Last updated: September 3, 2025
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The Flight of the Hawkins Family
In 1845, Samuel Hawkins was a free Black man living in an area known as Beavers Dam in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Samuel was married to Emeline Hawkins, who was enslaved. By 1845, Emeline was enslaved by Catherine Turner. Samuel and Emeline had two older sons, Samuel Jr. and Chester, who were enslaved by Charles Glanding. Samuel and Emeline had another four younger children who were enslaved by Catherine Turner.
Samuel had tried to purchase Emeline's freedom but was unsuccessful. By November of 1845, Samuel and Emeline determined that they would seek the freedom for Emeline and the whole family by fleeing to Pennsylvania, which was a free state. To get there, they had to travel through Delaware. On the night of November 29th, 1845, the Hawkins family set out on their journey to freedom. They were assisted by a free Black man named Samuel D. Burris, a local conductor on the Underground Railroad. On the night of December 5th, the Hawkins family, led by Burris, traveled through a snowstorm from Camden, Delaware to John Hunn's farm just outside of Middletown, Delaware. His farm was the southernmost stationhouse in the state. Emeline and the younger children were in a wagon. The rest of the party walked on foot. Several members of the family were suffering from frost bite when they arrived at Hunn's house. A Kent County native, John Hunn was born in 1818 to parents who were members of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. Many Quakers vehemently opposed slavery. John and his wife, Mary, brought a farm near Middletown, Delaware where John assisted freedom seekers.
Some of Hunn's neighbors noticed the arrival of the Hawkins family and eventually a group of local men, who had with them an advertisement for a reward for the return of the family, requested to be permitted to interview the Black people who were staying at Hunn's farm. The family saw the men questioning Hunn and took off on foot. However, they were eventually captured.
While the Hawkins family was at the Hunn farm, they were held by Richard C. Hayes, a constable from Middletown, William Hardcastle, and Robert Cochran. Samuel Sr. agreed to be interviewed by his captors. During the interview, Samuel admitted that Emeline and their six children were enslaved. The family's captors took the entire family to the New Castle jail and began to assemble the necessary paperwork that would allow them to transport the family back to Queen Anne's County and claim their reward.
Eventually, the Hawkins' captors presented commitment papers to Sheriff Jacob Caulk in New Castle. The Sheriff examined the papers, interviewed the family, and declared the commitment papers to be illegal, because they were incomplete. However, the Sheriff agreed to hold the Hawkins family until such a time as one of the captors could travel back to Middletown to acquire legitimate commitment papers. In the meantime, the daughter of the Sheriff sent a letter to Thomas Garrett to inform him of the plight of the Hawkins family.
The next day, Garrett and John Wales, a Delaware State Senator and attorney, presented a petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus to Delaware Chief Justice James Booth at the New Castle Court House. Justice Booth reviewed the papers presented to him and questioned the Hawkins family as well as the captors. At the conclusion of the hearing, Justice Booth decided that there was no evidence to support any criminal charges against the Hawkins family to justify further detainment. He also decided that the commitment papers presented by the captors were defective because they lacked a seal and were not supported by oath or affirmation. Justice Booth noted that in the absence of competent evidence, "the presumption was always in the favor of freedom." He ordered that the entire Hawkins family be set free.
The family then made their way to Thomas Garrett's house in Wilmington, Delaware. Thomas Garrett was raised in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Like Hunn, Garrett was also a Quaker. In 1813, while he was still living in Upper Darby, a free Black woman who worked for his family was abducted by slave traders, who intended to sell her into slavery in the South. Garrett managed to rescue her and determined that he would thereafter defend the rights of African Americans to live in freedom. Garret eventually moved to Wilmington and in 1827 joined the Delaware Abolition Society. He openly became a stationmaster on the Underground Railroad, regularly providing food and shelter to freedom seekers at his Shipley Street residence.
The Hawkins family stayed with Garrett briefly before settling in Byberry, Pennsylvania. Their captors did obtain properly completed commitment papers, but by the time these documents reached them, the Hawkins family was already safely in Pennsylvania and the captors were unable to locate them.
Samuel had tried to purchase Emeline's freedom but was unsuccessful. By November of 1845, Samuel and Emeline determined that they would seek the freedom for Emeline and the whole family by fleeing to Pennsylvania, which was a free state. To get there, they had to travel through Delaware. On the night of November 29th, 1845, the Hawkins family set out on their journey to freedom. They were assisted by a free Black man named Samuel D. Burris, a local conductor on the Underground Railroad. On the night of December 5th, the Hawkins family, led by Burris, traveled through a snowstorm from Camden, Delaware to John Hunn's farm just outside of Middletown, Delaware. His farm was the southernmost stationhouse in the state. Emeline and the younger children were in a wagon. The rest of the party walked on foot. Several members of the family were suffering from frost bite when they arrived at Hunn's house. A Kent County native, John Hunn was born in 1818 to parents who were members of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. Many Quakers vehemently opposed slavery. John and his wife, Mary, brought a farm near Middletown, Delaware where John assisted freedom seekers.
Some of Hunn's neighbors noticed the arrival of the Hawkins family and eventually a group of local men, who had with them an advertisement for a reward for the return of the family, requested to be permitted to interview the Black people who were staying at Hunn's farm. The family saw the men questioning Hunn and took off on foot. However, they were eventually captured.
While the Hawkins family was at the Hunn farm, they were held by Richard C. Hayes, a constable from Middletown, William Hardcastle, and Robert Cochran. Samuel Sr. agreed to be interviewed by his captors. During the interview, Samuel admitted that Emeline and their six children were enslaved. The family's captors took the entire family to the New Castle jail and began to assemble the necessary paperwork that would allow them to transport the family back to Queen Anne's County and claim their reward.
Eventually, the Hawkins' captors presented commitment papers to Sheriff Jacob Caulk in New Castle. The Sheriff examined the papers, interviewed the family, and declared the commitment papers to be illegal, because they were incomplete. However, the Sheriff agreed to hold the Hawkins family until such a time as one of the captors could travel back to Middletown to acquire legitimate commitment papers. In the meantime, the daughter of the Sheriff sent a letter to Thomas Garrett to inform him of the plight of the Hawkins family.
The next day, Garrett and John Wales, a Delaware State Senator and attorney, presented a petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus to Delaware Chief Justice James Booth at the New Castle Court House. Justice Booth reviewed the papers presented to him and questioned the Hawkins family as well as the captors. At the conclusion of the hearing, Justice Booth decided that there was no evidence to support any criminal charges against the Hawkins family to justify further detainment. He also decided that the commitment papers presented by the captors were defective because they lacked a seal and were not supported by oath or affirmation. Justice Booth noted that in the absence of competent evidence, "the presumption was always in the favor of freedom." He ordered that the entire Hawkins family be set free.
The family then made their way to Thomas Garrett's house in Wilmington, Delaware. Thomas Garrett was raised in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Like Hunn, Garrett was also a Quaker. In 1813, while he was still living in Upper Darby, a free Black woman who worked for his family was abducted by slave traders, who intended to sell her into slavery in the South. Garrett managed to rescue her and determined that he would thereafter defend the rights of African Americans to live in freedom. Garret eventually moved to Wilmington and in 1827 joined the Delaware Abolition Society. He openly became a stationmaster on the Underground Railroad, regularly providing food and shelter to freedom seekers at his Shipley Street residence.
The Hawkins family stayed with Garrett briefly before settling in Byberry, Pennsylvania. Their captors did obtain properly completed commitment papers, but by the time these documents reached them, the Hawkins family was already safely in Pennsylvania and the captors were unable to locate them.