Chronology: the Life and Times of William Penn

Source: In The Political Writings of William Penn, introduction and annotations by Andrew R. Murphy (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2002).

CHRONOLOGY OF PENN’S LIFE AND TIMES

1642	Outbreak of English Civil War between parliamentary and royalist forces.
1644	14 October, Penn born in London.
1648	Peace of Westphalia ends Thirty Years’ War in Europe.
1649	Execution of King Charles I in England. Proclamation of English Commonwealth.
1653	Oliver Cromwell inaugurates Protectorate.
1658	Cromwell dies.
1660	Restoration of Stuart monarchy in England (accession of Charles II). Penn enters Christ Church College, Oxford.
1662	Penn expelled from Oxford for religious nonconformity.
1663	Penn studies at the Protestant Academy in Saumur, France.
1665	Penn enters Lincoln’s Inn, London, to study law.
1667	Penn converts to Quakerism in Ireland; is arrested for the first time.
1670	September: Penn-Mead trial, commemorated in Penn’s People’s Ancient and Just Liberties Asserted. Death of Penn’s father, Admiral Sir William Penn.
1672	Penn marries Gulielma Springett. Charles II issues Declaration of Indulgence tolerating religious nonconformists. Forced to withdraw Declaration after parliamentary objections.
1673	Parliament enacts Test Act, requiring English officeholders to swear oaths of allegiance and to abjure papal supremacy and Catholic doctrine.
1675	Penn’s first involvement in colonization. Arbitrates dispute between Quakers in West Jersey. Becomes trustee of West New Jersey.
1677	Travels to Holland and Germany defending Quakers and promoting liberty of conscience.
1679–81	Popish Plot in England, with turmoil over rumors to bring Catholicism to England under guise of toleration.
1681	March: Penn receives charter for Pennsylvania.
1682	Death of Penn’s mother, Lady Margaret Penn. August: Penn arrives in Pennsylvania.
1684	Returns to England to pursue boundary disputes with Lord Baltimore.
1685	Charles II dies. James II, a Catholic, crowned King of England. Louis XIV revokes the Edict of Nantes, basis for toleration of French Protestants.
1687	James II issues Declaration of Indulgence, tolerating religious nonconformists. Penn supports James’s cause.
1688	Glorious Revolution: William of Orange invades England. James ejected from the throne. William and Mary crowned King and Queen of England.
1689	Toleration Act passed. Penn arrested, accused of treason.
1691–93	Penn in hiding.
1694	Gulielma Springett Penn dies.
1696	Penn marries Hannah Callowhill.
1699	December: Penn arrives in Pennsylvania.
1701	Returns to England.
1702	William III dies. Queen Anne crowned.
1708	Legal troubles, Penn in debtor’s prison for a time.
1712	Penn suffers strokes, is incapacitated for rest of life.
1714	Death of Queen Anne. George I of Hanover crowned King of England.
1715	Death of Louis XIV.
1718	30 July, Penn dies.