The Long Island families of the name of Hicks are of English descent. The English ancestor of the family is traditionally stated to have been a Sir Ellice Hicks, who fought under the Black Prince in France and was made a knight banneret by King Edward III. for capturing a French standard at the battle of Crecy, when he is said to have a grant of the arms herein described: Arms. — Gules, a fess wavy argent there fleur de lys or. Crest: A buck's, head, cooped at the neck or, forged with a chaplet of cinquefoils vert. Motto: "Semper paratus."
During the turbulent reign of Charles I. many of the family crossed over to Holland for refuge from persecution. In 1641 three brothers, Thomas, John, and Robert Hicks, settled in the town of Flushing, Long Island, coming from Holland under an arrangement with the Dutch West India Company. Robert Hicks went later to New England; Thomas located in what is called Little Neck; John was among the patentees of Flushing in 1645 (as was Thomas), and also owned lands in Hempstead and was a subscribing witness to an ancient Indian deed there. Later he settled in that part of Hempstead now called Far Rockaway. Previous to 1650 both John and Thomas held offices, civil and military. Thomas Hicks was a captain of militia in 1686, and in 1691 was the first judge of the county of Queens, appointed under the act of that year, holding the office until 1699. The descendants of these brothers are numerous on Long Island, where the village of Hicksville is yet found. Thomas had two wives, six sons and four daughters. Thomas, his eldest son, married Deborah, daughter of Daniel Whitehead, and settled at Bayside, Flushing. He had four sons and six daughters, of whom Thomas (3), the eldest, succeeded his father in the ownership of the Bayside estate in 1712. In 1738 he was appointed judge, and in 1749 first judge of Queens county, as then constituted, which office he held until 1777. He was a member of the state legislature from 1738 to 1775. It is from one of the sons of Thomas Hicks (2) that the Granville, New York, family of Hicks descend. A noted descendant of John Hicks was Elias Hicks, the noted divine of the Society of Friends and founder of the branch called "The Hicksites."
(IV) David Hicks, grandson of Thomas Hicks, of Flushing, Long Island, married and had issue.
(V) Asa, son of David Hicks, was born on Long Island, New York. He married Zillah Cass and had issue.
(VI) Joseph, son of Asa and Zillah (Cass) Hicks, was born on Long Island, where his youth was spent. He removed from Long Island and settled in the town of Granville, Washington county, New York, where he purchased a tract of heavily timbered land, built a log house, and in time cleared and improved a farm. The homestead is still in possession of the family, owned by a grandson, William Hicks. Joseph Hicks married Jerusha Roblee. Children:
- Jay,
- Almina, married Ephrahim Northup;
- William, married (first) Amy Tripp; (second) Fannie Park;
- Edwin B., of whom further;
- Orlando, married Charlotte Lamb;
- Almera, married Lucian Webb.
(VII) Edwin B., son of Joseph and Jerusha (Roblee) Hicks, was born in the town of Granville, Washington county, New York, October 18, 1820, died May 3, 1888. He was an extensive farmer and stock raiser, also a dealer in cattle, sheep and wool. He made large shipments of sheep, etc., to various parts of the country, doing a large business with the western states. He was a large land owner, and in his day was considered a very wealthy man. The present homestead at Slyboro was built by him for a residence. He was a member of the Baptist church and wielded a strong influence for good in his community. He married Sarah Ophelia, daughter of Abijah and Sarah (Brown) Smith, born September 1, 1826. Children:
- Salome, born August 1, 1844, died 1853.
- Sarah Louise, December 17, 1845; married Fred M. Mason, of Granville, December 30, 1868; child, Edwin.
- Frank Edwin, of whom further.
- Almera Jeanette, July 14, 1850; married (first) February 12, 1867, Hiram D. Duel, and had
- Frank E., born November 22, 1867;
- Frederick H., February 6, 1869;
- Arthur B., December 14, 1871.
- Ashton M., born May 29, 1888;
- Florence H., June 5, 1893.
- Theresa Ophelia, November 14, 1854; married, October 23, 1873, T. B. Jewett; children,
- Julia, married George Ballard;
- Jennie and
- Frederick.
(VIII) Frank Edwin, son of Edwin B. and Sarah Ophelia (Smith) Hicks, was born on the homestead farm in Granville, Washington county, New York, March 19, 1848. He was educated in the public schools; Fort Edward Collegiate Institute and Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie. He returned to the farm after completing his studies and after arriving at man's estate rented the homestead and operated it for his own account. After the death of his father he purchased the property and has since been continuously engaged in agriculture, stock raising and dealing. He also deals extensively in farm produce, especially in fruits and wool. He specializes in fine cattle, maintaining on his farm specimens of choice breeds. He is a thorough man of business and practices the most approved modern methods in his farming operations. He is interested in other important lines of activity in his county; is president of the Granville Telephone Company; director of the Granville National Bank and of the National Bank of Whitehall, New York, He is also interested in the Washington County Agricultural Society; served as president and is a leading exhibitor in his special lines. He is a Republican in politics and for two years was supervisor of his town. He married, September 6, 1871, Ida Josephine Wait, born March 18, 1852, daughter of Mansir K. and Julia Ann (Hale) Wait (see Wait VII). Children:
- Edwin B., born May 23, 1873 married Laura Irene, daughter of Morvalden and Mary (Beecher) Brayton; children: Dorothy, Arthur D. and Laura Irene.
- Mansir Wait, of whom further.
- Harry Davis, October 12, 1877; married, May 4, 1910, Alice Baldwin.
- Frank Edwin (2), July 9, 1879 married Mary Brayton.
- Ida Estelle, March 16, 1887.
(IX) Mansir Wait, son of Frank Edwin and Ida Josephine (Wait) Hicks, was born on the Granville homestead farm in Washington county, New York, May 3, 1875. He was educated in the public schools and Albany Business College. For a few months thereafter he was in the employ of S. B. Thing, shoe dealer of Albany, but was then obliged to retire from active pursuits, owing to impaired health, and later located in the village of Granville, and on the organization of the Granville Telephone Company, became active in its construction and operations; was construction foreman, exchange manager, secretary, treasurer, and is now general manager; later he opened an insurance office, carrying lines of life, fire and indemnity insurance. He is a capable man of business and accomplishes results that give little evidence of his infirmity. He is a member of the Baptist church and politically a Republican. He married, January 20, 1906, Cora, daughter of Lorenzo and Rose B. (Haskins) Shaffner. Children:
- Hulda Elizabeth, born August 8, 1907;
- Mansir Wait, October 8, 1908;
- Merilla, twin of Mansir Wait.
(The Wait Line)
Thomas Wait, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, died in 1677. He was made a freeman in 1641. On April 30, 1661, he bought land in Acueshnet and Cohasset. His will was made by the town council, he having died intestate. There is no reference to his wife in the settlement of his estate, leaving the inference that her death preceded his own. He had six children:
- Samuel, died 1694; married Hannah ————; children:
- Samuel,
- Joseph and
- Susanna; the latter married Moses Barber and had fourteen children.
- Joseph, died August 25, 1665; married Sarah ————; had a son William.
- Jeremiah, died 1677; married Martha Brownell, born May, 1643, died February 15, 1744; no issue.
- Thomas, died June, 1733; married Sarah Cook, died 1733. Children: Mary, Thomas and Benjamin.
- Mary, married, April 5, 1676, Joseph Anthony; children: John, Joseph, Susanna and Thomas; she died in 1713; Joseph died in 1728.
- Reuben, of whom further.
(II) Reuben, son of Thomas Wait, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, died October 7, 1707. He was one of the proprietors of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in 1685. His will, proved November 5, 1707, names wife Tabitha as executrix, and gives to son Thomas, one-half of the farm; to wife, twenty acres, dwelling house and orchard for life and movables forever. He names four sons, Benjamin, Joseph, Reuben and Jeremiah, and gives them lands in Dartmouth, etc. To daughters, Eleanor, Abigail and Tabitha, he gives three pounds each. His wife, Tabitha (Lounders) Wait, died in 1707.
(III) Thomas (2), son of Reuben and Tabitha (Lounders) Wait, was born in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, where he always resided, April 23, 1683. In 1721 he sold his right in his father's homestead to his brother Benjamin. He married, January 25, 1711, Mary, daughter of Joseph and Mehitable (Fish) Tripp. She was born August 22, 1689. Children:
- John, born November 30, 1711;
- Reuben, February 7, 1714;
- Thomas, of whom further;
- Mary, April 5, 1718;
- Meribah, July 20, 1720;
- Mehitable, November 18, 1722;
- Martha, April 5, 1725;
- Alice, April 23, 1729.
(IV) Thomas (3), son of Thomas (2) and Mary (Tripp) Wait, was born February 29, 1716. He married, June 6, 1743, Tabitha Ellis. Children:
- Gideon, born March 3, 1746, married, April 6, 1766, Lois Tripp;
- Jeremiah;
- Thomas, April 10, 1755, married Naomi Weeks;
- Mary, February 11, 1757, married May 11, 1775, Reuben Wait;
- Lydia, March 19, 1759, married Doke Moon;
- Peleg, of whom further;
- Rufus, April 23, 1764, married, December 2, 1784, Eunice Hill;
- Alice.
(V) Peleg, son of Thomas (3) and Tabitha (Ellis) Wait, was born October 23, 1761, died October 7, 1847. He was a soldier of the revolution and is probably the P. Wait named as private of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, payroll drawn for amount of gratuity due non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Massachusetts line of the continental army, agreeable to resolve of January 15, 1781. (See Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors [of the Revolutionary War], vol. xvi, page 399.) He married, 1783, Mary, born March 24, 1766, died February 3, 1862, daughter of Henry and Margaret (Rathbone) Greene. Children:
- Greene, born September 26, 1784, married (first) Diadema ————, (second) Alida Moon;
- Clark, of whom further;
- Mercy, April 4, 1789, married William Gardner;
- Thomas, May 1, 1791, married Chloe Roblee;
- Benjamin, April 21, 1793, married Mary Odell;
- Alice, July 6, 1795, married James Hewitt;
- Tabitha, April 18, 1797, married Spink Madison;
- Mary, April 30, 1799, married Caleb Wells;
- Lois, Dec. 8, 1801, married Calvin P. Hill;
- Laura, Nov. 4, 1804.
(VI) Clark G., son of Peleg and Mary (Greene) Wait, was born April 3, 1787. He removed to Petersburg and later settled on a farm in the town of Granville, Washington county, New York, where he afterward always resided, engaged in agriculture. He married Abigail, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Jones) Phillips. Children:
- Pamelia, born May 6, 1809;
- Ehalton, March 5, 1812;
- Clark G., (2), April, 1814;
- Hamilton, March 22, 1817;
- Mansir K., of whom further;
- Abraham, July 5, 1821;
- Priscilla, October 13, 1823;
- Martha, September 29, 1824;
- Philetas, March 27, 1828;
- Leander, October 20, 1830;
- Abigail, April 20, 1832;
- Dwight, May 25, 1835;
- Harlan, July 8, 1837.
(VII) Mansir K., son of Clark G. and Abigail (Phillips) Wait, was born at Granville, Washington county, New York, May 24, 1819, died December 2, 1892. He married, January 16, 1840, Julia Ann, daughter of Richard and Olive (Whedon) Hale. Children:
- Josephine, born May 10, 1841, died October 27, 1846;
- Pamelia, April 11, 1843, died January 23, 1880, married Davis Northup; children: Mansir, James and Maud;
- Clark, June 11, 1845, died December 11, 1864; a veteran of the civil war;
- Casseus, February 19, 1847, married Ella Rogers; children: Mansir, Agnes, Carlotta and Clark;
- Charles, June 3, 1849, died September 3, 1849;
- Zilpha, July 12, 1850, died May 6, 1854;
- Ida Josephine, March 18, 1852, married Frank E. Hicks (see Hicks VIII);
- Emma, September 24, 1855, died November 13, 1856;
- Estella, April 13, 1858, married, October 8, 1879, George McDonald; children:
- Harry, married Ada Bromley,
- Ida and
- Mabel.