- Hannah Callowhill Penn
Hannah Callowhill Penn (
February 11 ,1671 -December 20 ,1726 ) was the second wife ofPennsylvania founderWilliam Penn ; 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 second of eight children when the couple embarked from England for their three-month voyage to America in 1699. She lived in great style, both inPhiladelphia and inPennsbury Manor , a beautiful estate located in Bucks County, on theDelaware River . When William Penn died at age 73 onJuly 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. , 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 ("The American"), 1699-1746
*Thomas, 1702-1775
*Hannah Margarita, 1703-1707
*Margaret, 1704-1750
*Richard, 1706-1771
*Dennis, 1707-1722
*Hannah, 1708-1709Legacy
She is one of the few individuals and the first woman who has been given the status of
Honorary Citizen of the United States , given to her by Presidential Proclamation upon anAct of Congress (PL. 98-516) byRonald Reagan onNovember 28 ,1984 .Callowhill Street in Philadelphia was named for Mrs. Penn personally by her husband when he was laying out the city. A [http://www.ycs.k12.pa.us/page.cfm?p=24 middle school] in
York, Pennsylvania has also been named in her honor.A street in Perkasie Pa is also named after Mrs.Penn
External links
* [http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1984/112884a.htm Presidential Proclamation 5284]
* [http://www.cbsd.org/pennsylvaniapeople/level1_biographies/images/hannahpenn.jpgSketch of Hannah Penn]
* [http://www.explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=35 Pennsylvania Historical Marker] and portrait
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