Surname origin
Abode, hamlet, dairy-farm; from the  Family Chronicle web site

Meadow
Robert atte Wiske and John ate Wyseke (probably of Ripe) 1365 Court Roll
The Place-Names of Sussex Part 1 by A Mawer and F M Stenton. Cambridge at the university Press. 1929.

James WICKS (c.1777 - 1857) married Sarah MANNERS (c.1781 - 1854) on the 19th October 1803 at Newick.
James could have been the son of Richard and Sarah MEOPHAM married at Maresfield on the 22nd November 1763.
James and Sarah had children:-
• Elizabeth (1803 - 1854) = Abel MANNERS (1804- )
• James (1805 - 1888) = (1) Eliza Jane MANVILLE (c.1791 - 1842) = (2) Frances PAGE (c.1805 - 1877)
  • (1) Philadelphia (1830 - 1914) = Isaac JENNER ( - 1894)
  • (1) John (Henry) (1836 - 1916) = Sarah Elizabeth KURNES (c.1842-1916)
    • 'Female' Wicks (1862 - )
    • John Henry Wicks (1864 - ) = Margaret Bell ( - 1904)
    • Catherine Jane Wicks (1865 - 1943) = Albert Edward George Frederick Morley (1859 - 1944)
    • James J Wicks (1867 - )
    • George (1869 - 1908) = Ellen O'DONNELL = (2) John DALTON
    • Mary A Wicks (c.1872 - )
    • Sarah Ann (1874 - ) = Charles Young
    • Stephen H (1877 - )
    • Abraham (1879 - )
    • Emily M E (1882 - ) = Silas S Elliot
  • (1) Abraham (1838 - 1908)
  • (1) Eliza Jane (1839 - 1915) = (1) Edward William CORBAN = (2) Charles KELLY
  • (2) Phoebe Frances (1844 - 1934) = (1) Michael QUINNELL = (2) Martin O'SHANNESSY
  • (2) Israel (1850 - 1854) X
• Henry (1809 - 1870) = (1) Harriet HERRIOT (c.1816 - ) = (2) Caroline WEST (c.1822 - )
  • (1) William (c.1837 - )
  • (1) Caroline (c.1839 - )
  • (2?) Emily (c.1848 - )
  • (2?) Barbara (1851 - )
• Thomas (1812)X
• Edward (1813 - 1888) = (1) Jane MOON (c.1816 - 1871) = (2) Mary Ann SWEATMAN (c.1837 - )
  • (1)Abel (c.1838 - )
  • (1)William (1839 - )
  • (1)Fanny (1841 - ) = Stephen WOOD (c.1847 - )
  • (1)James (c.1846 - )
  • (1)Elizabeth (1850 - )
  • (1)Lucy (c.1852 - )
  • (1)Sarah Jane (c.1854 - )
  • (1)Frederick (c.1846 - )
  • (1)Anslie (c.1859 - )
• Ellen (1816 - ) =
• George (c.1818 - 1880) = Mary Ann AKEHURST (c.1816 -)
  • Mary Ann (1843- ) = Henry PINYOUN (1843 - )
  • George (c.1847-1898) = Louisa WEAVER (c.1854 - )
    • George F (c.1879 - )
    • Emily L (1880 - )
  • Henry (c.1850- ) = Sarah WEAVER (c.1853 - )
    • Henry (c.1871 - )
    • John (c.1874 - )
    • Thomas (c.1876 - )
    • Charles (c.1879 - )
    • James (c.1879 - )
    • William (c.1880 - )
  • Catherine Esther (1852-)
  • Emily Matilda (1854 - )
• Barbara (1821 - 1887) ) = Samuel WEST (1818 - 1888)
  • James WEST (1845 - )
  • John WEST (c.1848- )
  • Sarah Elizabeth WEST  (1849 -
  • William WEST  (1854 - 1913) = Eliza BARTRUP (1851 - 1923)
    • Alice Mary WEST (1877 - ) = John COBBY (c.1870 - 1924)
    • Clara Louise WEST (1879 - 1958) = Frederick HUGGETT
    • Annie Elizabeth WEST (1882 - 1961) = Alfred John COX (1885 - 1954)
      • Alfred John William COX = Irene Mary FITT
  • Mary WEST (1858 - )
  • George Ambrose WEST (1861 - ) = Sarah Ann HARRIS (1865 - )
• Richard (1824 - 1885) = (1) Lucy WARRINER (c.1814 - 1848) = (2) Priscilla Harriett HENSHAW (c. 1833 - 1885)
  • (1) Edwin (1846 - ) = Lydia Ann DENNETT (c.1849 - )
  • (2) Caroline (c.1851 - ) = William MILLER (c.1845 - )
  • (2) Philadelphia (1854 - 1858)
  • (2) James Henry Henshaw (1856 - ) = Mary PELHAM (1858 - )
    • Frederick H (c.1877 - )
    • Henry (c.1878 - )
    • David (c.1880 - )
    • Lillie (c.1887 - )
    • Bertie (c.1879 - )
    • Edwin (1880 - )
  • (2) Barbara Ann Ellen (1859 - )
  • (2) Richard Thomas (1861 - ) = Annie SCOTT (1872-
    • Percy Richard (1894 - )
  • (2) Frances Elizabeth (1864 - )
  • (2) Joseph John (1866 - )
  • (2) Clara Henrietta (c.1867-)

So why should James be the son of Richard and Sarah MEOPHAM? 
1.  In 1851 James states he was born in Maresfield. Although James's baptism is not in the Maresfield register neither is there a suitable baptism in the East Sussex baptism index at East Sussex Record Office to add confusion.
2.  A Richard and Sarah WICKS were baptising in Maresfield and there is a gap around 1777!
28 April 1765 Mary
27 July 1766 John
3 July 1768 Sarah
19 August 1770 Thomas
1 Nov 1772 William
19 March 1775 Elizabeth
7 March 1779 Ann
22 Oct 1797 Stephen aged 14
22 Oct 1797 Milly aged 11
3. A John BROOKS witnessed the marriage of James and Sarah MANNERS.  A John BROOKS had married a Mary  WEEKES at Newick in 1788.

This is not 'beyond reasonable doubt'  but is a good hypothesis. 

If the above can be accepted then Richard could be the son of Richard WICKS and Sarah STEVENS married on the 27th April 1727 at Little Horsted. They had children,

• Mary (1728 - )
• Richard (1731 - 1808) = Sarah MEOPHAM