%eadnotat; ]> 5197ishi Isaac Hicks Family Papers, 1798-ca. 1956 (bulk 1798-1818) FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 2001 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, May 2002. ENG Isaac Hicks Family Papers, 1798-ca. 1956 (bulk 1798-1818) FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 2001 Descriptive Summary Isaac Hicks Family Papers, 1798-ca. 1956 (bulk 1798-1818) RG 5/197 Isaac Hicks (1767-1820) Approx. 100 items; 1 box Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728 For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog Isaac Hicks (1767-1820) was a New York Quaker merchant. He established a large fleet of international trading vessels and financially helped to support his cousin, Edward Hicks (1780-1849), the Pennsylvania Quaker folk artist. Isaac Hicks traveled extensively with his cousin, Elias Hicks (1748-1830), the New York Quaker minister. The collection contains primarily the correspondence of Isaac Hicks, including letters from Isaac Hicks to his wife describing religious journeys taken with Elias Hicks; some letters concerning the Separation of 1827-28; and business letters. Correspondents include: John Comly (letters about Edward Hicks, the primitive painter), Elias Hicks, John Murray, Jr., Thomas Rotch, William Rotch, Thomas Sturge. The letters provide insight into Quaker family life on Long Island and the travels of a Quaker minister. Also of interest is a letter concerning the disownments of Isaac T. Hopper, James Gibbons, and Charles Marriott, as well as an anecdote conveying the Quaker attitude towards music in the late 19th century. BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL

Isaac Hicks was born in 1767, the son of Samuel and Phebe (Seaman) Hicks in a Quaker farming community on Long Island, New York. A birthright member of Westbury Monthly Meeting, he was part of a prominent and extended Quaker family that included distant cousins primitie artist Edward Hicks (1780-1849) and Quaker minister Elias Hicks (1748-1830). In 1789 he went to New York City to start a career in business, and in 1790 he married Sarah Doughty. They had six children: John D., b 1791;, Robert, b. 1793; Benjamin, b. 1798; Isaac, b. 1802; Elizabeth, b. 1805; and Mary, b. 1807. In 1796, Isaac Hicks established a shipping and commission business. Benefiting from his extended Quaker connections in America and England, he soon became a wealthy ship owner. In 1806, he retired from business, returning to Westbury, Long Island, and became increasingly involved in Quaker concerns.

In 1804, his brother Valentine (1782-1850) married Abigail Hicks, the daughter of Elias Hicks, uniting even more closely a family already tied by kinship and Quaker belief. Elias and Isaac Hicks were both descended from Jacob and Hannah (Carpenter) Hicks, and Edward Hicks, the artist, was descended from Jacob's brothers, Isaac and Thomas. Isaac supported Edward Hicks financially as well as accompanied Elias Hicks on a number of his ministerial travels, including the visits to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting in 1813 and Rhode Island Yearly Meeting in 1816. Isaac Hicks died in 1820.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection contains primarily the correspondence of Isaac Hicks, including letters from Isaac Hicks to his wife describing religious journeys taken with Elias Hicks; some letters concerning the Separation of 1827-28; and business letters. Correspondents include: John Comly (letters about Edward Hicks, the primitive painter), Elias Hicks, John Murray, Jr., Thomas Rotch, William Rotch, Thomas Sturge. The letters provide insight into Quaker family life on Long Island and the life of a Quaker minister. Also of interest is a letter concerning the disownments of Isaac T. Hopper, James Gibbons, and Charles Marriott, as well as an anecdote conveying the Quaker attitude towards music in the late 19th century.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into three series:

Correspondence sent Correspondence received Miscellaneous ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Accession information

Donor: Marietta Hicks, 1956

The donor was a descendent of Isaac Hicks. She was the daughter of Edward and Emma (Jarvis) Hicks. Edward was the son of Isaac (1815-1900) and Mary (Willis) Hicks. Isaac Hicks was the grandson of Isaac Hicks (1767-1820) and Sarah Doughty Hicks and the son of John Doughty and Sarah (Rushmore) Hicks.

Access

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], RG 5/197, Isaac Hicks Family Papers, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

Processing information

The collection was fully catalogued in the manuscript card catalogue in 1956. In 1961, four photostats of survey maps, given by Bliss Forbush, were added to the collection. They have since been removed. In 2001, the collection was described and catalogued.

Bibliography Davison, Robert A. Isaac Hicks, New York Merchant and Quaker, 1767-1820. Harvard University Press, 1964. Forbush, Bliss, Elias Hicks, Quaker Liberal. Columbia University Press, 1956. Related Material

See also:

Elias Hicks Manuscripts FHL RG5/042, Fisher-Warner Papers Isaac Hicks Papers at the New York Historical Society. SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings:

Society of Friends -- New York (State) -- Nassau County. Society of Friends --Ministers Society of Friends -- Doctrines. Quakers -- New York-- Westbury Quakers --Social Life and customs Quakers --Music Music --Quakers Ministers -- Quaker Quaker abolitionists Quaker businesspeople Hicks family Hicks, Isaac, 1767-1820 Marriott, Charles, 1811-1858. Hopper, Isaac T. (Isaac Tatem), 1771-1852. Gibbons, James Sloan. Hicks, Elias, 1748-1830. Comly, John, 1773-1850. Rotch, William, 1734-1828 Rotch, Thomas, 1767-1823. Hicks, Edward, 1780-1849. Fisher, Miers, 1748-1819 Fisher, Samuel Rowland, 1745-1834 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

Ser. 1. Correspondence sent by Isaac Hicks, 1802-1818 to Burling, Mary 1814 1 ALS to daughter Hicks, Mary 1818 1 ALS to Hicks, Sarah 1802-1818 1 32 ALsS

includes descriptions of religious visits while traveling

Ser. 2. Correspondence received by Isaac Hicks, 1798-1819 [Anonymous], Draft (?) letter n.d. 1

concerning conflict in the Society of Friends involving the Separation

from Benson, Robert 1802 1 ALS from Coffin, Mark 1805-1818 1 3 ALsS from Comly, John 1815-1819 1 17 ALsS from Eddy, Thomas 1806 1 ALS from Fisher, Hannah 1813 1 ALS from Fisher, Miers 1798 1 ALS from Fisher, Samuel and Miers 1798-1801 1 4 ALsS from Fisher, Samuel R. 1798-1808 1 4 ALsS from Fisher, Thomas and Joshua 1798 1 ALS from Frank, Arnee 1806 1 ALS from son Hicks, B.[Benjamin] D. 1818 1 ALS from Hicks, Elias 1803 1 ALsS

photocopies; originals removed to SAFE

from Hicks, Sarah (8 ALsS) 1810-1813 1 8 ALsS from Hicks, Valentine (brother) 1818 1 ALS from Hussey, Isaiah 1800 1 ALS from Murray, John, Jr. 1806 1 ALS from Parry, Sarah 1818 1 ALS from Price, Philip 1813 1 ALS from Rotch, Thomas 1799-1803 1 3 ALsS from Rotch, William 1801 (?) 1 ALS

re: Thomas Sturge

from Rotch, William, Jr. 1802-1803 1 3 ALsS from Rotch, Thomas 1802-1808 1 6 ALsS from Walmby, Benjamin 1819 1 ALS Ser. 3. Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1806-1854 Hicks, Robert to Samuel Griffith 1842 1 ALS

concerning disownments of Isaac T. Hopper, James Gibbons, and Charles Marriott

Hicks, Susan to Elizabeth (Hicks) Seaman 1827 1 ALS

describing problems relating to ownership of Buckingham Monthly Meeting, Pa.

Rotch, Thomas. Payment of bill 1806 1 New York Yearly Meeting minute 1854 5mo. 29 1

concerning music (copy) with note from Marietta Hicks (donor) relating family story about Rachel Seaman Hicks (1789-1878) and her disapproval of music.