Isaac Sears

Col Isaac 'King' Sears (1730 - 1786) was an American merchant, captain, privateer and politician who played an important role in the American Revolution. Isaac was born abt 1 Jul 1730 in West Brewster, Barnstable county (Cape Cod) Massachusetts son of Joshua Sears (1697-1754) and Mary Thacher. He descended from a line of military servicemen including his grandfather, Capt Samuel Sears(1663-1742) and great grandfather Capt Paul Sears (1637-1707)who took the oath of "Fidellyte" in 1657, held a commission as a captain in the militia, and made claim for a horse lost in Narragansett war. Isaac Sears established his reputation as a privateer during the French and Indian War. In addition to helping organize the Sons of Liberty in 1766, Sears acted as a revolutionary leader in New York City. Along with John Lamb, he helped lead a mob that drove British loyalists out of the city, as well as capturing the British armoury. After the capture of New York, Sears returned to his home state of Massachusetts, promoting privateering from Boston. After the war, he was twice elected to the New York State Assembly. Mr. Stevens, then editor of the "Magazine of American History," printed the following account, derived from papers in the archives of the Chamber of Commerce, NY

Related Topics:
1730 - 1786 - American - Merchant - Captain - Privateer - Politician - American Revolution - French and Indian War - Sons of Liberty - 1766 - New York City - John Lamb - British - Massachusetts - Boston

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Isaac Sears was one of the most prominent figures in the stirring scenes enacted in America during the latter half of the last century.

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His profession as Captain of a peaceful trader being broken up by the French war, he entered at once into privateering.

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In 1757, he took out the dogger 'Decoy,' of 6 guns, and later the sloop of war 'Catherine;' but but most of his daring exploits were while in charge of the sloop 'Belle Isle,' of 14 guns, owned by John Schermerhorn & Co., New York merchants, which put to sea in 1759.

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In September he fell in with a large French sloop of 24 guns and 80 men, and attacked her without hesitation.

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He was twice disabled, and forced to withdraw to refit, the third time he grappled the Frenchman, and a long contest took place, but the grapplings giving way, the Frenchman sheered off, with 9 men killed and 20 wounded. A gale springing up, separated the vessels.

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In 1761, he was shipwrecked on Sable Island, and with difficulty saved the lives of himself and crew.

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The prestige of these exploits gave him a great moral ascendancy over his fellow-citizens, and he seems to have fairly won over the title of 'King', which was given to him.

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In the resistance to the Stamp Act, and the daily struggles which took place about the Liberty Pole, Sears was always in the front ranks, and exposed himself without hesitation.

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A complete sketch of his life would make a history of this stormy period, for there is hardly an event connected with it, in which he does not appear.

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Fresneau, in his political squib against Gaines, the trimming editor of the 'New York Mercury,' gives an amusing account of him:

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At this time there arose, a certain King Sears,

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Who made it his duty, to banish our fears,

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He was, without doubt, a person of merit,

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Great knowledge, some wit, and abundance of spirit,

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Could talk like a lawyer, and that without fee,

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And threaten'd perdition, to all that drank Tea.

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He was one of the Com. of Correspondence of Fifty-one in 1774, and clung steadfastly to his old friend McDougal, in the division of that body. He was also one of the Com. of One Hundred, chosen by the citizens in 1775, and with four others, was appointed to superintend the fortifying of West Point. He was a member of the New York Provincial Congress, and of the Assembly in 1783, and in 1776, was appointed by Gen Charles Lee, Dep. Adj-Gen., with rank of Lieut Col.

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He was known from one end of America to the other as a daring 'Son of Liberty'. When John Hancock passed through New York in May, 1775, he lodged with Mr. Sears at his residence, No. 1 Broadway, afterward Sir Henry Clinton's Headquarters.

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In a letter to Dorothy Quincy, dated New York, 17 May 1775, he writes 'sat down to supper of fried oysters, and at 11 o'clock went to Capt. Sears (the King here), and lodged.'

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In the autumn of that year, Sears entered the city at noonday, with a company of CT Light Horse, and destroyed the Tory press of Rivington, which had made itself obnoxious to the Whigs.

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Before the war he was engaged in a small European and West India importing business, which does not appear to have been very successful, as he accepted the office of INspector of Pot and Pearl Ashes, which he held until 1772, when he was removed upon the false charge of neglecting duty, which made to punish him for his prominence in the public censure of the Assembly, although warmly espoused by George Clinton, Philip Schuyler and Nath. Woodhull.

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During the war he was engaged in some business in Boston, and made a partnership with his son-in-law, Paschal N Smith, who appears at an earlier time as captain of an eastern trader. (In New York Directory for 1786, we find Sears & Smith, Merchants, 62 Water street.')

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This business was not successful, the firm failing in 1784-5, and Mr. Sears resumed his voyages. 4 Feb 1786, he sailed with one of his sons for Batavia and Canton, in ship 'Hope,' Capt James Magee (who had commanded the privateer 'Gen Arnold,' belonging to Col Isaac Sears and others, which was wrecked in Plymouth bay, Christmas, 1778, when most of the crew were frozen to death), in company with Mr Samuel Shaw, First American Consul at Canton, and Capt Thomas Randall, Vice-Consul, Canton, was taken with a fever at Batavia, from which he was recovering, when a flux set in, from which he died 28 Oct 1786, and was buried on French Island, Canton harbor; a monument with a suitable inscription was erected over his grave. His son returned to the United States, and was at St Eustatius, W.I. in 1792 and connected in business with his bro-in-law Peregrine Bourdieu of Dominica, W.I.

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Capt Sears was a member of the Corporation of Trinity Church, NY, and was chosen vestryman, 17 Apr 1784, serving until 6 Apr 1786, when he resigned and sailed for China.

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Isaac Sears was at Cambridge with Washington, and at the evacuation of Boston took up his residence on Tremont street, opposite the north end of the chapel burying-ground, in the mansion of Gov Phillips.

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He purchased the Com. Loring house, now known as the "Greenough Place," at Jamaica Plain, near Boston, upon its confiscation by the State, and Drake says lived there for a time.

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During his residence in Boston he engaged in fitting out privateers. He was frequently apptd on committees from 1777 to 1782.

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Isaac Sears was 'a thorn in the flesh' of the Tories of New York and their sympathizers, and no man of the period was more vilified.

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Various historians of New York have followed the example, and no epithet was too strong to apply to him by some of them.

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He was no doubt a rough and uncultured seaman by education, but of sterling character and honesty.

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His manners acquired on the quarter-deck, and prompt methods of action, did not at all suit the timid and wavering, any more than they did the pronounced Tories or Loyalists.

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Maj Samuel Shaw, our first American Consul to China, in his diary, which has been published, speaks in terms of praise of Col Sears, his fellow passenger on the outward voyage. "To give his character in few words, he was an honest man, an agreeable aquaintance and a warm friend," and there is nothing like a long sea-voyage to bring out the idiosyncrasies of a man.

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Many of his letters are preserved in the archives of New York and Connecticut, and give a very fair insight into his character and principles.

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He had eleven children; his son-in-law, Paschal N. Smith, was also one of a family of eleven; and Hester Sears Smith, his wife, it is said was the last survivor of twenty-two.

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Sears died October 28, 1786 in Canton, China.

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