The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-10-01
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, October 1, 1856.
GIeanings from Ye OIden Time.
The Pacas OF the Last Century.
For The Egis and Intelligencer.
No. 4.

Among the Wilson papers copies of the
Aquila Paca, ST., Aquila, Jr., John and third
Aquila-all Of whom lived and died in Hartford
county The IN first A9u an6 came from Calvert
haif-brother of the senior John Hall, who mar
ried daughter of Edward Beadle-their common
mother being Mary, daughter of William Parker;
and IL was, no doubt, from her that Parker be-
came Christian-name in SO many Hartford coun-
Hquiia married Martha, daughter Of James and
Susannah Phillips. He had three sons and four
daughters. all of whom. except one daughter,
Mary. who died very young, are named in his
will. Susannah married Joseph Galloway, of
Anne Arundel county. OF james very little
ndpeet proof that both he and w
died without issue. Priscilla married Winston
son of William Smith and pretty Betty" Martin
ter of that name, married first Richard Galloway
nd second, DR.. Samuel Chew, widower. mem
Forest. He was born in Isa3' and was descended
In the fourth degree, from the John Chew who
built the first stone house at jamestown. He
left children-by which of his two wives does
not appear-but had no descendants in the third
generation. One of his sons, Samuel, however,
was ave, very prominent man in Delaware being at
of the Supreme Court OF that province. John,
son of the first Aquila Paca, and commonly
abeth. daughter of William Smith and pretty
Betty" Martin-thus becoming brother-in-aw to
so Of
the Declaration of Independence, and the builder
Ut that famous edfice wye Hail. where he liv-
cd The late Judge Giles, of Baltimore, was also
descendant of John Paca In the fourth degree.
Aquila Paca, Jr., was born In 17O4, and was twice
by had pd
married Margaret Lee. There were three sons by
the latter union, Aqua, James and John. OF the
once existed. The other son, Aquila. died in
1888. and in his will of that date no mention is
made of either wife or children. His grandfather,
Aquila had, by his second wife, a widow Brown
Cnee Blay), one daughter, who probably did not
survive her father, as she is not named in his
will.
There are some points of interest to be obtained
from the four Wills aforementioned, and will
The first Aquila Paca's will is dated May Sth l720
and as the opening clause may possibly help, In
some degree, to determine the exact locality of
any kind erected in Baltimore county, will
quote it in full. my dear wife. Martha, shall,
during her widowhood, have the use of my dwell
ing plantation and one-half of the land there
unto adjoining which hold in Collett Neck, with
liberty to choose, or cut down, as she may have
occasion, that part of the said land only. which
lies to the southwark of the road which leads
from my house to the Meeting House, until it ex-
tends hall way across the Meek. and so down to
familiar with the locality-of which know but
little-the application of the data just given. l
House was the original church so often mention
cd in papers written of late years about Old Bal
tmore." The testator being himself a strict
Quaker-as will soon plainly enough appear
would not, OF course, use the Ito HIM heterodox
term, Church" To be sure. in 17lS, two years
before the date of the will, James Phillips his
father-n-. aw, had given to st. George parish two
acres of and somewhere in the vicinity, on which
to erect new church; but 1t is most likely that
the clause above cited from the will referred to
the old building, even though the new one may
ha' Jeen finished at the time-whch is doubt
full.
Uollett Neck, as well as Collett Point, elsewhere
referred to In the will was. no doubt, named
from-probably patented to-John Colett, who
WINS of the generation Immediately preceding the
Deadles and Uties, and whose daughter married
Geo. Goldsmith, of Gouldsmth Hall, who died
in 1866. Collett must therefore have been among
the very first white men to enter the county.
The first Aquila Paca was the owner of an i'm
mense landed estate Besides some half-dozen
plantations in and about Collect Neck he owned
from 1900 to 5000 acres of the most fertile land
along Bush River and Winters Run. Much the
par ri ei 20 ali hs
this meagre share seems to have been given to
them grudgingly, since there is an envious pro-
viso that IL one of them should die without issue,
her share is to be divided between the sons
whereas II one OF the latter should die without
issue, his share is to go to the other sons-an ar
rangement which one might suppose was great
deal too much like the famous turkey and crow"
joke to suit a good old QuaSer's stern sense of
Justice.
Next comes clause which shows unmistaka-
bly, the testators zeal for his religion tits by no
means impossible that both he and his co-reli-
zionist, William Wilson from Anne Arundel, may
have heard the new evangel of Quakerism from
its very fount and source-namely, from George
Fox hmsef-on some of those memorable oc-
casions, when, as the historian says, 1.-The mem
beers of tho colonial legislature and the council,
many persons of quality, and justices of the
peace came together TO listen NJ to his preaching
Nanticokes, attended by his subject kings and
hear his Words" for the memorable visit of the
founder of the society of Quakers was only for
ty-seven years prior TO the date of the will and
when these interesting scenes occurred, Friend
Aquila was living not far off, and Friend William
almost on the very spot. 1t may be that pain
full presentiment (soon realized. believe) that
descendants would revolt from
which he himself had espoused. moved Aquila
Paca to one last supreme effort to keep them
ing words: Twenty firstly" says Friend Aquila,
my will. and desire is that all my children be ed
Of the peope called Wy apq apd US
case my wife The has up to this point in the will,
invariably called her his dear wife but, in this
been pure sarcasm] should, by a second marriage
or otherwise take any courses that may waste or
consume my said ohildrens portions, or endeav-
or to bring them up or educate them otherwise
than do hereby desire, do authorize and ap-
point my friends, Josas Middlemore and John
Crockett [good and true Quakers, both of them,
no doubt to take my said children and their por-
tions into their care, and have them brought up
aud educated according to this my will, and their
portions preserved for their benefit and advan-
Re bequeaths to each of his six children ne
gro boy and negro girl. and incidentally names
two other slaves-making fourteen in all-not a
large number, certainly, for those early days. 1t
seems passing strange, however, when viewed by
suddenly shot athwart our political and religious
atmosphere, that Quakers-or, indeed, that any
have held slaves at all. The virtual adoption of
tho maxim that what was morally and reiigiously
orthodox century ago is morally and religious
ly wrong and sinful now, with, really, the very
same facilities, neither more nor less, whatever
may be said to the contrary, for getting at the
rather to WHO IN
such matters. Surely nothing could be more dis
astrous to that eternal fxedness of Christian be-
lt..f tal doll A.
hence of Christianity itself, than a convenient
sliding-scale of faith and morality, that may be
slipped and adjusted by each succeeding genera
ton, to suit its own whimsical dvergences, or its
pursuit of gain. If, as is usual in such cases. the
answer be given, that these slaves were inherited
and were forbidden by the laws of the land to be
freed, confront such answer with a certificate
from among these papers, Of date December Both,
1897, from William Smith, j. p, Of Hartford coun-
court, &C., that William Wilson and Jesse Daw-
son, who are about TO go into Pennsylvania after
some runaway negroes, are good and free men.
This William Wilson, to be sure, was grandson
of the one named above: but he was az good and
honorable man, Christian and Quaker. as could
be found anywhere in the whole community. By
some these remarks may be thought irrelevant;
but 1t seems to me that they are not only essen
TALLY historical, but help to make up and illus
trate very curious, Interesting and important
phase In our history. only give the facts and
charge that they are morally and reigously ir-
reconcable-leaving others to explain and ex-
tonuate as best they may. BY no means do 1
wish to be understood as rejecting in the least
degree upon the character or motives OF Quakers,
either as u religious body or as Individual mem
beers of that body. Nor do wish to be consider
cd as either advocating the principle of slavery,
or condemning It.. 1 merely call loudly for an
explanation of this very singular inconsistency
of human nature. L only demand to know
whence the so-called new light emanated; and IL
from heaven, as has been said, why heaven did
not send 1t long ago, instead of leaving us to
grope on for many years individually and col
leetively towards perdition?
1t will be seen from the above genealogical ex-
position. that of all the seven children Of the first
Aqulla Paca, who survived him, only two, John
and Aqula had issue. Hence, by the terms of
the will they or their heirs must have eventually
come into possession of the whole of their fathers
very large landed estate. So far as his son
Aquile 10 concerned. however, when he comes to
make his will. in 1743, not many years after his
fathers death, his share of the property seems to
have diminished very surprisingly. He leaves
his dwelling plantation at Swan Creek to his wife
Rachel for her use while she remains widow.
He had. as already stated, only two children
john by his first wife. and Martha, by his second