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Sir William Penn
Sir William Penn 1621–70, British admiral. In the English civil war he served in Parliament's naval forces, and he joined the pursuit (1651–52) of Prince Rupert in the Mediterranean. He served in the first Dutch War and in 1654 was made commander of the fleet that sailed for the West Indies and captured Jamaica (1655). He was arrested shortly after his return to England and imprisoned briefly before being allowed to retire to his Irish estates. The reason for his disgrace has never been definitely established. It probably had nothing to do with his secret negotiations with the exiled Charles II, who, when restored to the throne, knighted Penn (1660) and made him a commissioner of the navy. In the second Dutch War Penn was second in command to the duke of York (later James II) in the action of the fleet in 1665 and retired to shore duty when the duke was relieved of command. Penn's son was William Penn , founder of Pennsylvania.
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"Sir William Penn." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Sir William Penn." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Penn-Sir.html "Sir William Penn." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Penn-Sir.html |
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Penn, William
Penn, William (1644–1718). Penn, son of Admiral Sir William Penn, educated at Oxford and Lincoln's Inn, exhibited an early religious sensibility, rejecting a conventional career to join the quakers. Their leading legal spokesman, international propagandist, and public witness, his advocacy of liberty of conscience and religious toleration found some support from Charles II and James, duke of York, and Penn's wealth aided his efforts. Penn gained an extensive American proprietary in 1681, drafting a constitution for Pennsylvania embodying his very liberal political ideas. The colony lost rather than (as he hoped) gained him a fortune; he faced growing opposition there and in England.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Penn, William." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Penn, William." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-PennWilliam.html JOHN CANNON. "Penn, William." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-PennWilliam.html |
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Penn, William
Penn, William (1644–1718), Quaker and founder of the colony of Pennsylvania. His father, Admiral Sir William Penn (1621–70), originally granted part of the Clancarty estate in Co. Cork by the Cromwellian regime, supported the Restoration and was compensated by an alternative grant in the same county. William Penn joined the Society of Friends while living on his father's Irish estate, and later found places for Irish Friends in the development of Pennsylvania.
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"Penn, William." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Penn, William." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-PennWilliam.html "Penn, William." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-PennWilliam.html |
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