| Authorised form of name | Penn; William (1644 - 1718); Quaker leader and founder of Pennsylvania |
| Dates | 1644 - 1718 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | The liberty of the Tower of London, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | 14 October 1644 |
| Place of death | Ruscombe, Berkshire, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 30 July 1718 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
Near the meeting-house at Jordans, near Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, England, Europe |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Activity | Education:
Harsnet's Free School, Chigwell, Essex; Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1660); sent down for nonconformity (1661); Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1665)
Career:
Travelled in France and Italy (1661-1664) and to Ireland (1665-1667); Convinced of Quaker principles at Cork (1667); imprisoned for his beliefs in Ireland, the Tower of London, and Newgate Prison, London (three times); Proprietor and Founder of Pennsylvania (1680); went to Pennsylvania (1682-1684, 1699-1701); outlawed (1691-1693) but continued to live in London; heavily in debt, he was compelled to mortgage his American property |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 09/11/1681 |
| Proposer | John Houghton |
| Relationships | Parents: Admiral Sir William Penn and Margaret van der Schuren (née Jasper)
Married: 1) Gulielma Maria Springett; 2) Hannah Callowhill
Children: 17 in total
Additional relatives: brother-in-law Anthony Lowther (FRS 1663) |
| PublishedWorks | RCN: R79127 |
| OtherInfo | From a young age, Penn advocated for religious freedom and democracy, and he was also a supporter of a union of the English colonies in North America. He is additionally sometimes considered one of the first people to suggest the creation of what would become the European Union by developing a theory on a 'United States of Europe'. While he was imprisoned, he wrote 'No Cross, No Crown' (1669), which is considered an important Christian work in theological literature. By the end of his life, he was interwoven with many strands of English political life. His family maintained possession of the Pennsylvania colony until the American Revolution. He was never admitted into the Royal Society and was not active in their work. |
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Hunter; Foster; LI; Henning (father's entry); ODNB |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/24621346 |
| Code | NA8399 |
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