Penn family papers
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Contact information: phone number
001 (215) 732-6200
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
chutto@hsp.org (Director of Archives)
ssmith@hsp.org (Director of Research Services)
ssmith@hsp.org (Director of Research Services)
Reference number
0485A
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
Penn family papers
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
Penn family
Date(s)
1592/1960
Date note
bulk: 1629/1834
Language(s)
eng
Extent
17 linear metres (51 boxes and 222 volumes)
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Penn family papers comprise personal and governmental records of William Penn, the proprietor of Pennsylvania, and his family. This collection includes mainly correspondence, legal records, governmental records, surveys, deeds, grants, receipts, and account books. It is an invaluable resource for studying the founding and development of the Pennsylvania colony, early American colonial history and the Penn family.
It is part of this collection a warrant from the Commonwealth signed by Thomas Penn, authorising the first burial ground in Philadelphia, located at Ninth and Spruce Streets (volume NV-007, p. 39). This burial ground later became the cemetery of Congregation Mikveh Israel. The document dates from September 25, 1740, and includes a diagram of the original burial plot.
It is part of this collection a warrant from the Commonwealth signed by Thomas Penn, authorising the first burial ground in Philadelphia, located at Ninth and Spruce Streets (volume NV-007, p. 39). This burial ground later became the cemetery of Congregation Mikveh Israel. The document dates from September 25, 1740, and includes a diagram of the original burial plot.
Archival history
The Penn family papers were donated or purchased in small accessions over a long time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, documents were bound together in large volumes based on the source of materials (i.e. donor) and the genre (e.g. "Correspondence"). The series and the titles in this finding aid reflect as closely as possible these groupings.
Administrative / Biographical history
The British colony of Pennsylvania was given to William Penn (1644-1718) in 1681 by Charles II of England to repay a debt owed to his father, Sir Admiral William Penn (1621-70). Under Penn's directive, Pennsylvania was settled by Quakers escaping religious torment in England and other European nations. Three generations of Penn descendants held proprietorship of the colony until the American Revolution when the family was stripped of all but its privately held shares of land.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is arranged into ten series: I. Correspondence, 1667-1855; II. William Penn, 1667-1944; III. Penn family members, 1654-1866; IV. Government records, 1687-1790; V. Land grants, surveys and deeds, 1639-1896; VI. Penn-Physick manuscripts, 1676-1811; VII. Penn v. Baltimore, 1606-1834; VIII. Other legal cases, 1672-1869; IX. Penn manuscripts, 1592-1910; and X. Auction catalogues and secondary materials, 1812-1960.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2023
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Historical Society of Pennsylvania | Collections (official language of the state) |