Isaac Hicks facts for kids

Isaac Hicks (born 1767 – died January 10, 1820) was a Quaker merchant. He was very active in the business of buying and selling goods, and shipping them, from 1790 to 1807. He worked both by himself and with partners. Hicks Nursery in Westbury, New York, is still open today. Its location is a famous landmark.

Early Life and Family

Isaac Hicks was born in 1767. He grew up in a Quaker farming community called Westbury, Long Island. His parents were Samuel and Phebe Hicks. In Westbury, Isaac worked as a tailor and also as a teacher. In 1789, he decided teaching wasn't for him. He moved to New York City and opened a shop, selling groceries.

Isaac's Family

In 1789, Isaac met Sara Doughty. They got married in 1790. They had six children: John, Robert, Benjamin, Isaac, Elizabeth, and Mary. Isaac Hicks had a large family who were important in the Quaker community. This included the Quaker minister Elias Hicks and the artist Edward Hicks. He was also related to Nat Hicks, a baseball player. Nat changed the game by standing right behind the batter. This helped pitchers throw new kinds of pitches and made the game much faster.

Starting a Business

In 1789, Isaac Hicks moved from Westbury to New York City. He had saved money from his jobs as a tailor and teacher. He used this money to open his first store, selling groceries. While he was a grocer, Isaac also continued to do tailoring work to earn extra money.

From Grocer to Merchant

In 1790, Isaac started working with other people. First, he partnered with Richard Loines. Later, he joined Richard Loines, his father William Loines, and William Loines’ brother-in-law, John Alsop, Jr.. Their company was called Loines, Alsop, & Company. They focused on bringing in dry goods from Britain. Dry goods are things like fabrics, clothing, and other non-food items. Through these partnerships, Isaac changed from being a 'grocer' to a 'dry-goods specialist'.

Loines, Alsop & Co. also taught Isaac how to make more money. They owned a dock, rented out business buildings, and partly owned a mill. These extra businesses helped them earn money during slower times.

In 1791, Loines, Alsop & Company ended. William Loines retired. Richard Loines started a new business with his brother. Isaac Hicks and John Alsop, Jr. continued their partnership. Their new company was called Alsop & Hicks. From this point, they were listed in business guides as 'merchants'. For three years, Alsop & Hicks continued to bring in dry goods from other countries.

Shipping and Selling Goods

By 1794, Alsop & Hicks were not making as much money as they hoped. They also had trouble collecting money that people owed them. So, they changed their business. Instead of just selling dry goods, they became 'shipping and commission agents'.

This change meant Alsop & Hicks acted as trusted helpers for other merchants. They would sell goods that were sent to them, instead of buying and selling their own products. The company also helped merchants and ship captains get ships ready, buy insurance, and find cargo. Isaac's connections in the Quaker community were very helpful here. Quaker merchants often trusted other Quakers and their families with their goods more than outsiders. Isaac used his position in the Quaker Meeting to find many more business contacts.

In May 1794, John Alsop, Jr. left New York City for a quieter life in Hudson, New York. However, he still kept part of the business and brought in customers from the Hudson area. These connections helped Alsop & Hicks get business in Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts. They also continued to work with cotton, tobacco, and rice from Savannah, Georgia.

After several years, Isaac Hicks ended his partnership with John Alsop, Jr. He then partnered with Benjamin D. Doughty, who had worked for Alsop & Hicks for a long time. Sadly, Benjamin Doughty died shortly after from a yellow fever outbreak. After this, Isaac Hicks did not form any new partnerships until he retired.

Focusing on Whale Products

Now on his own, Isaac Hicks continued to do business as before. But he started to focus more on selling whale products. These included whale oil and spermaceti candles. Most of his income came from these sales until 1800. Isaac was good at keeping his contacts in the whaling business. He tried to keep whale oil prices stable, even if it meant losing a small sale. He also tried to improve how spermaceti candle makers sold their products to help them earn more.

By 1800, Isaac's income from whale products started to go down. This was because of changes in the whaling industry. Insurance costs were rising, and there were fewer whales in the Atlantic Ocean. Also, Isaac let his brother, Samuel, take over many of his sales when Samuel started his own business. With falling prices, ship captains and owners were unhappy with their low earnings. They sometimes blamed Isaac for these problems. Because of this, Isaac Hicks went back to focusing on other types of shipping and sales.

Retirement from Business

By 1802, Isaac Hicks began thinking about retiring from business, at least partly. He was starting to feel unwell. In December 1802, Isaac and a group of other people bought a ship called the Thames. They wanted to make a lot of money quickly by trading with St. Petersburg, Russia. Isaac made a very good profit from this venture.

After some time, Isaac and his group sold the Thames. Isaac continued to send ships to the Black Sea, but none were as profitable. By 1805, Isaac left New York City and moved back to Westbury. By 1807, at the age of 38, he officially retired from business. His brother, Samuel Hicks, took over his company.

Keeping Business Records

Throughout his many partnerships, Isaac Hicks kept very detailed business records. These included lists of money owed, bills, insurance papers, bank notes, and letters. His letters mostly talked about business. They included details about which goods were sent on which ships, where they were going, and sometimes notes about the trips or the lives of the people he wrote to. These notes sometimes mentioned weather, European politics, the Napoleonic wars, piracy, and diseases like yellow fever and smallpox.

Isaac worked with many important banks and insurance companies during his career. These included the Merchants' Bank of New York, the Bank of New York, United States Bank, United Insurance Company, New-York Insurance Company, and The Marine Insurance Company of New York.

Isaac's Personal Life

Throughout his business career, Isaac Hicks was a strong supporter of ending slavery. He was very active in the Quaker Meeting. He was part of an anti-slavery group that included both Quakers and other important people. He was also a member of the New York Manumission Society. This group worked to free enslaved people. Isaac did trade in goods like cotton, tobacco, and rice, which were often produced by enslaved people. As part of the New York Manumission Society, he helped raise money for the African Free School. This school taught African American children.

Sometimes, Isaac put his religious duties before his business. He would take time off work to attend yearly Quaker meetings and do work with his local Meeting. While these religious activities might have been a small distraction during his career, they became very important to him after he retired.

Isaac was very active in the Quaker Meeting, serving on many committees. In 1816, he was chosen to be the Clerk of the Westbury Meeting. He was also well-known in other Quaker groups, mostly thanks to his cousin, Elias Hicks. Isaac traveled a lot with Elias after he retired. Isaac also worked closely with his cousin, Edward Hicks, to help him return to preaching instead of painting. He even paid off Edward's debts. After an active retirement, Isaac Hicks became ill on January 10, 1820. He died shortly after, at 52 years old.