John Wedge
Encyclopedia
John Wedge was an English agriculturalist.
John Wedge was the son of Francis Wedge (1714-1784) and Elizabeth Knock (1713-1788) of Fernhill House, near Forton
, Staffordshire
, a prosperous farmer, and brother of Thomas Wedge of Chester
and Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps
. John Wedge established himself on the Church Farm, Bickenhill
, in Warwickshire
. He was agent to the Earl of Aylesford
, whose seat at Packington House was close by, and a friend of Rev John Jaques, the Rector of Bickenhill
and Prebendary
of Lincoln Cathedral
, who left his estate to John Wedge. John Wedge was Churchwarden
at Little Packington
, one of the livings held by Rev Jaques.
John Wedge owned various properties and prospered from agriculture, as well as taking up surveying (he helped survey the Grand Canal
) and he also owned a brass factory in Birmingham
. His description of land drainage works on the Earl of Aylesford
's estate at Bickenhill
won the Silver Medal of the Society of Arts in 1792.
In 1794 he wrote A General View of the Agriculture of the County of Warwick (London, 1794) for the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement.
On 23 May 1793 John Wedge married Sarah Bennett (born September 1760), the daughter of Thomas Bennett, solicitor of Coventry. Their second child, John Jaques Wedge (1795-1836), was born February 1795 and was educated at St John’s College
, Cambridge University, and afterwards entered the Church of England, as did his son also called John Jaques Wedge (1821-1873).
John Wedge died 19 March 1816 and was buried in the graveyard of St Bartholomew’s, Little Packington with his wife and son William, both of whom predeceased him in March 1803. He was survived by his sons John (1795-1836), Francis (1796-1873), Thomas (1798-) and Charles (1802-1858).
John Wedge was the son of Francis Wedge (1714-1784) and Elizabeth Knock (1713-1788) of Fernhill House, near Forton
Forton, Staffordshire
Forton is a small village on the Staffordshire/Shropshire situated east of the market town of Newport, Shropshire.Situated around Forton Hall and the 14th century All Saints church and sited on the Roman road Via Devana and the modern A519 road between Newport and Newcastle-under-Lyme-External links:...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, a prosperous farmer, and brother of Thomas Wedge of Chester
Thomas Wedge of Chester
Thomas Wedge was an agriculturalist. He was the son of Francis Wedge of Fernhill House, near Forton, Staffordshire, a prosperous farmer, and brother of John Wedge and Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps...
and Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps
Charles Wedge of Shudy Camps
Charles Wedge . Farmer and surveyor, was born 1746 the son of Sir Francis Wedge of Aqualate Park at Forton, Staffordshire, and the brother of John Wedge and Thomas Wedge. In 1776 he married Elizabeth Fletcher, at St Mary Woolnoth, London. They had seven surviving children.Charles Wedge practised...
. John Wedge established himself on the Church Farm, Bickenhill
Bickenhill
Bickenhill is a village, civil parish and ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England, on the fringes of the West Midlands conurbation.-History:...
, in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. He was agent to the Earl of Aylesford
Earl of Aylesford
Earl of Aylesford, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. He had already been created Baron Guernsey in the Peerage of England in 1703...
, whose seat at Packington House was close by, and a friend of Rev John Jaques, the Rector of Bickenhill
Bickenhill
Bickenhill is a village, civil parish and ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England, on the fringes of the West Midlands conurbation.-History:...
and Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
, who left his estate to John Wedge. John Wedge was Churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
at Little Packington
Little Packington
Little Packington is a hamlet in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England. It is situated just to the north west of Great Packington and outside the boundaries of Packington Park....
, one of the livings held by Rev Jaques.
John Wedge owned various properties and prospered from agriculture, as well as taking up surveying (he helped survey the Grand Canal
Grand Canal of Ireland
The Grand Canal is the southernmost of a pair of canals that connect Dublin, in the east of Ireland, with the River Shannon in the west,via Tullamore and a number of other villages and towns, the two canals nearly encircling Dublin's inner city. Its sister canal on the Northside of Dublin is the...
) and he also owned a brass factory in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. His description of land drainage works on the Earl of Aylesford
Earl of Aylesford
Earl of Aylesford, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. He had already been created Baron Guernsey in the Peerage of England in 1703...
's estate at Bickenhill
Bickenhill
Bickenhill is a village, civil parish and ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England, on the fringes of the West Midlands conurbation.-History:...
won the Silver Medal of the Society of Arts in 1792.
In 1794 he wrote A General View of the Agriculture of the County of Warwick (London, 1794) for the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement.
On 23 May 1793 John Wedge married Sarah Bennett (born September 1760), the daughter of Thomas Bennett, solicitor of Coventry. Their second child, John Jaques Wedge (1795-1836), was born February 1795 and was educated at St John’s College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, Cambridge University, and afterwards entered the Church of England, as did his son also called John Jaques Wedge (1821-1873).
John Wedge died 19 March 1816 and was buried in the graveyard of St Bartholomew’s, Little Packington with his wife and son William, both of whom predeceased him in March 1803. He was survived by his sons John (1795-1836), Francis (1796-1873), Thomas (1798-) and Charles (1802-1858).