Thomas Downing (1791–1866) was an American restaurateur and abolitionist active in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

who was nicknamed the "New York Oyster King". He was one of the wealthiest people in New York City at the time of his death, though he spent his life being prohibited from acquiring

U.S. citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

until the

Civil Rights Act of 1866 The Civil Rights Act of 1866 (, enacted April 9, 1866, reenacted 1870) was the first United States federal law to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law. It was mainly intended, in the wake of the Amer ...

was passed, the day before he died.

Early family life

Thomas Downing was born in

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Chincoteague Island Chincoteague may refer to: Geography in the United States * Chincoteague Bay, a bay on the coast of Maryland and Virginia * Chincoteague Channel, a channel in Virginia connecting Chincoteague Bay and Chincoteague Inlet *Chincoteague Inlet, an inlet ...

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. His parents were enslaved, and eventually freed, by Sea Captain John Downing after learning that owning slaves was not condoned by the

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

. They adopted the name "Downing" as their own and began working as paid caretakers of Captain Downing's Methodist Meeting House. Eventually, they bought some property on the Island and the family began earning extra money by gathering and selling

oysters Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...

, as well as other seafood, such as

clams Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two shel ...

and fish. Thomas was raised alongside his wealthy neighbors and shared the same tutor as their children. One of his tutors was

Henry A. Wise Henry Alexander Wise (December 3, 1806 – September 12, 1876) was an American attorney, diplomat, politician and slave owner from Virginia. As the 33rd Governor of Virginia, Wise served as a significant figure on the path to the American Civil W ...

, who went on to become the Governor of Virginia (1861–1865). At the end of the War of 1812, Thomas joined the

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and followed it to

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. There he met and married his wife, freeborn Rebecca West, and they had five children:

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, Thomas, Henry, Jane, and Peter. Thomas worked as a

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "vale ...

, continued oystering, and, wanting more out of life than oyster digging, he eventually opened his first

oyster bar An oyster bar, also known as an oyster saloon, oyster house or a raw bar service, is a restaurant specializing in serving oysters, or a section of a restaurant which serves oysters buffet-style. Oysters have been consumed since ancient times and w ...

. This allowed him to keep ties with his family's roots while establishing his new career as an esteemed businessman. Thomas used his knowledge of oystering to his advantage and used his connections to the fisherman to sell the best oysters around.

Career

Thomas moved to

where, by 1820, he continued as an oysterman, selling his oysters on the street. At the time, oysters were inexpensive and considered common food. Thomas was an innovative businessman who knew how to set his oyster sales apart from the rest. One of the tactics he used to keep a competitive edge was purchasing the best oysters from the captains before any of the other oyster caterers arrived for the auction. When the others showed up to bid on the day's catch, he would pay the favor back to the captains by placing bids on the oysters with no intention of winning them, just to bump up the bidding price among the rest of Thomas's competitors. Another tactic he used was catering to the rich and elite of New York City. When Downing opened the Thomas Downing Oyster House in 1825, it was considered upscale compared to any of the other oyster cellars at that time. By using expensive linens and decorating with fine dining ware and chandeliers, he created an atmosphere that was both welcoming and comfortable for his rich clientele. His restaurant was strategically placed in the heart of New York's Business District. The 5 Points area, an African-American neighborhood a few blocks away from 5 Broad Street where the Thomas Downing Oyster House was located, housed many oyster cellars. The competition at the time were known to be dive bars and paled in comparison to the lavish food that was served at the Thomas Downing Oyster House. His menu raised the bar for oysters in fine dining. Some of the dishes he served included roast turkey stuffed with oysters, boned and jellied turkey, creamy oyster stew, pan fried oysters, roast duck and ham, scalloped oysters, and oyster pie. Aside from being more upscale, Thomas's oyster bar was unique because women and children were encouraged by Thomas to dine there, as long as they were accompanied by their husbands or fathers. This was unusual, as the only females that were generally allowed entry to oyster cellars at that time were prostitutes. By 1835, Downing expanded his business to 3 and 7 Broad Street. He further innovated by adding catering and mail-order options to his restaurant. During the height of its success in 1842, Thomas's catering business was chosen by the City of New York to cater the Boz Ball, an event which welcomes famous British author

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

to America. Internationally known, Thomas would ship his Oysters pickled, fried, or live to customers far and wide. One of the most notable recipients was

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. The queen enjoyed her oysters so much, that she wrote Thomas a letter thanking him, and gifted him a gold

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, which became a Downing family heir loom. When Thomas died in 1866, his son George continued to run the restaurant until 1871. In 1910, the oyster population in New York had declined due to overfishing and pollution. By 1927, the last New York oyster bed was shut down, as a result of untreated sewage being dumped into the New York City water every day.

Contributions as an abolitionist

In addition to his success in oyster sales, Thomas Downing was known for his role as an abolitionist during the American civil rights movement of the 1860's. As a founding member of the community group The Committee of the Thirteen, he helped protect free African-Americans from being kidnapped and sold back into slavery. His restaurant was also used as a stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

. Downing allowed run-away slaves to hide there while they travelled North to safety. In addition to wanting to establish the first upscale oyster cellar, Thomas wanted to use the opportunity that the wealth and power he gained with his success in business to help the black community. The restaurant's clientele consisted mainly of wealthy white people, who were most likely unaware that the money that they used to pay for their meals were helping fund the escape of enslaved African-Americans. Frame. (2022, March). ''Thomas Downing and the Black History of American Oyster Bars'' Retrieved June 17, 2022 from https://www.framehazelpark.com/stories/thomas-downing-oyster-industry-taste-the-diaspora/

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Downing, Thomas 1791 births 1866 deaths American abolitionists American restaurateurs Businesspeople from Philadelphia Businesspeople from New York City Methodists from Pennsylvania Oysters 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century African-American businesspeople Free Negroes Methodists from Virginia Methodists from New York (state)