Elias Hicks (1748 - 1830)

Born 19 Mar 1748 in Hempstead, Queens County, Long Island, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Jemima (Seaman) Hicks — married 2 Jan 1771 in Westbury, Lewis, New York

Descendants

Died 27 Feb 1830 at age 81 in Jericho, Long Island, New York, United States

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Biography

Elias was a Friend (Quaker)

Elias Hicks was born in Hempstead, Queens County, Long Island, New York, on the 19th day of 3rd month 1748 the son of John Hicks and Martha (Smith) Hicks.^[1] He was a carpenter by trade.^[2]

On 2nd day 1st Month (2 March) 1771, Hicks married a fellow Quaker, Jemima Seaman, at the Westbury Meeting House.^[3] They had eleven children,four sons and seven daughters, with only five daughters reaching adulthood. Hicks eventually became a farmer, settling on his wife's parents' farm in Jericho, New York.^[4]

1. Martha^[5]
2. David^[6]
3. Elias^[6]
4. Elizabeth^[5]
5. Phebe^[7]
6. Abigail^[5]
7. Jonathan^[6]
8. Sarah^[5]
9. Rachel^[6]
10. Caroline^[6]
11. Unnamed Male (Stillborn)^[8]

Elias Hicks was one of the early Quaker abolitionists, freeing his "Negro man named Ben" in 1778.^[9] He was also a famous preacher who lectures led to the founding of the liberal branch of the Society of Friends, now known as the Hicksites.^[10]

Elias died on 27 February 1830 at his residence in Jericho, Long Island, New York.^[11] He was buried in the Jericho Friends' Burial Ground,^[12] though the gravestone may not be in the original location.^[13]

The Will of Elias Hicks was written on 4th day 5th month 1829 and was proved on 30 April 1830 in Queens County, New York.^[14] His first bequest, after his debts were paid, was to David, "the coloured man who has long lived with me," in the amount of 350 pounds with the principal and interest to be used for the benefit of David and his mother Ellenor for their natural life.^[5] Any surplus and the remains of his estate were to be divided between his four living daughters.

1. Martha, wife of Royal Aldrich, had no children^[5]
2. Abigail, wife of Valentine Hicks^[5]
3. Elizabeth Hicks^[5]
4. Sarah, wife of Robert Seaman^[5]

Sons-in-law Valentine Hicks and Robert Seaman, as well as Elias' trusty friend "John Willis son of Samuel near Jericho", were appointed Executors of the Will.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Hicks - Journal, digital image of unnumbered page between pgs 6 and 8.
2. ↑ Hall, Timothy L. 2003. American Religious Leaders. American Biographies. Facts on File, Inc. Pgs 169-170.
3. ↑ Ancestry.com, database with images, "U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935" > New York > Nassau > Westbury Monthly Meeting > Oversized Marriage Certificates > Elias Hicks and Jemima Seaman, 2nd day 1st month 1771; Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA) Oversized Marriage Certificates, Quaker Meeting Records Collection. Ancestry Record 2189 #135958 with attached Image. See shared Ancestry image.
4. ↑ Hicks - Journal, digital image of pages 14-15.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9} Will of Elias Hicks, Ancestry shared image of page 14
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 [citation needed]} A source for the name of this child has not been found as of 13 September 2019 ~ McGee-1611
7. ↑ Hinshaw, William W, and Thomas W. Marshall. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. (Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co, 1969), Vol III, page 417, "Westbury Monthly Meeting," Phebe in record for Elias Hicks.
8. ↑ Hicks - Journal, page 14 - the last child was stillborn so no profile has been created.
9. ↑ Ancestry.com, database with images, "U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935" > New York > Nassau > Westbury Monthly Meeting > Minutes, 1775-1798 for Elias Hicks, 14th day 12th mo 1778, Manumission of Ben; Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Minutes, 1775-1798; Collection: Quaker Meeting Records; Call Number: RG2/NY/W453 Ancestry.com
10. ↑ Poole, Herbert Armstrong. Poole Genealogy, Subject 266 Thomas Hicks. Published 1905-1960; http://www.antonymaitland.com/hptext/hp0266.txt
11. ↑ Poughkeepsie Journal (Poughkeepsie, New York, USA), 03 Mar 1830, Page 3, column 5, "Died," item 4, Elias Hicks; Newspapers.com (https://poughkeepsiejournal.newspapers.com/clip/35695877/3_mar_1830_poughkeepsie_journal_new/ : accessed 7 September 2019).
12. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 18 October 2018), memorial page for Elias Hicks (19 Mar 1748–27 Feb 1830), Find A Grave: Memorial #11855407, citing Jericho Friends' Burial Ground, Jericho, Nassau County, New York, USA ; Maintained by rjschatz (contributor 46560566).
13. ↑ "Signpost Pointing to Elias Hicks’ Grave," digital image, "Jericho Public Library | New York Heritage," (https://nyheritage.org/contributors/jericho-public-library : accessed 7 September 2019.
14. ↑ Ancestry.com, database with images, "New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999" > Queens > Real Estate Wills, Vol F-G, 1827-1835 > Elias Hicks, Vol G, pgs 13-15, Last Will and Testament; "Wills and Probate Proceedings, 1787-1881," New York, Surrogate's Court (Queens County), Real Estate Wills, Vol F-G, 1827-1835. Ancestry Record 8800 #4509619 with attached Image

• Elias Hicks, Journal of the Life and Religious Labours of Elias Hicks (New York: Isaac T. Hopper, 1832)
• Ancestry.com, database with images, "U.S., Quaker Periodicals, 1828-1929," > The Friend, or, Advocate of Truth > 1828 Jan - 1832 (Old Series Vol 1 - 4, New Series Vol 1) > images 440-441 > Obituary Elias Hicks; The Friend, or, Advocate of Truth, Vol III, No 1, (Philadelphia: M. T. C. Gould, 1830), pages 78-80, Obituary - Elias Hicks. Ancestry Record 3714 #11119 with attached Image; Quaker Serials, The Quaker Collection, Haverford College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
• Ancestry.com, database with images, "New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999" > Queens > Inventories of Accounting, 1832-1833 > Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of Elias Hicks, 8 pages; "Wills and Probate Proceedings, 1787-1881," New York, Queens County, Accounting Records, New York Supreme Court (Kings County) Ancestry Record 8800 #10332755 with attached Image

See also:

• Buckley, Paul, The Essential Elias Hicks (San Francisco: Inner Light Books, 2013).
• Hicks, Elias, and Paul Buckley, The journal of Elias Hicks, (San Francisco: Inner Light Books, 2009).
• Maverick, Peter, Elias Hicks, Still image, 1830; US Library of Congress, "Prints & Photographs Online Catalog" (https://www.loc.gov/pictures/ : accessed 7 September 2019)
• Wilbur, Henry Watson. The Life and Labors of Elias Hicks. Friends' General Conference Advancement Committee (1910). Google Books
• Wilson, James Grant and John Fiske (New York, USA: D. Appleton and Company, 1887), Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biography, Vol. III, pages 195-196; Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/appletonscyclop03wils : accessed 7 September 2019)
• Elias Hicks article on Wikipedia