Hannah Callowhill Penn
Encyclopedia
As reported by Lauren Lizerbram, Hannah Callowhill Penn, (11 February 1671 – 20 December 1726) was the second wife of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
founder William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
; she effectively administered the Province of Pennsylvania for six years after her husband suffered a series of strokes and then for another eight years after her husband's death. She served as acting proprietor from 1712 until her death in 1726.
Miss Callowhill was born in Bristol, England, the daughter of Thomas Callowhill, a merchant there. A Quaker, she married William Penn March 5, 1696 when she was 24 and he was 52. She was pregnant with their first of eight children when the couple embarked from England for their three-month voyage to America in 1699. She lived in great style, both in Philadelphia and in Pennsbury Manor
Pennsbury Manor
Pennsbury Manor, an estate in Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was the American home of William Penn, founder and first Governor of Pennsylvania. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 28, 1969.-History:...
, a beautiful estate located in Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. When William Penn died at age 73 on July 30, 1718 his will gave full control of the colony and his fortune to Hannah Penn. William Penn's oldest son by his first marriage, William Penn, Jr.
William Penn, Jr.
William Penn, Jr. was the eldest surviving son of William Penn, proprietor and founder of the colony of Pennsylvania.He was born on 14 March 1681, the sixth child of Penn and his first wife, Gulielma Maria Springett, in County Cork, Ireland....
, sought to set aside his father's will to obtain control of the colony. His suit was unsuccessful and Hannah Penn remained in charge until she died from a stroke at age 55. Her deputy in Pennsylvania from 1718 till 1727 was Sir William Keith.
Children
- John Penn ("the American")John Penn ("the American")John Penn was a proprietor of colonial Pennsylvania. He was the eldest son of the colony's founder, William Penn, by his second wife, Hannah Callowhill Penn...
(1699-1746), never married. - Thomas PennThomas PennThomas Penn was a son of William Penn, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony that became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Thomas Penn was born in Bristol, England after his father returned there in 1701 because of financial difficulties...
(1702-1775), married Lady Juliana Fermore, fourth daughter of Thomas, first Earl of PomfretEarl of PomfretEarl of Pomfret , in the County of York, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1721 for Thomas Fermor, 2nd Baron Leominster. The Fermor family descended from Richard Fermor who acquired great wealth as a merchant. However, he fell out with Henry VIII after remaining an...
. - Margaret Penn (b. 1704)
- Richard Penn, Sr.Richard Penn, Sr.Richard Penn was a proprietary and titular governor of the province of Pennsylvania and the counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex on the Delaware River....
(1706-1771) - Dennis Penn (b. 1707, d. before 1727)
- Hannah Margarita Penn (b. 1708)
Legacy
She is one of the few individuals and the first woman who has been given the status of Honorary Citizen of the United StatesHonorary Citizen of the United States
A person of exceptional merit, generally a non-United States citizen, may be declared an Honorary Citizen of the United States by an Act of Congress, or by a proclamation issued by the President of the United States, pursuant to authorization granted by Congress.Seven people have been so honored,...
, given to her by Presidential Proclamation upon an Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
(PL. 98-516) by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
on November 28, 1984.
Callowhill Street in Philadelphia was named for Mrs. Penn personally by her husband when he was laying out the city. A middle school in York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
has also been named in her honor.
A street in Perkasie, PA is also named after Mrs. Penn
