Sadler Family History

The Sadler family took great pride in its Sadler family tree. My connection to it is through my great grandmother, Evelyn Sadler, seen left with her daughter. Her father was William Dewar who came from Midmar in Aberdeen and I am grateful to Peter Urquhart for his work on this tree.

Evelyn Sadler, grew up in Barnsley where her father (above right) and grandfather (centre) were doctors. Her mother and grandmother by contrast came from farming families in Lincolnshire. Our Sadler tree includes some notable figures: MP Michael Thomas Sadler who worked with Shaftesbury for factory reform, Dr Michael Thomas Sadler senior, a pioneer of public health, and Sir Michael Ernest Sadler, the art collector and champion of universal education who himself researched our family history and possibly destroyed a legend.

A Disputed Descent

When Michael Thomas Sadler M.P.1780-1835, stood for Parliament he believed that his family came from Warwickshire and were descended from Sir Ralph Sadler, Minister to Thomas Cromwell. This belief was discussed and not dismissed in 1809 in Clifford's Sadler Papers (i.e. Papers of Sir Ralph) edited by Walter Scott, 1809 Vol. 2 p. 612.

It remained unquestioned till 1936 when my grandmother's uncle, Sir Michael Ernest Sadler, Master of University College, Oxford, applied to carry the arms of the Sadler family. His claim was rejected by the Garter King of Arms, Anthony R. Wagner, in a four page report dated 6 November 1936 which concentrates on Sadlers in Derbyshire. Both my father, Geoffrey Gollin and Michael Miller Q.C., re-investigated the Sadler families and employed professionals to assist.. Neither found any support for the claimed relationship to Sir Ralph. So the official rejection stood. I have none the less left Ralph Sadler's family tree on this site for reference. 

Michael Thomas Sadler and his Protestant family may have had reason to cherish a descent from Sir Ralph, but there is often a grain of truth in family stories and our stories were of Warwickshire.

For this reason my father researched the Sadler family from Fillongley in Warwickshire, one of several manors linked to Ralph Sadler. My DNA matches include peope whose families came from Fillongley and I have therefore added his Fillongley Sadler research to this site.  I welcome any further research on the Warwickshire Sadler families.

I have not intentionally included information on any living person. You can explore the past members of the family by using the buttons at the top of each page to search through the surname index or look at the family tree charts. Clicking on any name in a chart will lead to that person's details. If this is also your family or you are interested, please explore. This web version of our tree provides only basic details. For fuller information and sources, contact me and I'll be happy to discuss them.