Person    | Male  Born 14/10/1644  Died 30/7/1718

William Penn

Categories: Benefactor, Philosophy, Religion

Countries: Ireland, USA

Quaker leader and founder of Pennsylvania. Born in the Liberty of the Tower. After studying law, he spent several years in Ireland managing his father's estates. During this time he converted to Quakerism. In 1681 he obtained a grant of territory in North America and in 1682 sailed to establish the colony that was to become Pennsylvania. Returning from a period back in England, he found that his constitution had proved to be unworkable and needed to be much altered. Died at Ruscombe, Berkshire.

It was Charles II that named the land in North America 'Pennsylvania', in honour of Penn's father, Admiral Sir William Penn (1621-70).  Penn Jnr., a modest Quaker, was uncomfortable, fearing that people would think it was named for him, as indeed people generally do.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Penn

Commemorated ati

Pepys - Stew Lane

This page of Pepys' Diary is given at The Diary of Samuel Pepys with lots of ...

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Tower Liberty

We normally rotate our memorial pictures as necessary to make sure the statue...

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William Penn

William Penn, quaker, born on Tower Hill, baptised in + All Hallows Church, 2...

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
William Penn

Creations i

Stoke Newington - civilian war memorial

The 113 names are grouped by the location/date of the bomb: 88 people ("also ...

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Other Subjects

Captain Richard Maples

Captain Richard Maples

Benefactor of Trinity House Almshouses. From John Stype's A Survey... : "Anno 1680, Captain Richard Maples, who died Commander of a Ship in the East-Indies, left to the Poor of this Corporation th...

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial
Marian Mangini Brown

Marian Mangini Brown

Lived in Hertford Street near (Old) Park Lane in the 1870s. Married but possibly a widow. Did not approve of the opening up of Hamilton Place but still gave money for the Poets' Fountain to be erec...

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial
Cornelius John Park

Cornelius John Park

Son of John Cornelius, whose bequest together with his son's land enabled the Park's Almshouses to be established.

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial
The Honble. Mrs Rashleigh

The Honble. Mrs Rashleigh

We were very pleased to find this miniature portrait of Mrs Rashleigh, even though the auction house selling it is rather circumspect with the identification of the sitter: "The present lot possibl...

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial