William Penn

Philip Gould (Brown University)
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William Penn was born in London in 1644, the son of Margaret Jasper Vanderschuren (1610?-1682) and Admiral Sir William Penn (1621-1670) a wealthy sea captain and landowner, who was politically connected to Parliament during the English Civil Wars, and to the Stuart Monarchy thereafter. As a member of the landed gentry class, the young Penn enjoyed both material luxury and social privilege, spending some early years on his father's estates in Ireland before attending Christ Church College, Oxford. Much to his father's dismay, however, Penn rebelled against Anglican authorities there, particularly challenging the practice of wearing gowns, and was soon expelled. In 1662, he left for a tour of Europe, and attended for some time a Protestant academy in Saumur, France, where he studied under…

1997 words

Citation: Gould, Philip. "William Penn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 June 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4986, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4986 William Penn 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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