Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/284

 PENN

PENN

England £4000. He died in Bucks county, Pa. and his remains were subsequently transferred irom under Christ church. Pliihidelphia, to the home of the Penns in England. The date of his deatli is Feb. 9, 1795.

PENN, John, signer, was born in Caroline county, Va., May 17, 1741; son of Mosesand Catli- arine (Taylor) Penn. His early education was limited, owing to the neglect of his father, and when his father died in 1759 he began the study of law with his covisin Edmund Pendleton, and in 1762 was admitted to the bar. He was married in 1763 to Susan Lyme. In 1774 he removed to Granville county. N.C.. and established himself in practice. He was a delegate to the Continen- tal congress in 1775, succeeding Richard Caswell, who resigned to assume the governorship of North Carolina, and signed the Declaration of Indepen- dence in August. 1776. He was again a delegate to the Continental congress, 1777-80, and by re- quest of the North Carolina legislature, took charge of the affairs of the state during its occu- pation by the British army. He was appointed receiver of taxes for North Carolina by Robert Morris in 1784, but resigned after one month's service, owing to the indifference of the people to support the cause of the colonies by their pro- portion of the tax levied. He died in Granville county, N. C, in September, 1788.

PENN, William, founder of Pennsylvania, was burn on Tower Hill, London, England, Oct. 16, 1644; son of William (1621-1670) and Mar- garet (Jasper) Penn. His father was a lieuten- ant, captain, rear-admiral, vice-admiral and ad- miral in the English — -^ navj'; served in the

first Dutcli wars as general, 1653-55; was captain commander of the royal fleet in the fight against the Dutch fleet in 1664, and was knighted 111 1697. William at- tended school at Chig- well and a private school in London. He matriculated as a gentleman commoner at Christ church, Ox- ford university, and while there was foremost in opposing the in- troduction of a more elaborate ceremonial ser- vice into the church, became a follower of George Fox, and when a rule compelling all the students to wear college gowns was en- forced, led a rebellious band, who tore the vestments from the backs of their wearers. For this act he was expelled from the college. His

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non-conformist views greatly displeased his father, who brought him to London and intro- duced him into the gayest society, hoping to change his notions. He joined the Society of Friends in 1667, which so enraged his father that he disowned him. He began to preach and write in behalf of the Friends, and in 1068 published a pamphlet entitled Hie Sandy Foundation Shaken, for which he was arrested and committed to the Tower, His imprisonment lasted nine months, during which time he wrote No Cross, No Crotni. Upon his release he left London and resumed control of his estates in Cork, where he preached at the Friends meetings and wrote religious pamphlets. In 1670 he returned to London, was again arrested, in company with William 3Iead, and was tried but not convicted. Upon the death of his father in 1692, he inherited a large estate, and in 1694 was married to Gulielma Maria (Proude) Springet. His wife died in 1G94 and the same year, upon the withdrawal of the declaration of indulgence and the imprisonment of Get)rge Fox, Penn went to court in behalf of Fox, whose re- lease he obtained from the Duke of York. About this time he engaged in a controversy with Richard Baxter. In 1677 he made a missionary voyage to Holland and Germany in company with Fox, Barclay and other prominent Quakers. He entered politics in the endeavor to make them contribute to the advancement of religion; spoke for Algernon Sidney, who was a candidate for parliament, and in 1680 entered upon the great project which he had formed in his student days, the planting of a colony in America. With the downfall of the Dutch rule in New York, the Duke of York had become owner of New Jersey. This he divided into West and East Jersey, sell- ing the latter to Lord Berkeley and the former to Sir George Carteret, who in turn disposed of it to Edward Byllinge, a Quaker. West Jersey later became the property of Penn, as receiver of the creditors of Byllinge. In 1679 East Jersey was for sale and Penn, with eleven others, bought it at auction. Twelve more Quarkers were added to this number and they appointed Robert Bar- clay governor of New Jersey. Penn found in 1680 that the king was in his father's debt to the amount of 16,000 pounds, for unpaid salary and loans, and he agreed to change the debt for land in America. The territory thus obtained was " bounded on the east by the Delaware River from twelve miles northward of New Castle to the 40th degree of northern latitude, and on the south by a circle drawn twelve miles distance from New Castle unto the beginning of the 40th degree of northern latitude, and then by a straight line westward to the limits of longitude above mentioned." The charter was signed, March 4, 1681, and on Aug. 21, 1682, tiie Duke of York