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Notes for Thomas Hicks
November 11, 1621 The Ship "Fortune" of London arrived at New Plymouth, Massachusetts. (Hotten)
The material below is copied directly from Hodge, Harriet Woodbury, "Hicks(Hix) Familes of Rehoboth & Swansea, Massachusetts, 1640-1850", privately published 1976 - LDS Film #1036844 - pp. 9-10. This excellent work, based on original research into land deeds, probate records, and, of course, vital records, and carefully documented has been a major source for this family file.
Thomas was living at Scituate by 1640, where he took the oath of fidelity in 1644. His house lot was northeast of "Hickes' Swamp", a mile south of the harbor near Brushy Hill. There was also a "Hickeses hole" near the Great Swamp at Scituate. He purchased a farm of 108 acres near the mouth of the North River in 1644 from John Whitcomb.
The wife of Thomas Hicks was Margaret ____, who was probably the mother of all the children. Although she has been called "West" or "Atwood", no proof of either surname appears. Margaret was also probably born between 1590-1600, the birth of her youngest child, Samuel, estimated at 1632-40. On June 9 1653 "Widow Hicks, wife of the late deceased Thomas Hicks of Scituate, by reason of age and weakness cannot appear in Court to make oath to the inventory of his estate and for like reason, also, the witnesses to the will of Thomas Hicks cannot appear in court to make oath thereunto, the Court ordered Mr. Timothy Hatherley and Mr. Thomas Robinson to take their oathes at home and present them to the Court." It seems likely that Margaret Hicks was more weak than aged in 1653, for on July 5, 1666 Widdow Hicke is on a tax list of Scituate: for the first rate of L 0/2/5 and for the second rate L 0/3/3, " both rates for the Indian purchase the west end of towne". It should be noted that this "Widdow Hicke" of Scituate 7/5/1666 was the widow of Thomas Hicks, not Robert, whose widow died before Mar 6, 1665/6.
The will of Thomas Hicks was written January 10, 1652/3 and reported to the court at Plymouth June 9, 1653 (putting his death date some time between the two), but the oath of "Margratt Hicks" to the inventory and the oaths of the witnesses Thomas Ensings and John Hewes were not taken until October 3, 1653. The will follows:
"The last will of Thomas Hicks of Scittuate in the pattent of New Plymouth In America; I being weake in body but Reasonalbe pfct in memory and understanding I blesse the Lord. I Will and bequeath unto my sonne Zachariah five shillings to bee paid by my wife Margrett hicks whome I make my whole exequitirx within a twelvemonth after my Decease; I will and bequesth unto my wife Margrett and my two sonns Daniell and Samuell all my lands with Dwelling house and outhouses and gardens and all therto belonging and my house lott which is by estemation thirteen acres; as alsoe my hundred acres of upland with the Marsh therto belonging which I bought of John Whetcome the elder of Scituate planter as be a Deed from him appears with the markes and bounds thereof; I give it my two sonnes Daniell and Samuell upon this proviso that they bee Obedient unto Theire mother and carrys themselves as they ought soe as they may live comfortably together but if the one or both live otherwise then they ought and undewtyfully and unquietly with theire Mother that they cannot confortably live together then heee that soe carryeth himselfe shall Disinherit himselfe of his pts of this land During my wives life; and after her Death all this land above written shal bee equally Devided between my sonnes Daniell and Samuell; My will is if my wife should chang her condition and Marry than shee shall have butt one third of my land above written; It I give unto my wife all my moveables and my two young Cattle; In Witness of the truth of this that it is my will I have sett my Marke." The will was signed by "The Marke of Thomas Hicks", the witnesses Thomas Ensigns and "the mark of John hewes".
There is a hint in the will that the son Zachariah had perhaps not been obedient to his parents and had betaken himself to other parts by 1653, thus accounting for his small legacy. The son, Samuel, was not living at Scituate in 1673 when only Daniel's name appears on a list of landowners there."
He was a fellmonger, which is a dealer in sheepskins and wool, a man who separates or 'pulls' the wool from the pelts. ... Banks ... found that Robert Hicks was indeed a fellmonger on Bermondsey Street in Southwark, London, in 1616 and that he had previously lived in Bermondsey, which is next to Southwark. ... He came to Plymouth in the ship Fortune in 1621 and Margaret and four children arrived two years later in the Anne.
Sources:
Mrs. Hodge cites the following references regarding Thomas in her footnotes:
-Austin, J. O., "One Line of the Hicks Family" , Providence, 1894. p. 3 ff
-Deane, Samuel, "History of Scituate, Massachusetts", Boston, 1831
-"The Mayflower Descendant", - "Vital Records of Scituate" 2:33 - "Plymouth
Colony Records" 19:22 - " The Will of Thomas Hicks" 11: 160-1
-Shurtleff and Pulsifer, ed. "Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New
England" (1855-1861) 2:165, 3:37, 4:76, 7:129-30, 7:206.
Ancestry.com Immigrants of the Plymouth Colony
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