Freedom Up the Susquehanna: The Paca-Peaco Family and My Underground Railroad Roots

 This article is going to be dedicated to one of the most interesting discoveries I've made on my genealogical journey. 

Through my paternal grandmother, I discovered that I had ancestors that were free people of color that resided in Harford and Cecil Counties in Maryland. These states lie right on the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland, right at the Mason-Dixon line. 

My third great grandfather, Augustus Sergeant Norton Jr. was born in Philadelphia sometime between on March 6, 1887, being my first known ancestor to have been born there, making me a 6th generation Philadelphian. Augustus's father, Augustus Norton Sr. was the son of Reverend Francis H. Norton, a free mixed race AME preacher and Anne Elizabeth Peaco, a free Black woman, both hailing from Harford County, Maryland. This article will be focused particularly on Anne Peaco's family. 

The Peaco Family is heavily rooted in Harford County, Maryland, particularly in an area known as Darlington. The surname was initially "Paca" and morphed over the years to Peaker, Piker and eventually Peaco/Peco. Their name is actually central to part of this story, as it is a name with historical significance. William Paca, was an influential resident of Harford County and more notably was one of the "Founding Fathers" who signed the Declaration of Independence. It is unclear whether William Paca himself at some enslaved my family or they were enslaved by other relatives of his, but what is apparent is that my family was emancipated in the mid to late 18th century. 

It's unknown the circumstances of the Paca Family's emancipation but the most notable member was Cupid Paca. Cupid was likely my 7th great grandfather. Born in the mid to late 1700s, he was living as a free Black man in the area of Darlington. He purchased land in 1816 from another free Black man named Moses Harrison and then in 1822 bought 50 acres from Cassandra Rigbie Corse, a prominent Quaker of the area, for $700. Cupid was well acquainted with William Worthington, a Quaker abolitionist in Harford County who assisted many African Americans escape to freedom through the Susquehanna River. Some historians, including myself, speculate that Cupid was actively participating in the Underground Railroad, as well as his children. This would align with the migration of my branch of the Peaco family from Maryland to Pennsylvania, to Delaware and eventually to Philadelphia. 

Anne Elizabeth Peaco, my 5th great grandmother, was born on August 22 1839 in Harford County, the daughter of John Peaco and Mary Elizabeth Boyer, a free Black woman from the nearby Cecil County. It is very likely that John Peaco was one Cupid's son.

John Peaco and his family first appear on record in the 1850 census, living in Harford County. The census was taken in August, a month or two before the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. There was a dramatic shift in 1860, where my family is now living in Peach Bottom Township in York County, PA. 

Peach Bottom Township viewed from the Susquehanna River, date unknown Peaco Family in Harford County on the 1850 census

Peach Bottom has a significant role in the Pennsylvania Underground Railroad. The town served as a thoroughfare for fugitives on the journey to emancipation. A ferry, pictured above, operated out of Havre de Grace. The Peacos were the practically one of the only Black families in the area, as most freedom seekers only stayed in the area very briefly in fear of being kidnapped and trafficked back into enslavement. John Peaco was a shoemaker but one could imagine that if they were aiding fugitives, suspicion could have arisen and implicated one of the only Black families in the township. However, the Peacos remained in the area til the 1880s. 

Peaco family in Peach Bottom Township in 1860

Map of Peach Bottom, 1860

In some point in the next ten years, Anne would marry Francis Norton, and move with her husband and children to Wilmington, Delaware. Francis was an active member of his community and a future article will focus on his life. The Nortons later moved to Chester, PA and Francis became the pastor of Union AME Church and Marple Union AME Church. Anne would die in 1918, at the age of 78. I wonder if she witnessed firsthand the antiblack pogroms in Chester that happened in 1917 and how that may have affected her. 

I wonder how it felt to live in a time fraught with uncertainty, how it felt to play such a precarious role that would change the lives of so many and the course of history. I never expected anyone in my direct bloodline to be involved in the Underground Railroad but it's truly inspiring and beautiful to discover that this call to defend one's community dates back hundreds of years. Truly appreciative of the ancestors I descend from and have watching over me. 

There is much more about the Paca Family that I'd love to delve into in the future, and I will expand on it at a later time. For now, I end it here.