Biography of William Penn 1644-1718
Paternal Family Tree: Penn
On 06 Jun 1643 [his father] Admiral William Penn (age 22) and [his mother] Margaret Jasper (age 19) were married.
On 14 Oct 1644 William Penn was born to Admiral William Penn (age 23) and Margaret Jasper (age 20).
Pepy's Diary. 01 Nov 1661. I went this morning with [his father] Sir W. Pen (age 40) by coach to Westminster, and having done my business at Mr. Montagu's, I went back to him at Whitehall, and from thence with him to the 3 Tun Tavern, at Charing Cross, and there sent for up the maister of the house's dinner, and dined very well upon it, and afterwards had him and his fayre sister (who is very great with Sir W. Batten (age 60) and Sir W. Pen (age 40) in mirth) up to us, and looked over some medals that they shewed us of theirs; and so went away to the Theatre [Map], to "The Joviall Crew", and from hence home, and at my house we were very merry till late, having sent for his son, Mr. William Pen (age 17)1, lately come from Oxford. And after supper parted, and to bed.
Note 1. The celebrated Quaker, and founder of Pennsylvania.
Pepy's Diary. 28 Apr 1662. The Doctor and I begun philosophy discourse exceeding pleasant. He offers to bring me into the college of virtuosoes [The Royal Society.] and my Lord Brouncker's acquaintance, and to show me some anatomy, which makes me very glad; and I shall endeavour it when I come to London. [his father] Sir W. Pen (age 41) much troubled upon letters came last night. Showed me one of Dr. Owen's1 to his son, [William Penn (age 17), the celebrated Quaker.] whereby it appears his son is much perverted in his opinion by him; which I now perceive is one thing that hath put Sir William so long off the hooks. By coach to the Pay-house, and so to work again, and then to dinner, and to it again, and so in the evening to the yard, and supper and bed.
Note 1. John Owen, D.D., a learned Nonconformist divine, and a voluminous theological writer, born 1616, made Dean of Christ Church in 1653 by the Parliament, and ejected in 1659-60. He died at Ealing in 1683.
Pepy's Diary. 26 Aug 1664. There I left them, and I by water home, where at my office busy late, then home to supper, and so to bed. This day my wife tells me Mr. Pen (age 19)1, Sir William's son, is come back from France, and come to visit her. A most modish person, grown, she says, a fine gentleman.
Note 1. William Penn (age 19), afterwards the famous Quaker. P. Gibson, writing to him in March, 1711-12, says: "I remember your honour very well, when you newly came out of France and wore pantaloon breeches".
Pepy's Diary. 30 Aug 1664. Up and to the office, where sat long, and at noon to dinner at home; after dinner comes Mr. Pen (age 19) to visit me, and staid an houre talking with me. I perceive something of learning he hath got, but a great deale, if not too much, of the vanity of the French garbe and affected manner of speech and gait. I fear all real profit he hath made of his travel will signify little. So, he gone, I to my office and there very busy till late at night, and so home to supper and to bed.
Pepy's Diary. 05 Sep 1664. Coming home it is strange to see how I was troubled to find my wife, but in a necessary compliment, expecting Mr. Pen (age 19) to see her, who had been there and was by her people denied, which, he having been three times, she thought not fit he should be any more. But yet even this did raise my jealousy presently and much vex me. However, he did not come, which pleased me, and I to supper, and to the office till 9 o'clock or thereabouts, and so home to bed. My aunt James had been here to-day with Kate Joyce twice to see us. The second time my wife was at home, and they it seems are going down to Brampton, which I am sorry for, for the charge that my father will be put to. But it must be borne with, and my mother has a mind to see them, but I do condemn myself mightily for my pride and contempt of my aunt and kindred that are not so high as myself, that I have not seen her all this while, nor invited her all this while.
Pepy's Diary. 14 Sep 1664. So home and there find Mr. Pen (age 19) come to visit my wife, and staid with them till sent for to Mr. Bland's, whither by appointment I was to go to supper, and against my will left them together, but, God knows, without any reason of fear in my conscience of any evil between them, but such is my natural folly. Being thither come they would needs have my wife, and so Mr. Bland and his wife (the first time she was ever at my house or my wife at hers) very civilly went forth and brought her and W. Pen, and there Mr. Povy (age 50) and we supped nobly and very merry, it being to take leave of Mr. Bland, who is upon going soon to Tangier. So late home and to bed.
Pepy's Diary. 13 Sep 1665. After supper Mr. Pen (age 20) and I fell to discourse about some words in a French song my wife was saying, "D'un air tout interdict1", wherein I laid twenty to one against him which he would not agree with me, though I know myself in the right as to the sense of the word, and almost angry we were, and were an houre and more upon the dispute, till at last broke up not satisfied, and so home in their coach and so to bed. H. Russell did this day deliver my 20s. to my wife's father or mother, but has not yet told us how they do.
Note 1. TT. D'un air tout interdict. Banish all the air between us ie stop talking.
Pepy's Diary. 13 Sep 1665. Thence in the afternoon home, and landing at Greenwich, Kent [Map] I saw Mr. Pen (age 20) walking my way, so we walked together, and for discourse I put him into talk of France, when he took delight to tell me of his observations, some good, some impertinent, and all ill told, but it served for want of better, and so to my house, where I find my wife abroad, and hath been all this day, nobody knows where, which troubled me, it being late and a cold evening. So being invited to his [his mother] mother's (age 41) to supper, we took Mrs. Barbara, who was mighty finely dressed, and in my Lady's coach, which we met going for my wife, we thither, and there after some discourse went to supper.
Pepy's Diary. 21 May 1667. Mrs. Turner (age 44) do tell me that my Lady and [his sister] Pegg (age 16) have themselves owned to her that Sir W. Coventry (age 39) and [his father] Sir W. Pen (age 46) had private marks to write to one another by, that when they in appearance writ a fair letter in behalf of anybody, that they had a little mark to show they meant it only in shew: this, these silly people did confess themselves of him. She says that their son, Mr. William Pen (age 22), did tell her that his father did observe the commanders did make their addresses to me and applications, but they should know that his father should be the chief of the office, and that she hath observed that Sir W. Pen (age 46) never had a kindness to her son, since W. Pen told her son that he had applied himself to me. That his rise hath been by her and her husband's means, and that it is a most inconceivable thing how this man can have the face to use her and her family with the neglect that he do them. That he was in the late war a most devilish plunderer, and that got him his estate, which he hath in Ireland, and nothing else, and that he hath always been a very liberal man in his bribes, that upon his coming into this part of the Controller's business wherein he is, he did send for T. Willson and told him how against his knowledge he was put in, and had so little wit as to say to him, "This will make the pot boyle, will it not, Mr. Willson? will it not make the pot boyle?" and do offer him to come in and do his business for him, and he would reward him. This Mr. Willson did come and tell her presently, he having been their servant, and to this day is very faithful to them. That her husband's not being forward to make him a bill for Rere Admirall's pay and Generall's pay both at the same time after he was first made Generall did first give him occasion of keeping a distance from him, since which they have never been great friends, Pen having by degrees been continually growing higher% and Higher, till now that he do wholly slight them and use them only as servants. Upon the whole, she told me stories enough to confirm me that he is the most false fellow that ever was born of woman, and that so she thinks and knows him to be.
Pepy's Diary. 29 Dec 1667. At night comes Mrs. Turner (age 44) to see us; and there, among other talk, she tells me that Mr. William Pen (age 23), who is lately come over from Ireland, is a Quaker again, or some very melancholy thing; that he cares for no company, nor comes into any which is a pleasant thing, after his being abroad so long, and his [his father] father (age 46) such a hypocritical rogue, and at this time an Atheist. She gone, I to my very great content do find my accounts to come very even and naturally, and so to supper and to bed.
Pepy's Diary. 12 Oct 1668. So to supper, and after supper to read a ridiculous nonsensical book set out by Will. Pen (age 23), for the Quakers; but so full of nothing but nonsense, that I was ashamed to read in it. So they gone, we to bed1. 13th. Up, and to the office, and before the office did speak with my Lord Brouncker (age 48), and there did get his ready assent to T. Hater's having of Mr. Turner's place, and so Sir J. Minnes's (age 69) also: but when we come to sit down at the Board, comes to us Mr. Wren (age 39) this day to town, and tells me that James Southern do petition the Duke of York (age 34) for the Storekeeper's place of Deptford, Kent [Map], which did trouble me much, and also the Board, though, upon discourse, after he was gone, we did resolve to move hard for our Clerks, and that places of preferment may go according to seniority and merit. So, the Board up, I home with my people to dinner, and so to the office again, and there, after doing some business, I with Mr. Turner to the Duke of Albemarle's (age 59) at night; and there did speak to him about his appearing to Mr. Wren (age 39) a friend to Mr. Turner, which he did take kindly from me; and so away thence, well pleased with what we had now done, and so I with him home, stopping at my Lord Brouncker's (age 48), and getting his hand to a letter I wrote to the Duke of York (age 34) for T. Hater, and also at my Lord Middleton's (age 60), to give him an account of what I had done this day, with his man, at Alderman Backewell's (age 50), about the getting of his £1000 paid2 and here he did take occasion to discourse about the business of the Dutch war, which, he says, he was always an enemy to; and did discourse very well of it, I saying little, but pleased to hear him talk; and to see how some men may by age come to know much, and yet by their drinking and other pleasures render themselves not very considerable. I did this day find by discourse with somebody, that this nobleman was the great Major-General Middleton; that was of the Scots army, in the beginning of the late war against the King (age 38). Thence home and to the office to finish my letters, and so home and did get my wife to read to me, and then Deb to comb my head....
Note 1. Penn's (age 23) first work, entitled, "Truth exalted, in a short but sure testimony against all those religions, faiths, and worships, that have been formed and followed, in the darkness of apostacy; and for that glorious light which is now risen, and shines forth, in the life and doctrine of the despised Quakers.... by W. Penn (age 23), whom divine love constrains, in holy contempt, to trample on Egypt's glory, not fearing the King's wrath, having beheld the Majesty of Him who is invisible:" London, 1668. B.
Note 2. It was probably for this payment that the tally was obtained, the loss of which caused Pepys so much anxiety. See November 26th, 1668.
Pepy's Diary. 12 Feb 1669. Thence I homeward, and calling my wife called at my cozen Turner's, and there met our new cozen Pepys (Mrs. Dickenson), and Bab. and Betty come yesterday to town, poor girls, whom we have reason to love, and mighty glad we are to see them; and there staid and talked a little, being also mightily pleased to see Betty Turner (age 16), who is now in town, and her brothers Charles and Will, being come from school to see their father, and there talked a while, and so home, and there Pelling hath got me W. Pen's (age 24) book against the Trinity1. I got my wife to read it to me; and I find it so well writ as, I think, it is too good for him ever to have writ it; and it is a serious sort of book, and not fit for every body to read. So to supper and to bed.
Note 1. Entitled, "The Sandy Foundation Shaken; or those... doctrines of one God subsisting in three distinct and separate persons; the impossibility of God's pardoning sinners without a plenary satisfaction, the justification of impure persons by an imputative righteousness, refuted from the authority of Scripture testimonies and right reason, etc. London, 1668". It caused him to be imprisoned in the Tower. "Aug. 4, 1669. Young Penn who wrote the blasphemous book is delivered to his father to be transported" ("Letter to Sir John Birkenhead, quoted by Bishop Kennett in his MS. Collections, vol. lxxxix., p. 477).
On 16 Sep 1670 [his father] Admiral William Penn (age 49) died.
In 1682 [his mother] Margaret Jasper (age 58) died.
In 1701 Edward Shippen (age 62) was appointed Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by William Penn (age 56).
On 08 Mar 1702 [his son] Thomas Penn was born to William Penn (age 57).
On 30 Jul 1718 William Penn (age 73) died.
GrandFather: Jan Jasper
Mother: Margaret Jasper
