Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 44.djvu/316

  View of General Chronology, with a perpetual Solar and Lunar Calendar, by the Author of “The Christian's Survey,”’ London, 1812; 2nd edit. 1814.  ‘The Epistle to Celantia, translated from the Latin,’ 1813. This was republished with  ‘Institutes of Christian Perfection of Macarius the Egyptian, called the Great; translated from the Greek,’ London, 1816; 2nd edit. 1828.  ‘Moral Odes from Horace,’ London, 1816.  ‘An Examination of the Primary Argument of the Iliad,’ London, 1821.  ‘Conversations on Geology, comprising a familiar Explanation of the Huttonian and Wernerian Systems,’ &c., London, 1828; reprinted 1840.



PENN, JAMES (1727–1800), divine, son of John Penn, citizen and stationer, of St. Bride's parish, London, was baptised there on 9 June 1727. He was admitted a scholar of Christ's Hospital from the parish of St. Dunstan's in the West in April 1736, and obtained in 1745 an exhibition at Balliol College, Oxford, where he matriculated on 4 July of that year. He proceeded B.A. in 1749, M.A. in 1752. He was elected under grammar master of Christ's Hospital in 1753, and while there compiled a Latin grammar which was for many years in use in the school. In 1756 he was curate of St. Andrew Undershaft, Leadenhall Street, and the next year was curate of the united parishes of St. Ann, St. Agnes, and St. John Zachary.

Penn was a candidate for the upper grammar or head mastership of Christ's Hospital in 1760, but lost the election by one vote. He was appointed by the governors of the hospital to the vicarage of Clavering-cum-Langley, Essex. Penn continued teaching in the school until 1767. From about 1769 until 1779 he was domestic chaplain to Granville, earl Gower. From March 1781 until his death on 15 Aug. 1800 he resided at Clavering-cum-Langley. He was buried in London.

Penn's writings were chiefly miscellaneous tracts and sermons, but some of them show considerable humour and satirical power. They include four volumes of collected tracts, London, 1756; 1757, containing ‘The Fair Sex vindicated from Folly and Extravagance’ (republished singly, London, 1769); 1762 and 1777. ‘By way of Prevention; a Sleepy Sermon, calculated for the Dog-days, with an Address to the Clergy and another to the Laity of the City of London,’ London, 1767, is one of Penn's most characteristic productions. Other works are:
 * 1) ‘The Farmer's Daughter of Essex,’ London, 1767, 12mo. republished as ‘The Life of Miss Davis, the Farmer's Daughter of Essex.'
 * 2) ‘The Reasonableness of Repentance, with a Dedication [commencing ‘Tremendous Sir’] to the Devil, and an Address to the Candidates for Hell,’ London, 1768.
 * 3) ‘Seven Sermons,’ London, 1769, 8vo.
 * 4) ‘The Surrey Cottage,’ London, 1779, 12mo.



PENN, JOHN (1729–1795), colonist, born in London on 14 July 1729, eldest son of Richard Penn (d. 1771), and grandson of (1644–1718) [q. v.], was appointed by the proprietaries, his father and his uncle, [q. v.], to be lieutenant-governor of the colony of Pennsylvania in November 1763; he retained this post until 16 Oct. 1771, and resumed it 1773–6. The chief event of his administration was the treaty with the Indians at Fort Stanwix in 1768. During the revolutionary contest he attempted to steer a middle course, with the result that in 1775 his council was supplanted by a committee of safety. In 1778 the royal charter was annulled, and the Penns were allowed 130,000l. for their unsettled lands in the state. This sum was supplemented in 1786 by an annuity on behalf of the residue of their estates; and of these amounts, besides the annuity of 4,000l. granted to the family by the British government, and only recently commuted, John Penn enjoyed a fourth part. He died at Philadelphia on 10 Feb. 1795, and was buried in Christ Church in that city, but his remains were afterwards removed to England. With him ended all administrative connection between Pennsylvania and the family of its great founder. Penn built Lansdowne House, on the Schuylkill river. The place was subsequently converted into the Fairmount public park, which formed part of the exhibition grounds of 1876. He married, on 31 May 1766, Ann, daughter of Chief-justice William Allen of Philadelphia, but had no issue. Portraits of Governor John Penn, his wife, and members of her family were included in a picture by [q. v.] which was in the possession of John Penn Allen, nephew of the governor, in 1867.

[Fuller information about John Penn is to be found in Gordon's, Proud's, and other histories}}