Philadelphia Reflections

The musings of a physician who has served the community for over six decades

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A Brief WILLIAM PENN CHRONOLOGY, 1644-1718

Born October 14,1644, in Tower Hill, London, England. Father Sir William Penn, Admiral who conquered Jamaica for King Charles II. Mother, Margret Jasper Vanderschuren, daughter of a Dutch merchant.

Education: Protestant Academy, Chigwell School, Oxford, Christ Church

Published a plan for "United States of Europe, EuropeanDyet, Parliment or Estates"

1666Joined Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)c.age 22 Outstanding swordsman. but frequent companion of George Fox.

1680 c. May. Petitions Charles II for a colony in America. June. Crown officials begin their consideration of WP's petition.

1681 January-February. Crown officials revise WP's draft of the charter for Pennsylvania.

4 March. Receives his charter for Pennsylvania.

14 March. Son William Penn, Jr. (1681-1720) is born.

April. Appoints William Markham as deputy-governor of Pennsylvania.

Writes Some Account of Pennsylvania, his first advertising pamphlet.

Spring-summer. Begins work on his constitution for Pennsylvania.

June. Begins lobbying to secure the lower counties (Delaware) from the Duke of York.

July. Announces his plan of land distribution in Pennsylvania.

July-August. Publishes a Map of Pennsylvania.

Takes his first land selling trip to Bristol.

August. His deputy governor arrives in Pennsylvania.

16 September. Writes to planters in Maryland, claiming the northern quarter of that colony.

September-October. Sees his first settlers and land commissioners off to Pennsylvania.

October. Writes a letter of friendship to the chiefs of the Delaware Indians.

1682 January-April. WP and Thomas Rudyard complete the first constitution and laws for Pennsylvania.

February-March. The Free Society of Traders founded.

c. 1 March. His mother, Lady Margaret Penn, dies.

25 April-5 May. Publishes his Frame of Government and Laws Agreed upon in England.

15 July. His agents conclude their first deed with the Delaware Indians.

24 August. Receives the deeds to the lower counties (Delaware) from the Duke of York.

30 August. Sails for America on the Welcome.

28 October. Lands at New Castle, Delaware.

October-November. Visits Chester, Pennsylvania, and the site of Philadelphia.

November. Visits New York and East New Jersey.

December. His first Assembly convenes at Chester.

Meets with Lord Baltimore concerning the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute.

Twenty-three ships arrive in 1681 -1682; the colony grows rapidly.

1683 January. Quakers begin meeting in Philadelphia; the Philadelphia County Court is established.

March. Visits East New Jersey and sits on its Council. Begins distributing large numbers of Philadelphia lots. His second Assembly approves a revised Frame of Government. 29 May. Meets with Lord Baltimore at New Castle. Spring-summer. Acquires his country manor Pennsbury, in Bucks County.

August. Writes Letter to the Free Society of Traders.

August-September. Tries to buy Susquehanna Valley lands from the Iroquois, but is blocked by New York's Governor Thomas Dongan.

September-November. Many ships arrive; both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania continue to expand.

October. Germantown surveyed.

November. Attempts to collect his quitrents.

1684 March. The Welsh Tract surveyed.

April-May. Decides to return to England to defend his boundary against Lord Baltimore.

May. Lord Baltimore leaves for England.

The Assembly passes an excise tax, which WP suspends.

July. Philadelphia's waterfront residents protest WP's city land distribution policy.

August. Prepares to leave for England; appoints Thomas Lloyd president of the Provincial Council.

18 August. Sails for England from Lewes, Delaware.

5 October. Lands at Worthing, Sussex.

October. Writes to Thomas Lloyd to get copies of documents needed for his defense against Lord Baltimore.

Meets with Charles II and the Duke of York.

December. The Lords of Trade postpone the hearing of the Penn-Baltimore controversy.

Died July 30, 1718, Ruscombe, UK.

Originally published: Wednesday, January 27, 2010; most-recently modified: Monday, August 26, 2019

Ever heard of Thomas Janney? I have a book which states that Will Penn and my ancestor Thomas sailed from Wales. Both Quakers. Janney settled in Bucks Cty. Later relatives moved to Loudoun County VA. 1745 settled Lincoln, once known as Goose Creek.
Posted by: Hannah Janney   |   Dec 31, 2010 8:07 PM