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 …
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Citation: Gould, Philip. "William Penn". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 June 2002 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4986, accessed 21 November 2024.]
