Sidney George Fisher
Encyclopedia
Sidney George Fisher was a Philadelphia gentleman, lawyer, farmer, plantation owner, political essayist and occasional poet.
. He was educated at Germantown Academy
and Dickinson College
.
Fisher wrote several books and delivered numerous talks. Of most interest was his highly sought after diary, full of keen, witty and unabashed observations—and often criticisms—of individuals from society, national politics, and his own day-to-day activities. He was largely disconnected from the world of work, save for the exceptions when he reluctantly agreed to practice law. He did not need to make money (though he never felt his income sufficient), so his views of land speculation and the war against the Second Bank of the United States
, the panics, and the commercial activities of those around him are particularly thought-provoking.
Fisher inherited a plantation, Mount Harmon , on the Sassafras River
in Cecil County, Maryland
, from his maternal grandfather and namesake, Sidney George. He leased the land to farmers who lived there with their families and paid him rent. Although he was a gentleman farmer, Fisher advised his fellow farmers to diversify beyond grain by seeking out produce that would fill huge demand. During his ownership of Mount Harmon, Fisher wrote about the plantation in his diaries. The originals now reside with the Philadelphia Historical Society. They were published as Mount Harmon Diaries of Sidney George Fisher 1837-1850, edited by W. Emerson Wilson.
, on May 28, 1851. The couple had one son, historian Sydney George Fisher (1856–1927).
) that only the sulfur water
s at Richfield Springs, New York
seemed to alleviate. He died on July 25, 1871. After his death, his wife and son moved to Germantown, where she died in May 1872.
. He lent his support to candidates who opposed the Jacksonian Democrats
in national elections and remained an ardent anti-Democrat his entire life.
Fisher was a slavery apologist. He agreed with abolitionists that slavery was evil, but argued that it was necessary and served as a form of welfare for a race that would otherwise be a burden on the federal government and the civic institutions of society.
Early life and education
Sidney George Fisher was the eldest of three sons born to James Logan Fisher and Ann Eliza George. His father died when he was five and his mother when he was 12, leaving Sidney and his brothers a considerable inheritance. The three boys—Sidney, James, and Charles—went to live with their aunt Sarah Logan at the family's ancestral home, Wakefield, in GermantownGermantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
. He was educated at Germantown Academy
Germantown Academy
Germantown Academy is America's oldest nonsectarian day school, founded on December 6, 1759 . Germantown Academy is now a K-12 school in the Philadelphia suburb of Fort Washington, having moved from its original Germantown campus in 1965...
and Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
.
Career
Educated to be a lawyer, he read law only when it pleased him. Though he begrudged the practice of law, he had friends and relatives in the legal profession, whom he aided infrequently when his assistance was requested.Fisher wrote several books and delivered numerous talks. Of most interest was his highly sought after diary, full of keen, witty and unabashed observations—and often criticisms—of individuals from society, national politics, and his own day-to-day activities. He was largely disconnected from the world of work, save for the exceptions when he reluctantly agreed to practice law. He did not need to make money (though he never felt his income sufficient), so his views of land speculation and the war against the Second Bank of the United States
Second Bank of the United States
The Second Bank of the United States was chartered in 1816, five years after the First Bank of the United States lost its own charter. The Second Bank of the United States was initially headquartered in Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, the same as the First Bank, and had branches throughout the...
, the panics, and the commercial activities of those around him are particularly thought-provoking.
Fisher inherited a plantation, Mount Harmon , on the Sassafras River
Sassafras River
The Sassafras River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula in the United States. It is about long and starts in western New Castle County, Delaware, and along the boundary between Cecil County, Maryland on the north and Kent County, Maryland on the south...
in Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, from his maternal grandfather and namesake, Sidney George. He leased the land to farmers who lived there with their families and paid him rent. Although he was a gentleman farmer, Fisher advised his fellow farmers to diversify beyond grain by seeking out produce that would fill huge demand. During his ownership of Mount Harmon, Fisher wrote about the plantation in his diaries. The originals now reside with the Philadelphia Historical Society. They were published as Mount Harmon Diaries of Sidney George Fisher 1837-1850, edited by W. Emerson Wilson.
Marriage and children
Fisher married Elizabeth Ingersoll, granddaughter of Jared IngersollJared Ingersoll
Jared Ingersoll was an early American lawyer and statesman from Philadelphia.He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and signed the U.S. Constitution for Pennsylvania...
, on May 28, 1851. The couple had one son, historian Sydney George Fisher (1856–1927).
Death and afterward
Fisher suffered from an illness (probably rheumatismRheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
) that only the sulfur water
Sulfur water
Sulfur water is a condition where the running water contains a high amount of hydrogen sulfide gas that escapes into the air when the plumbing line is opened, giving a distinct "rotten egg" smell.-Cause:...
s at Richfield Springs, New York
Richfield Springs, New York
Richfield Springs is a village located in the Town of Richfield, on the north-central border of Otsego County, New York. The population was 1,255 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from some local sulfur springs....
seemed to alleviate. He died on July 25, 1871. After his death, his wife and son moved to Germantown, where she died in May 1872.
Philosophical and/or political views
As a rabid anti-Democrat, Fisher was a de facto WhigWhig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
. He lent his support to candidates who opposed the Jacksonian Democrats
Jacksonian democracy
Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. The Democratic-Republican Party of...
in national elections and remained an ardent anti-Democrat his entire life.
Fisher was a slavery apologist. He agreed with abolitionists that slavery was evil, but argued that it was necessary and served as a form of welfare for a race that would otherwise be a burden on the federal government and the civic institutions of society.
Published works
- Kanzas and the Constitution (Damrell & Moore, 1856) (under the pseudonym—Cecil)
- Winter Studies in the Country (Parry and M'Millan, 1856)
- Rustic Rhymes (Parry & McMillan, 1859)
- The Law of the Territories (C. Sherman & Son, 1859)
- The Laws of Race, as Connected with Slavery (W. P. Hazard, 1860)
- The Trial of the Constitution (J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1862; reprints in 1969, 1972, 2003)
- A National Currency (J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1864)
Journals
- Nicholas B. Wainwright, ed., A Philadelphia Perspective: The Diary of Sidney George Fisher Covering the Years, 1834-1871 (Philadelphia: Historical Society of PennsylvaniaHistorical Society of PennsylvaniaThe Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historical society founded in 1824 and based in Philadelphia. The Society's building, designed by Addison Hutton and listed on Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items...
, 1967) - W. Emerson Wilson, ed., Mount Harmon Diaries of Sidney George Fisher 1837-1850 (Wilmington: The Historical Society of Delaware, 1976)
- Jonathan W. White, ed., A Philadelphia Perspective: The Civil War Diary of Sidney George Fisher (New York: Fordham University Press, 2007)
Orations
- The Annual Address delivered before the Belles-lettres and Union Philosophical Societies of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa. July 18, 1838 (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Printed by George M. Philips, 1838)
- Address delivered before the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture: at their annual exhibition held at the Rising Sun village, October 17, 1850 (Germantown, Pennsylvania: Printed at the office of the Telegraph, 1850) [this address is reprinted in Proceedings of the annual exhibition of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture: held at the Rising Sun Village, October 16–17, 1850 (Germantown, Pennsylvania: Printed at the Office of the Telegraph / Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, 1850)]
- A Report on the Cultivation of Native Grapes for Fruit and for Wine: Read to the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, April 2, 1856 (Philadelphia: Inquirer Printing Office, 1856)
- Address Delivered Before the Chester County Agricultural Society, at Their Annual Exhibition Held at West-Chester, September 26, 1857 (Philadelphia: Merrihew & Thompson, printers, 1857)
- Address Delivered Before the Montgomery County Agricultural Society at Their Annual Exhibition Held at Springtown, October 7, 1859, By Sidney George Fisher, of Philadelphia. Published By Order of the Society (Philadelphia: James B. Chandler, Printer, 1859)
- An Address delivered before the Agricultural Society of New Castle County, Delaware, at their annual exhibition held at the Society's farm near Wilmington, October 17, 1860 (Philadelphia: C. Sherman & Son, printers, 1860)