwards a movemnet was set on foot to raise subscriptions for the erection of a permanent memorial.  So well loved were the deceased throughout the neighbourhood that those responsible for the work of collection - Messrs. G.E. Unwin and King Viall, Church-wardens - did not have very great difficulty in raising the sum of £84 4s. 6d., a fine response for a sparsely populated and purely agricultural district.

It was the general desire that there should be some permanent, ornamental, and useful structure erected, and the choice eventually fell upon a lych-gate at the main enterance, and the new structure certainly fulfils all that was required of it.  It is built of Robin Hood stone quoins and coping, the body being composed of English oak.  The height is about thirteen feet in all, the distance from the two solid beams to the ground being some seven feet three inches.  On the front beam facing the road are carved the words " In Memoriam," while on the inside of the second beam it is proposed to affix a brass tablet bearing the following inscritption;-

"To the glory of God and in memory of the Rev. John Sedgwick, D.D., Rector of this parish for 33 years, and of Rebecca Maria Mostyn, his wife, who were laid to rest in this Churchyard together on November 16th, 1909."

There are two hinged gates which are composed of English oak, and the structure is tiled with plain red tiles.  The work has been carried out by Messrs. W. French and Son, of Baythorne End.

The dedication service held on Tuesday evening, when a large congregation attended the Parish Church, where a shortened form of Evensong was conducted by the Rector (the Rev. Dr. Young).  The service was commenced with the singing of the hymn "We love the place O God," followed by Psalms 16 and 23. the lesson was read by the Rev. W.A. Pywell (Rector of Wixoe).  Following the singing of the hymn "On the Resurrection morning," the clergy, followed by the choir and the congregation, proceeded to the new gate, where the dedication service was undertaken by the Bishop of Colchester (the Right Rev. Dr. Whitcombe).  After the singing of the hymn " the Church's one foundation,". 

The Bishop said they would expect him to say a few words before they parted.  Anything he said was naturally suggested by the service in which they had just participated.  First of all they naturslly thought of the custom of dedicating to God any place or thing that was to be used in His service.  It was a custom which dated back from earliest times; a custom of which they had many examples given them in the Old Testament; and a custom which was recognised and appreciated by the Lord Himself in His own care for and treatment of the Temple.  Then they thought of the special dedication in which they had just shared, of a lych-gate, enterance to what was called "the sleeping place of the dead."  Naturally, the thought of it touched their most solemn and mots affectinate memories.  They thought of those whose bodies slept there.  They were glad to think that that Churchyard being dedicated to God they had committed those bodies to His care.  Because they treated the bodies of the dead with such care they recognised what was every funeral which took place there, the solemnity of the rites with which they paid their last tribute to the departed, that solmnity would teach them the dignity of their bodies here, and it would be of vwery great value to them.  They were also bound to think of those in whose special memory that  lych-gate had been erected.  They thought of two who for a large number of years by their courtliness and kindliness endeared themselves to so many in that parish, and they remembered that that lych-gate, being a memorial to them, was meant to set before the parishioners for their meditation the highest qualities, whatever they might have been, of the departed, and so they came to remember the most important lesson, that every memorial was a silent witness of the things of their lives after they had departed.  Everyone present, whatever their position, were bound to exert an influence, not only in their lives, but after their earthly lives had passed.  If they would only recollect that oftener what a difference it would make to their lives.  they were told that not a single ray of light which emanated from the sun was wasted, and not a single wave of energy was lost.  In the same way not a single action of their lives ever failed to produce its effect, and it might be those actions went on producing either a good or bad effect long they had passed away.  That thought surely must make them pray earnestly that their lives might be so lived that when their bodies had been laid in their last resting place those who lived after them might be able to say they had influenced them for good, and that the work they had done here, feeble and imperfect though it might be, had produced some good effect among those by whom they were surrounded, so that those who were left behind might bless God for their memory and for their work. - Reprinted from the "South-West Suffolk Echo," May 27th, 1911. 

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