Sedgemore

Recorded in several forms including Sedgemore, Sedgemoor, and Segemore, this is an English and count of Somerset locational surname. The name means the 'moor of the sedge grass' form the pre 7th century Olde English 'sedg-mor' and the place itself is also very famous for being the site of the last official battle to be fought on English soil in this case between the forces of the Duke of Monmouth and those of his uncle James 11nd of England. He won but was shortly afterwards was overthrone in a bloodless coup by Willam of Orange in 1688. The village of Sedgemore is what is historically known as 'diminished,' in that in the 17th and 18th centuries the surrounding area was 'drained' to provide for better farming conditions, particularly for sheep. However the result of the draining was to reduce the requirement for farm workers, and as result many left the area taking with them, or being given, as their surname, the name of their former village. In this case perhaps not surprisingly, the surname is not recorded in its home county, but is (for instance) well recorded in the city of London from the reign of Charles 1st (1625 - 1649). These recordings include that of Edward Sedgemore who married Margaret Golding at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on February 18th 1638.