In his youth Penn served at sea, and in the English Civil Wars he fought for Parliament, being appointed rear admiral of the Irish seas in 1647. [37] Soon Penn was arrested for attending Quaker meetings. [8] Penn's father was often at sea. The Philadelphia Phillies went on to win the 2008 World Series that year. When installed in 1894, the statue represented the highest point in the city, as City Hall was then the tallest building in Philadelphia. [98] Remarkably, though the Crown reserved the right to override any law it wished, Penn's skillful stewardship did not provoke any government reaction while Penn remained in his province. I pray God... that you come home secure. The service was arduous and called for both energy and good seamanship. Notably, as the sovereign, Penn thought it important to limit his own power as well. Young Penn reflected on the suffering and the deaths, and the way humans reacted to the epidemic. "[34] While Penn was abroad, the Great Fire of 1666 consumed central London. Admiral Sir William Penn, 'the famous father of an even more famous son', wrote the code of naval tactics, which formed the basis of the Duke of York's Sailing and Fighting Instructions, the standard book on tactics for the Royal Navy for much of the next two centuries. Admiral Penn served in the Commonwealth Navy during the English Civil War and was rewarded by Oliver Cromwell with estates in Ireland. It was during this period, when Penn was about fifteen, that he met Thomas Loe, a Quaker missionary, who was maligned by both Catholics and Protestants. 2016, www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/22/story-of-cities-7-philadelphia-grid-pennsylvania-william-penn-america-urban-dream. British Navy Admiral. They had three sons and five daughters:[126]. In his youth Penn served at sea, and in the English Civil Wars he fought for Parliament, being appointed rear admiral of the Irish seas in 1647. [61] Penn petitioned for an audience with the King, which was denied but which led to negotiations on his behalf by one of the royal chaplains. [135], The William Penn House – a Quaker hostel and seminar center – was named in honor of William Penn when it opened in 1966 to house Quakers visiting Washington, D.C. to partake in the many protests, events and social movements of the era.[136]. He was the father of William Penn, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania (today, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania). Three generations of Penn descendents held proprietorship of the colony until the American Revolution, when the family was stripped of all but its privately held shares of land. Internal political conflicts even threatened to undo the Pennsylvania charter. [83] On 4 March 1681, the King signed the charter and the following day Penn jubilantly wrote, "It is a clear and just thing, and my God who has given it to me through many difficulties, will, I believe, bless and make it the seed of a nation. Political conditions at home had stiffened since Penn left. There have been claims that he also fought slavery, but that seems unlikely, as he owned and even traded slaves himself and his writings do not support that idea. [87], Besides achieving his religious goals, Penn had hoped that Pennsylvania would be a profitable venture for himself and his family. This is a picture of William Penn at the age of 22. The first two children died in infancy. But he urged his father not to pay his fine and free him, "I entreat thee not to purchase my liberty." [123] Penn had grown weary of the politicking back in Pennsylvania and the restlessness with his governance, but Logan implored him not to forsake his colony, for fear that Pennsylvania might fall into the hands of an opportunist who would undo all the good that had been accomplished. One such paper turned out to be a deed transferring ownership of Pennsylvania to Ford who then demanded a rent beyond Penn's ability to pay. This small, simply laid out garden in the City of London is redolent with history. (part one written by Penn; Part two by George Whitehead, 1673). While there he became a soldier and took part in suppressing a local Irish rebellion. He branded the Catholic Church as "the Whore of Babylon", defied the Church of England, and called the Puritans "hypocrites and revelers in God". There were considerable discussions about scrapping his constitution. Some Quaker families had already arrived in Maryland and New Jersey but the numbers were small. Sometime later, the institution was renamed the William Penn Charter School. A chance re-meeting with Thomas Loe confirmed Penn's rising attraction to Quakerism. Rather than state that he was not a Quaker and thereby dodge any charges, he publicly declared himself a member and finally joined the Quakers at the age of 22. It would call for death for only two crimes, treason and murder, rather than the two hundred crimes under English law, and all cases were to be tried before a jury. "[70] The Admiral also knew that after his death young Penn would become more vulnerable in his pursuit of justice. Apparently, he could not be bothered with administrative details, and his business manager, fellow Quaker Philip Ford, embezzled substantial sums from Penn's estates. William Penn was born in London, England, on October 14, 1644. Penn stayed close to home but continued writing his tracts, espousing religious tolerance and railing against discriminatory laws. Penn had plenty of time to spend with his family and still attend to affairs of state, though delegations and official visitors were frequent. In 1893, Hajoca Corporation, the nation's largest privately held wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, and industrial supplies, adopted the statue as its trademark symbol. “Story of Cities #7: Philadelphia Grid Marks Birth of America's Urban Dream.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 22 Mar. The Quaker Oats Company's website currently claims their logo is not a depiction of William Penn.[134]. He borrowed liberally from John Locke who later had a similar influence on Thomas Jefferson, but added his own revolutionary idea—the use of amendments—to enable a written framework that could evolve with the changing times. The William Penn High School for Girls was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In 1681, King Charles II handed over a large piece of his North American land holdings along the North Atlantic Ocean coast to Penn to pay the debts the king had owed to Penn's father, the admiral and politician Sir William Penn. When Admiral Sir Wiliam Penn was born on 23 April 1621, in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, his father, Giles Egidius Penn, was 48 and his mother, Joanne Margaret Gilbert, was 39. Over twenty drafts, Penn laboured to create his "Framework of Government". Penn's father, Sir William Penn, was stated by Gerard Croese to have paid fines to secure their release. Omissions? The British colony of Pennsylvania was given to William Penn (1644-1718) in 1681 by Charles II of England in repayment of a debt owed his father, Sir Admiral William Penn (1621-1670). The Duke of York and Robert Spencer, his old friend, who is now the Earl of Sunderland, supports him. [43][44] Following Oliver Cromwell's death, however, the Crown was re-established and the King responded with harassment and persecution of all religions and sects other than Anglicanism. Thomas weakened or eliminated the elected assembly's power, and ran the colony instead through his appointed governors. After gaining his freedom, he finally married Gulielma Springett in April 1672, after a four-year engagement filled with frequent separations. Children from poor families had to have a wealthy sponsor to get an education. "[88] To that end, Penn's land purchase from the Lenape included the latter party's retained right to traverse the sold lands for purposes of hunting, fishing, and gathering. Fox risked his life, wandering from town to town, and he attracted followers who likewise believed that the "God who made the world did not dwell in temples made with hands. This resulted in a "curse" which lasted from that year on until 2008 when a small statue of William Penn was put on top of the newly built Comcast Center. On Cromwell's death he offered the fleet to King Charles II, and built a close relationship with the King. "[30] The Admiral returned triumphantly but London was in the grip of the plague of 1665. The Penns lived comfortably at Pennsbury Manor and had all intentions of living out their lives there. He fought in the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652–54) as vice admiral and then as general of the fleet. After Admiral Penn’s naval defeat in the West Indies in 1655, the family moved back to London and then to Ireland. [102] And our William Penn named his son William Penn… Admiral Sir William Penn (1621-70) At some point Admiral Penn loaned the King-in-exile £16,000 1654: Offered his services and his fleet to the exiled King Charles II Then in the same year…. A child was given to musing, occasionally feeling the divine presence."[18]. He also wrote a comprehensive, detailed explanation of Quakerism along with a testimony to the character of George Fox, in his introduction to the autobiographical Journal of George Fox. This page was last edited on 15 February 2021, at 20:55. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. He chose to use the names of trees for the cross streets[1] because Pennsylvania means "Penn's Woods". "[97] Penn hoped that an amendable constitution would accommodate dissent and new ideas and also allow meaningful societal change without resorting to violent uprisings or revolution. PENN, Sir WILLIAM (1621–1670), admiral and general at sea, baptised in the church of St. Thomas in Bristol on 23 April 1621, was the second son of Giles Penn, a merchant and sea-captain trading to the Mediterranean, a younger son of a family settled for many generations at … Pennsylvania has remained the heartland for various branches of Anabaptists: Old Order Mennonites, Ephrata Cloister, Brethren, and Amish. Sprung from jail because of his family's rank rather than his argument, Penn was immediately recalled to London by his father. He was an early advocate of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Native Americans. After Owen was censured again after being fired, students were threatened with punishment for associating with him. "[15], A year later, Cromwell was dead, the royalists resurging, and the Penn family returned to England. In 1684 Penn returned to England to see his family and to try to resolve a territorial dispute with Lord Baltimore. [125], Penn first married Gulielma Maria Posthuma Springett (1644–1694), daughter of William S. Springett (the Posthuma in her name indicates that her father had died prior to her birth) and Lady Mary Proude Penington. Under Penn's directive, Pennsylvania was settled by Quakers escaping religious torment in England and other European nations. [37] There was no ritual and no professional clergy, and many Quakers disavowed the concept of original sin. Among Penn's legacies was the unwillingness to force a Quaker majority upon Pennsylvania, allowing his state to develop into a successful "melting pot". [53] Penn said the rumor had been "maliciously insinuated" by detractors who wanted to create a bad reputation to Quakers. Pennsylvania was growing rapidly and now had nearly 18,100 inhabitants and Philadelphia over 3,000. The school itself was cast in an Anglican mode – strict, humorless, and somber – and teachers had to be pillars of virtue and provide sterling examples to their charges. They refused to bow or take off their hats to social superiors, believing all men equal under God, a belief antithetical to an absolute monarchy which believed the monarch divinely appointed by God. of Sussex County, Delaware disputed some of the rights of Penn's grant from the Duke of York. In … [23], In Paris, at the court of young Louis XIV, Penn found French manners far more refined than the coarse manners of his countrymen – but the extravagant display of wealth and privilege did not sit well with him. [103] This led to an eighty-year legal dispute between the two families. His mother in law was Anne George ( Christopher's sister).He was grandfather of Admiral Sir William Penn. [36] The Quakers were especially targeted and their meetings were deemed undesirable. William Penn married Hannah when she was 25 and he was 52. His father not only feared for his own position but that his son seemed bent on a dangerous confrontation with the Crown. Penn's "Frame of Government" and his other ideas were later studied by Benjamin Franklin as well as the pamphleteer of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine, whose father was a Quaker. In 1669,[49] Penn traveled to Ireland to deal with many of his father's estates. He was arrested in 1648 on suspicion of corresponding with Charles I but was soon released. [96] He stated, "Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them. He married Margaret Jasper on 6 January 1643. The reign of King Charles had further tightened restrictions against all religious sects other than the Anglican Church, making the penalty for unauthorized worship imprisonment or deportation. Penn found all these tenets to sit well with his conscience and his heart. God's communication came to each individual directly, and if so moved, the individual shared his revelations, thoughts or opinions with the group. ), An Essay towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe by the Establishment of a European Dyet, Parliament or Estates, Friends Committee on National Legislation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Penn&oldid=1006976347, History of Christianity in the United States, Hall of Fame for Great Americans inductees, People from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Kingdom of England emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Letitia (1678–1746), who married William Awbrey (Aubrey), Margaret Penn (1704/05–1750), married Thomas Freame (1701/02-1746) nephew of. William was the son of Admiral Sir William Penn. He is also known as a famous Quaker. This land included the present-day states of Pennsylvania and Delaware. William Penn (1666) from Wikimedia Commons. He was the first of three children of Admiral William Penn and Margaret Jasper. [5], William Penn was born in 1644 at Tower Hill, London, the son of English Admiral Sir William Penn, and Margaret Jasper, from the Netherlands and the widow of a Dutch captain and the daughter of a rich merchant from Rotterdam. His own finances were in turmoil. Sir Admiral William … Frequently, however, a general is a staff officer who does not command troops but who plans their operations in the…. [17] Also at this time, Penn was developing his individuality and philosophy of life. [25] The undogmatic Christian humanist talked of a tolerant, adapting view of religion which appealed to Penn, who later stated, "I never had any other religion in my life than what I felt. [76] That same year, two hundred settlers from the towns of Chorleywood and Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire and other towns in nearby Buckinghamshire arrived, and founded the town of Burlington. He wrote that the scourge "gave me a deep sense of the vanity of this World, of the Irreligiousness of the Religions in it. Retiring to his estate in Munster in Ireland, he engaged in secret communication with the Royalists. [129], On 28 November 1984 Ronald Reagan, by Presidential Proclamation 5284 (authorized by an Act of Congress), declared William Penn and his second wife, Hannah Callowhill Penn, each to be an Honorary Citizen of the United States.[130]. Fast and free shipping free returns cash on delivery available on eligible purchase. A key source for the adult life of Penn is the Diary of his next door neighbour Samuel Pepys. Charles II owes the Penns 16000 pounds for money loaned him by the admiral, William Penn Sr., and Penn Jr. writes to the King asking for land in America as payment. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Penn-British-admiral. [9] The country life made a lasting impression on young Penn, and kindled in him a love of horticulture. A group of Quakers arranged for Ford to receive payment for back rents and Penn was released. In 1665 the plague broke out. But King James, a Catholic with a largely Protestant parliament, proved a poor ruler, stubborn and inflexible. As with the plague, the Penn family was spared. Penn was commuting to Philadelphia on a six-man barge, which he admitted he prized above "all dead things". [78][79], With the New Jersey foothold in place, Penn pressed his case to extend the Quaker region. "NKJV American Patriot's Bible." A second stroke several months later left him unable to speak or take care of himself. This work was remarkable for its historical analysis and citation of 68 authors whose quotations and commentary he had committed to memory and was able to summon without any reference material at hand. As the most prominent, prosperous and influential settlement in the new colony, New Castle, the original Swedish colony town became the capital. ; He noted that work had begun on all but three portraits, those of the Sir William Penn, had yet to be started. Penn was the author of a code of naval tactics that was the basis of the “Duke of York’s Sailing and Fighting Instructions,” long the orthodox tactical guide of the navy. The Friends' School, Hobart has named one of their seven six-year classes after him. Genealogy profile for Edward Penn, the Planter Edward Penn (c.1683 - 1741) - Genealogy Genealogy for Edward Penn (c.1683 - 1741) family tree on Geni, with over 200 … From then on, Penn's religious views effectively exiled him from English society; he was sent down (expelled) from Christ Church, a college at Oxford University, for being a Quaker, and was arrested several times. William Penn. [85] Penn drafted a charter of liberties for the settlement creating a political utopia guaranteeing free and fair trial by jury, freedom of religion, freedom from unjust imprisonment and free elections. William Penn, the son of Sir William Penn (1621-70), was born in 1644. Morgan, Edmund S. "The World and William Penn,". [22] Penn's mother made peace in the family, which allowed her son to return home but she quickly concluded that both her social standing and her husband's career were being threatened by their son's behavior. He had young Penn enroll in law school but soon his studies were interrupted. Whether from personal sympathy or political expediency, to Penn's surprise, the King granted an extraordinarily generous charter which made Penn the world's largest private (non-royal) landowner, with over 45,000 square miles (120,000 km2). Other Pennsylvania Quakers were more outspoken and proactive, being among the earliest fighters against slavery in America, led by Daniel Pastorius, founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Between 1671 and 1677 William Penn made trips to Germany on behalf of the Quaker faith, resulting in a German Settlement in Pennsylvania that was symbolic in two ways: it was a specifically German-speaking congregation, and it comprised religious dissenters. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). After secretly offering in 1654 to deliver the fleet to the exiled Charles II, he commanded the expedition sent by Oliver Cromwell to the West Indies, which captured Jamaica (May 1655) but failed to take Hispaniola. [40] Though enraged, the Admiral tried his best to reason with his son but to no avail. Penn's first of many pamphlets, Truth Exalted: To Princes, Priests, and People (1668), was a criticism of all religious groups, except Quakers, which he perceived as the only true Christian group living at that time in England. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 5 daughters. [118], William Penn died penniless in 1718, at his home in Ruscombe, near Twyford in Berkshire, and is buried in a grave next to his first wife in the cemetery of the Jordans Quaker meeting house near Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire. [52] Placed in solitary confinement in an unheated cell and threatened with a life sentence, Penn was being accused of denying the Trinity, though this was a misinterpretation Penn himself refuted in the essay Innocency with her open face, presented by way of Apology for the book entitled The Sandy Foundation Shaken, where he himself proceeded to prove the Godhead of Christ. In an act which not only secured his son's protection but also set the conditions for the founding of Pennsylvania, the Admiral wrote to the Duke of York, the heir to the throne. After agreeing to let Ford keep all his Irish rents in exchange for keeping quiet about Ford's legal title to Pennsylvania, Penn felt his situation sufficiently improved to return to Pennsylvania with the intention of staying. Dunn, Richard S. and Mary Maples Dunn, eds. The streets are named with numbers and tree names. [14] Though later opposing Anglicanism on religious grounds, Penn absorbed many Puritan behaviors, and was known later for his serious demeanor, strict behavior and lack of humor. Voltaire praised Pennsylvania as the only government in the world that responds to the people and is respectful of minority rights. [112] Despite the protests of fundamentalists and farmers, Penn's insistence that Quaker grammar schools be open to all citizens was producing a relatively educated workforce. Many of Penn's legal and political innovations took root, however, as did the Quaker school in Philadelphia for which Penn issued two charters (1689 and 1701). Penn was born in St. Thomas Parish, Bristol to Giles Penn and Joan Gilbert.On 6 June 1643 he married Margaret Jasper, a daughter of a wealthy Dutch merchant from Rotterdam. [74], Seeing conditions deteriorating, Penn decided to appeal directly to the King and the Duke. Under his direction, the city of Philadelphia was planned and developed. [115] Another change was found in Penn's writings, which had mostly lost their boldness and vision. [39] His father's hopes that Penn's charisma and intelligence would win him favor at the court were crushed. The Quakers obeyed their "inner light", which they believed to come directly from God, refused to bow or take off their hats to any man, and refused to take up arms. [110], Penn received a hearty welcome upon his arrival and found his province much changed in the intervening 18 years. [107] Penn offered some assistance to James II's campaign to regulate the parliamentary constituencies by sending a letter to a friend in Huntingdon asking him to identify men who could be trusted to support the king's campaign for liberty of conscience.[108]. Because of his father's high position and social status, young Penn was firmly a Cavalier but his sympathies lay with the persecuted Quakers. The student body was a volatile mix of swashbuckling Cavaliers (aristocratic Anglicans), sober Puritans, and nonconforming Quakers. When new threats by France again put Penn's charter in jeopardy, Penn decided to return to England with his family, in 1701. After he sent letters to several landowners in Maryland advising the recipients that they were probably in Pennsylvania and not to pay any more taxes to Lord Baltimore, trouble arose between the two proprietors. We must remember that Penn was also a member of the landed gentry, and that despite his true interest in (relative) democracy and religious toleration, he was ‘proprietor’ of his Pennsylvania manor. However, William's son and successor, Thomas Penn, and his brother John, renounced their father's faith, and fought to restrict religious freedom (particularly for Catholics and later Quakers as well). possibly by George Perfect Harding pen and ink and wash, 1802-1853 NPG D6545 At age 62, Penn landed in debtors' prison; however, a rush of sympathy reduced Penn's punishment to house arrest, and Bridget Ford was finally denied her claim to Pennsylvania. Naval officer who survived the disgrace of the failed Western Design expedition and his Cromwellian associations to become a key figure in the Restoration navy. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 1358. [4] He was imprisoned several times in the Tower of London due to his faith, and his book No Cross, No Crown (1669), which he wrote while in prison, has become a Christian classic of theological literature. He acquired the foundations of a classical education at the Chigwell grammar school in the Essex countryside, where he came under Puritan influences. Sir William Penn (23 April 1621 – 16 September 1670) was an English admiral and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1670. [19] Penn learned the valuable skills of forming ideas into theory, discussing theory through reasoned debate, and testing the theories in the real world. [128], Penn's family retained ownership of the colony of Pennsylvania until the American Revolution. Penn proposed a solution which would solve the dilemma—a mass emigration of English Quakers. William Penn was born in London, England, on October 14, 1644. Penn was sent down from Oxford University for refusing to conform to the restored Anglican Church.. Admiral Penn sent his son France, hoping that he would lose his Puritan beliefs. He had sunk over £30,000 in America and received little back except for some bartered goods. With his father dying, Penn wanted to see him one more time and patch up their differences. [122], In 1712 Berkeley Codd, Esq. With his father laid low by gout, young Penn was sent to Ireland in 1666 to manage the family landholdings. [55][56][57] Penn expressly confessed he believed in the Holy Three as well as in the divinity of Christ. A bronze statue of William Penn by Alexander Milne Calder stands atop Philadelphia's City Hall. Mann, Emily. So at age 18, young Penn was sent to Paris to get him out of view, improve his manners, and expose him to another culture. Premium and luxury pens in India – Buy luxury pens, men’s accessories, premium stationery and personalized products from William Penn. [121] In desperation, Penn tried to sell Pennsylvania to the Crown before Bridget Ford got wind of his plan, but by insisting that the Crown uphold the civil liberties that had been achieved, he could not strike a deal. This agreement existed for almost 100 years until the city decided to allow skyscrapers taller to be built.