John Vickers

John Vickers (August 8, 1780 – April 28, 1860) was an American Quaker and abolitionist who participated in the Underground Railroad by providing refuge for fugitive slaves on his property in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and other locations. John Vickers was a principal agent in the Northern Route of the Underground Railway through Chester County.

Vickers worked as a farmer and potter, following his father Thomas Vickers at Thomas Vickers and Son Pottery. He in turn passed on his own pottery business, John Vickers and Son Pottery, to his son Paxson Vickers.

The historic Vickers farmhouse in Lionville became the Vickers Restaurant from 1972 to 2021, and reopened as the fifth location of the White Dog Cafe in 2024.

Life and pottery business John Vickers was born on August 8, 1780, to Quakers Thomas Vickers Jr. (1757–1829) and Jemima Mendenhall (1757–1851) in East Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Thomas Vickers was an original member of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, formed in 1777 under the leadership of Benjamin Franklin. The Vickers family were active members of the Uwchlan Meetinghouse and the Uwchlan Anti-Slavery Society. Pieces appear in collections including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the New York Historical Society, and Winterthur Museum and Gardens.

John Vickers married Abigail Paxson on October 6, 1803, at Sadsbury Friends Meeting House, Gap, Pennsylvania. and died December 12, 1818. The couple had at least 9 children: Martha, Ann, Joseph, Jonathan, Jemima, Mary, Aaron, Abigail, and Paxson.

John Vickers and his younger brothers Ziba and Isaac joined the family pottery business, which was known as Thomas Vickers and Son Pottery. John remained his father's partner until 1814, when Ziba succeeded John as partner. In 1814, John moved to West Whiteland where he established a farm and a new pottery.

In 1823, John Vickers moved to Lionville, Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania, where he purchased "5 Acres and 66 perches" of land from Andrew Hall at a cost of $800.

John Vickers was clerk of the Cain Monthly and Quarterly Meetings before he moved to Uwchlan, and later served as an elder and overseer of the Uwchlan Monthly Meeting. He died on April 28, 1860. Vickers Pottery is variously reported to have operated until 1865 the 1870s or the 1880s. Many other family members were also engaged in these efforts, including John's daughters Mary and Abigail (Abbie) and his son Paxson and Paxson's wife Ann. John Vicker's home in Lionville was at an important conjunction of routes in Chester County. Groups of people were brought in at night, to be fed and helped by family members. in the large wood piles,

People who sent fugitive slaves to John Vickers included Dr. J. K. Eshleman of Downington Another person who brought fugitives to the Vickers house was Sarah Marsh, daughter of Gravener and Hannah Marsh. The street address of the Vickers Restaurant was 192 East Welsh Pool Road, Exton, Pennsylvania.

After the closure of the Vickers Restaurant, the Vickers farmhouse was bought by Marty Grims ) and his daughter Syndney. In June 2024, the White Dog Cafe opened its fifth location at the Vickers farmhouse, following nearly three years of renovation. The dining room and drawing-room are original to John Vickers' 1823 farmhouse, and include original brick flooring.