Daniel Sedgwick

SEDGWICK, Daniel. b. London, 26 November 1814; d. London, 10 March 1879. Born into a poor family, Sedgwick became a shoemaker, unsuccessfully. He was a member of a strict Baptist congregation, and developed an interest in hymnbooks, teaching himself to read and write, and beginning a small trade in second-hand books. He later opened a bookshop at 81 Sun Street, Bishopsgate. The generous tribute in JJ calls Sedgwick ‘the father of English Hymnology’ (p. 1037). He acquired a large collection of hymnbooks and a remarkable knowledge of authors, dates, and provenances. His major work was A Comprehensive Index of Names of original Authors and Translators of Psalms and Hymns, with the dates of...