Obituary N.Z. Herald 20 Feb 1948

The Rt. Rev. William Walmsley Sedgwick, Bishop of Waiapu from 1914 to 1929, died in the Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, yesterday.

After an absence of 18 years spent in England and South Africa, he returned with his wife and daughter to live in New Zealand in May of last year.

Bishop Sedgwick was born in Fremantle, Hampshire, and was educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge, and ordained in 1882. As a chaplain in the Royal Navy, he served in a marine battalion with His Majesty’s ships in the Sudan campaign and was awarded the Suakin clasp and the Khedive’s bronze star.

On coming to New Zealand in 1901, Bishop Sedgwick was vicar of Waikari, Akaroa and St. Luke’s, Christchurch, respectively. He was also for a time an honorary canon of Christchurch Cathedral and the Christchurch Diocesan Missioner. In February 1914, he was consecrated the fifth Bishop of Waiapu in St. John’s Cathedral, Napier, in succession to Archbishop Averill. On his retirement he returned to England.

Three bishops will attend a requiem celebration of Holy Communion in St. Mary’s Cathedral at 10 o’clock this morning. They will be Bishop C.A. Cherrington, of Waikato, representing the Primate of New Zealand. Bishop W.J. Simpkin, of Auckland, and Bishop S.G. Caulton, of Melanesia. A representative of the diocese of Waiapu will probably be in attendance. The internment will be at Purewa Cemetery.