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Robert Sedgwick was born in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England and baptized on May 6th, 1613. Unfortunately there is no solid record of when he came to this country, but there is a record of a "Jo Sedgwick" age 24 that came over on the Truelove in September 1635. The first record of him as a New Englander is when he and his wife Joanna joined the Charlestown Church on February 27th, 1636-7, (depending on the calendar). On March 9th, 1636-7 he became a freeman when he was appointed Captain for the town. Having been "brought up" in the London Artillery Garden he was chosen as the captain of the first train-band in Charlestown; captain of the Artillery Company of Massachusetts in 1640, 1645 and 1648; commander at the castle in 1641, and of the Middlesex regiment in 1643. Upon the organization of the colonial militia in 1644, he was appointed Sergeant Major or commander of the Middlesex regiment. On May 26th, 1652 he was appointed Major General of the Colony and was soon called to service by Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector of England to lead a squadron against the French Forts in Arcadia, which proved to be very successful. After those campaigns, Cromwell commissioned him to act as commissioner of the newly conquered territory of Jamaica, which is where he died on May 24th, 1656.

Robert Sedgwick also is noteworthy on events of a non-military nature as well. He was an active member of his community, donating any time money or leadership he could offer. It was in fact, Robert Sedgwick who suggested that Beverly be named after the minister town of Beverley, England. However, it is not understood why the suggestion found such acceptance. Another example of his efforts in the community was his work in conjunction with that of John Winthrop Jr. to establish an iron-works in Lynn Massachusetts in 1643. Major General Robert Sedgwick was actively devoted to all aspects of service, from civil to military and everything in between which is what made him one of the most prominent persons of his time.

Darielle Young