The Welsh Tract , also called the Welsh Barony , was a portion of the Province of Pennsylvania , a British colony in North America (today a U.S. state ), settled largely by Welsh -speaking Quakers in the late 17th century. The region is located to the west of Philadelphia . The original settlers, led by John Roberts, negotiated with William Penn in 1684 to constitute the Tract as a separate county whose local government would use the Welsh language . The Barony was never formally created, but the many Welsh settlers gave their communities Welsh names that survive today. A more successful attempt at setting up a Gwladfa (Welsh-speaking colony) occurred two centuries later, in the Chubut Province of Patagonia , Argentina.
93-1172: In the late 17th century, there was significant Welsh immigration to Pennsylvania for religious and cultural reasons. In about 1681, a group of Welsh Quakers met with William Penn to secure a land grant to conduct their affairs in their language. The parties agreed on a tract covering 40,000 acres (160 km), to be constituted as a separate county whose people and government could conduct their affairs in Welsh. Whereas divers considerable persons among Þ Welsh Friends have requested me Þ all Þ Lands Purchased of me by those of North Wales and South Wales, together with Þ adjacent counties to Þ, as Haverfordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, about 40,000 acres, may be lay out contiguously as one Barony, alledging Þ Þ number allready come and suddenly to come, are such as will be capable of planting Þ same much w in Þ proportion allowed by Þ custom of Þ country, & so not lye in large useless vacancies. And because I am inclined and determined to agree and favor Þ w any reasonable Conveniency and privilede: I do hereby charge thee and strictly require thee to lay out Þ sd tract of Land in as uniform
186-403: A city manager form of government with a mayor and a seven-member borough council. The mayor is Andrea Deutsch, a Democrat . The members of Borough Council, all of whom are Democrats, are Fred Bush (president), Cyndi Rickards (vice president), Jean Burock, Ira Winston, Michael Gaudini, Jim Speer, and Mike Salmanson. The Borough Manager is Matt West. The Solicitor is John Walko. The borough
279-536: A humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Average monthly temperatures range from 32.2 °F in January to 77.2 °F in July. Narberth's business district has a variety of small, generally independent businesses. Some have been there for decades, including The Cheese Company and Real Pizza. Narberth also has an independent movie theater located in its downtown. Many borough businesses belong to
372-523: A Quaker-friendly town in 1881. The town name changed to Narberth in 1893, and Narberth was incorporated in 1895. In 1995, the borough celebrated its 100th birthday with a year-long celebration. The Narbrook Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. As of the 2010 census, the borough was 90.4% White, 1.9% Black or African American, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 2.7% were two or more races. 2.4% of
465-557: A close friend of George Fox , the founder of the Quakers, whose movement started in the 1650s during the tumult of the Cromwellian revolution. The times sprouted many new sects besides Quakers, including Seekers , Ranters , Antinomians , Seventh Day Baptists , Soul sleepers , Adamites , Diggers , Levellers , Behmenists , Muggletonians , and others, as the Puritans were more tolerant than
558-517: A copy of the charges laid against him and the laws he had supposedly broken, but the Recorder of London , Sir John Howel, on the bench as chief judge, refused, although this was a right guaranteed by law. Furthermore, the Recorder directed the jury to come to a verdict without hearing the defense. Despite heavy pressure from Howel to convict Penn, the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty". When invited by
651-647: A four-year engagement filled with frequent separations. Penn remained close to home but continued writing his tracts, espousing religious tolerance and railing against discriminatory laws. A minor split developed in the Quaker community between those who favored Penn's analytical formulations and those who preferred Fox's simple precepts. But the persecution of Quakers had accelerated and the differences were overridden; Penn again resumed missionary work in Holland and Germany. Seeing conditions deteriorating, Penn appealed directly to
744-486: A gathering in the street, which Penn deliberately provoked to test the validity of the 1664 Conventicle Act, just renewed in 1670 , which denied the right of assembly to "more than five persons in addition to members of the family, for any religious purpose not according to the rules of the Church of England". Penn was assisted by his solicitor, Thomas Rudyard , an eminent London Quaker lawyer, and pleaded for his right to see
837-546: A great friend of William Morris, a leading Quaker figure in Cork , and often stayed with Morris at Castle Salem near Rosscarbery . Between 1671 and 1677, Penn visited Germany on behalf of the Quaker faith, resulting in a German settlement in the Province of Pennsylvania that was symbolic in two ways: It was a German -speaking congregation, and it included religious dissenters. During
930-548: A household in the borough was $ 133,475. Males had a median income of $ 59,076 versus $ 41,518 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 35,165. About 2.6% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. The borough has many square blocks of fine old Victorian homes and apartment buildings, and most of its families live north and west of downtown areas, extending north along Montgomery Avenue to North Wynnewood Avenue. According to
1023-428: A junior basketball court (once volleyball), and a playground for younger children. The Sabine Avenue Tot Lot, on the grounds of the former Narberth Elementary School, is the smaller of the two and was recently renovated with new playground equipment. In addition, the borough sponsors a Fall soccer program, a Spring baseball program, a Summer basketball program, and many other sports and recreation activities. Narberth has
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#17328373904511116-575: A large piece of his North American land holdings along the North Atlantic Ocean coast to Penn to offset debts he owed Penn's father, the admiral and politician Sir William Penn . The land included the present-day states of Pennsylvania and Delaware . The following year, in 1682, Penn left England for what was then British America , sailing up Delaware Bay and the Delaware River past earlier Swedish and Dutch riverfront colonies in what
1209-560: A life sentence, Penn was accused of denying the Trinity , though this was a misinterpretation Penn himself refuted in the essay Innocency with her open face, presented by way of Apology for the book entitled The Sandy Foundation Shaken , where he sought to prove the Godhead of Christ. Penn said the rumour had been "maliciously insinuated" by detractors who wanted to create a bad reputation to Quakers. Penn later said that what he really denied were
1302-448: A liking to. When theologian John Owen was fired from his deanery, Penn and other open-minded students rallied to his side and attended seminars at the dean's house, where intellectual discussions covered the gamut of new thought. Penn learned the valuable skills of forming ideas into theory, discussing theory through reasoned debate, and testing the theories in the real world. At this time he also faced his first moral dilemma. After Owen
1395-461: A manner as conveniently may be, upon Þ west side of Skoolkill river, running three miles upon Þ same, & two miles backward, & then extend Þ parallel w Þ river six miles and to run westwardly so far as this Þ sd quantity of land be Compleatly surveyed unto y.—Given at Pennsbury, Þ 13th Ist mo. [March] 1684. Whereas diverse considerable persons among the Welsh Friends have requested me that all
1488-530: A mature, sophisticated, well-mannered, modish gentleman, though Samuel Pepys noted young Penn's "vanity of the French". Penn had developed a taste for fine clothes, and for the rest of his life would pay somewhat more attention to his dress than most Quakers. The Admiral had great hopes that his son then had the practical sense and the ambition necessary to succeed as an aristocrat. He had young Penn enroll in law school but soon his studies were interrupted. With war with
1581-526: A profitable venture for himself and his family. But he proclaimed that he would not exploit either the natives or the immigrants, "I would not abuse His love, nor act unworthy of His providence, and so defile what came to me clean." To that end, Penn's land purchase from the Lenape included the latter party's retained right to traverse the sold lands for purposes of hunting, fishing, and gathering. Though thoroughly oppressed, getting Quakers to leave England and make
1674-434: A reclusive scholar. During this time, Penn developed his individuality and philosophy of life. He found that he was not sympathetic with either his father's martial view of the world or his mother's society-oriented sensibilities. "I had no relations that inclined to so solitary and spiritual way; I was a child alone. A child was given to musing, occasionally feeling the divine presence," he later said. Penn returned home for
1767-473: A strong Welsh presence there. As suburbanization spread westward from Philadelphia in the late 19th century (thanks to the railroads), living in a community with a Welsh name acquired a cachet. Some communities in the area formerly comprising the Welsh Tract were subsequently given Welsh or Welsh-sounding names to improve their perceived desirability. Among these were Gladwyne , formerly "Merion Square" (which
1860-437: A year. The undogmatic Christian humanist talked of a tolerant, adapting view of religion which appealed to Penn, who later stated, "I never had any other religion in my life than what I felt." By adapting his mentor's belief in free will, Penn felt unburdened of Puritanical guilt and rigid beliefs and was inspired to search out his own religious path. Upon returning to England after two years abroad, he presented to his parents
1953-553: Is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania . It is one of many neighborhoods on the historic Philadelphia Main Line . The population was 4,282 at the 2010 census. Narberth is located on a parcel of land originally deeded to Edward Rees, which later became “Prees” and eventually “Price”, who arrived from Wales in 1682. A portion of this original tract became the 100-acre (0.40 km ) farm of Edward R. Price, who founded Elm as
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#17328373904512046-425: Is a clear and just thing, and my God who has given it to me through many difficulties, will, I believe, bless and make it the seed of a nation." Penn then traveled to America and while there, he negotiated Pennsylvania's first land-purchase survey with the tribe of the Lenape people. Penn purchased the first tract of land under a white oak tree at Graystones on 15 July 1682. Penn drafted a charter of liberties for
2139-493: Is located on Haverford Avenue in downtown Narberth. These railroad tracks run through the Philadelphia Main Line , the collective western suburbs of Philadelphia where the railroad westward was originally established. Towns on the lower Main Line adjacent to Narberth include Overbrook , Merion , Wynnewood , Ardmore , Haverford , and Bryn Mawr . The SEPTA Route 105 bus runs along the length of Lancaster Avenue on
2232-479: Is mostly a residential community, with a central business district along Haverford, Narberth, Forrest, and Essex Avenues. The borough is bordered by the towns of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania , Merion , and Penn Valley, Pennsylvania . The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Narberth has
2325-452: Is now Delaware, and in addition to this, the land was claimed for half a century by the neighboring Province of Maryland 's proprietor family, the Calverts. In 1704, the three southernmost counties of provincial Pennsylvania were granted permission to form a new, semi-autonomous Delaware Colony . As one of the earlier supporters of colonial unification, Penn wrote and urged for a union of all
2418-641: Is part of Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District (represented by Mary Scanlon ). In the US Senate, the Borough is represented by Senator Bob Casey, Jr. (senior senator) and John Fetterman (junior senator). In the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Borough is part of the 148th State House District (represented by Rep. Mary Jo Daley ) and the 17th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Amanda Cappelletti ). Residents of Narberth are served by
2511-468: Is present-day New Castle, Delaware . On this occasion, the colonists pledged allegiance to Penn as their new proprietor , and the first Pennsylvania General Assembly was held. Penn then journeyed further north up the Delaware River and founded Philadelphia on the river's western bank. Penn's Quaker government was not viewed favorably by the previous Dutch , Swedish and English settlers in what
2604-410: Is unique among those locations in that it is fairly enclosed; no major thoroughfares run through the town, but Montgomery Avenue runs northwest–southeast along the borough's northern border. Because of its small size, many of Narberth's shopping and recreational facilities are within walking distance of residents' houses. SEPTA 's "Main Line" railroad tracks separate North Side from South Side. Narberth
2697-461: The Anglican Church . Children from poorer families had to have a wealthy sponsor to get an education. Penn's education heavily leaned on the classical authors and "no novelties or conceited modern writers" were allowed, including Shakespeare . Running was Penn's favorite sport, and he often ran more than three miles (5 km) from his home to the school, which was cast in an Anglican model and
2790-517: The Delaware River . Nearby Wynnewood is also home to one of the three principal teaching hospitals that serve Philadelphia's Main Line . Along with the eponymous Bryn Mawr and Paoli Memorial hospitals, Lankenau Medical Center , on Lancaster Pike (Route 30) in Wynnewood near the Overbrook border, has traditionally been affiliated with either Jefferson or Hahnemann (now Drexel ) colleges of medicine and
2883-498: The Dutch imminent, young Penn decided to shadow his father at work and join him at sea. Penn functioned as an emissary between his father and the King, then returned to his law studies. Worrying about his father in battle he wrote, "I never knew what a father was till I had wisdom enough to prize him... I pray God... that you come home secure." The Admiral returned triumphantly, but London was in
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2976-962: The French International School in Bala Cynwyd , Gladwyne Montessori in Gladwyne , the girls schools Agnes Irwin in Rosemont , Baldwin in Bryn Mawr , the boys school The Haverford School in Haverford , and coeducational Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square and Shipley School in Bryn Mawr . Narberth is close to Saint Joseph's University , which occupies an increasingly large campus in nearby Merion on City Avenue. Haverford College , Bryn Mawr College , Villanova University , Cabrini College , Eastern University , and Rosemont College are nearby to
3069-592: The Irish Rebellion of 1641 . Admiral Penn took part in the restoration of King Charles II and was eventually knighted and served in the Royal Navy . At the time of his son's birth, then-Captain Penn was twenty-three and an ambitious naval officer in charge of blockading ports held by Confederate forces. Penn grew up during the rule of Oliver Cromwell, who succeeded in leading a Puritan rebellion against King Charles I ;
3162-604: The Lower Merion School District . Borough children attend either Merion Elementary or Belmont Hills Elementary schools, Bala Cynwyd Middle or Welsh Valley Middle schools, and either Lower Merion High School or Harriton High School. Religious schools in the immediate vicinity include the private Waldron Mercy Academy and Merion Mercy Academy Catholic schools, the parish Saint Margaret's Elementary Catholic School, and Torah Academy in nearby Wynnewood. Nearby private schools include Friends' Central School on City Avenue,
3255-536: The U.S. Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km ), all land. Narberth is an enclave surrounded by Lower Merion Township , close to the western edge of the city of Philadelphia. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line , a string of leafy, picturesque suburbs with quaint Welsh names extending west from Philadelphia along the old Pennsylvania Railroad's "main line" from Merion through Ardmore , Bryn Mawr , Villanova , Devon and Wayne among other towns and municipalities. Narberth
3348-435: The colonial era , Pennsylvania remained the heartland for various branches of Anabaptists , including Old Order Mennonites , Ephrata Cloister , Brethren , and Amish . Pennsylvania quickly emerged as the home for many Lutheran refugees from Catholic provinces, such as Salzburg , and for German Catholics , who were facing discrimination in their home country. In Philadelphia , Francis Daniel Pastorius negotiated
3441-663: The mainline of the Pennsylvania Railroad , portions of which were absorbed into Conrail in 1976 (with Amtrak operating intercity passenger rail service from 1971, SEPTA operating commuter rail service from 1983, and Norfolk Southern acquiring Conrail's freight operations in 1997) as one of the principal rail lines running between Chicago, IL and the Eastern seaboard. After the American Civil War , 104 Welsh families from this region migrated to Knoxville, Tennessee , establishing
3534-476: The 1690s the land had already been partitioned among different counties, despite appeals from the Welsh settlers, and the Tract never gained self-government. The Roberts and other Welsh families became influential in the area, through the building of mills and the eventual introduction of the railroad. It is the railroad that gives the best-known part of the area its current name, the Philadelphia Main Line , named after
3627-407: The 17th century. They refused to bow or take off their hats to social superiors, believing all men were equal under God, a belief antithetical to an absolute monarchy that believed the monarch was divinely appointed by God. As a result, Quakers were treated as heretics because of their principles and their failure to pay tithes. They also refused to swear oaths of loyalty to the King believing that this
3720-529: The Catholic interpretations of this theological topic, and the use of unbiblical concepts to explain it. Penn expressly confessed he believed in the Holy Three and the divinity of Christ . In 1668, in a letter to the anti-Quaker minister Jonathan Clapham, Penn wrote: "Thou must not, reader, from my querying thus, conclude we do deny (as he hath falsely charged us) those glorious Three, which bear record in heaven,
3813-909: The English colonies in what, following the American Revolutionary War , later became the United States. The democratic principles that he included in the West Jersey Concessions and set forth in the Pennsylvania Frame of Government inspired delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to frame the U.S. Constitution , which was ratified by the delegates in 1787. A man of deep religious conviction, Penn authored numerous works, exhorting believers to adhere to
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3906-555: The Father, Word, and Spirit; neither the infinity, eternity and divinity of Jesus Christ; for that we know he is the mighty God." Given writing materials in the hope that he would put on paper his retraction, Penn wrote another inflammatory treatise, No Cross, No Crown . In it, Penn exhorted believers to adhere to the spirit of Primitive Christianity . This work was remarkable for its historical analysis and citation of 68 authors whose quotations and commentary he had committed to memory and
3999-622: The King and the Duke, proposing a mass emigration of English Quakers . Some Quakers had already moved to North America, but the New England Puritans , especially, were as hostile towards Quakers as Anglicans in England were, and some of the Quakers had been banished to the Caribbean . In 1677, a group of prominent Quakers that included Penn purchased the colonial province of West Jersey , comprising
4092-675: The Lands Purchased of me by those of North Wales and South Wales, together with the adjacent counties to them, as Herefordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, about forty-thousand acres, may be laid out contiguously as one Barony, alledging that the number already come and suddenly to come, are such as will be capable of planting the same much within the proportion allowed by the custom of the country, and so not lye in large useless vacancies. And because I am inclined and determined to agree and favor them with any reasonable Conveniency and privilege: I do hereby charge thee and strictly require thee to lay out
4185-674: The Main Line, and the SEPTA Route 44 bus supplements the trains for service between Narberth and Center City Philadelphia. South Wynnewood is served by the SEPTA's Norristown High Speed Line that connects the southern Main Line suburbs with Norristown to the north and west and SEPTA's 69th Street Transportation Center , where there is a connection to the Market–Frankford Line to Center City and beyond into Frankford north of Center City along
4278-670: The Narberth Business Association, which promotes the town as a shopping destination and also puts on occasional events, including the Spring Sidewalk Sale and the Narberth Dickens Festival. The Borough of Narberth maintains two recreational facilities: The Narberth Playground and the Sabine Avenue Playground. The Narberth Playground has two basketball courts, three tennis courts, a field area,
4371-439: The Quaker region. Whether from personal sympathy or political expediency, to Penn's surprise, the King granted an extraordinarily generous charter which made Penn the world's largest private non-royal landowner, with over 45,000 square miles (120,000 km ). Penn became the sole proprietor of a huge tract of land west of New Jersey and north of the Province of Maryland belonging to Lord Baltimore , and gained sovereign rule of
4464-531: The Quakers had no political agenda (unlike the Puritans) they should not be subject to laws that restricted political action by minority religions and other groups. Sprung from jail because of his family's rank rather than his argument, Penn was immediately recalled to London by his father. The Admiral was severely distressed by his son's actions and took the conversion as a personal affront. His father's hopes that Penn's charisma and intelligence would win him favor at
4557-500: The Recorder to reconsider their verdict and to select a new foreman, they refused and were sent to a cell over several nights to mull over their decision. The Lord Mayor of London , Sir Samuel Starling, also on the bench, then told the jury, "You shall go together and bring in another verdict, or you shall starve", and not only had Penn sent to jail in Newgate Prison (on a charge of contempt of court for refusing to remove his hat), but
4650-487: The administration imposed stricter religious requirements including daily chapel attendance and required dress. Penn rebelled against enforced worship and was expelled. His father, in a rage, attacked young Penn with a cane and forced him from their home. Penn's mother made peace in the family, which allowed her son to return home but she quickly concluded that both her social standing and her husband's career were being threatened by their son's behavior. So at age 18, young Penn
4743-403: The average family size was 3.02. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. In 2021, the median estimated income for
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#17328373904514836-491: The borough. No numbered highways directly serve Narberth. Main streets traversing the borough include Narberth Avenue, Wynnewood Road and Haverford Avenue. The nearest state highways are Pennsylvania Route 23 , U.S. Route 30 , U.S. Route 1 , and Interstate 76 , all traversing the surrounding township of Lower Merion. The Narberth Train Station , the third stop on SEPTA 's Paoli/Thorndale Line to Center City Philadelphia ,
4929-428: The character of George Fox, in his introduction to the autobiographical Journal of George Fox . In effect, Penn became the first theologian, theorist, and legal defender of Quakerism, providing its written doctrine and helping to establish its public standing. In 1669, Penn traveled to Ireland to deal with his father's estates. While there, he attended many meetings and stayed with leading Quaker families. He became
5022-569: The conditions for the founding of Pennsylvania, the Admiral wrote to the Duke of York , the heir to the throne. The Duke and the King, in return for the Admiral's lifetime of service to the Crown, promised to protect young Penn and make him a royal counselor. Penn inherited a large fortune, but found himself in jail again for six months. In April 1672, after being released, he married Gulielma Springett following
5115-476: The congregation, Fox not only extended the Protestant Reformation more radically, but he helped extend the most important principle of modern political history – the rights of the individual – upon which modern democracies were later founded. Penn traveled frequently with Fox, through Europe and England. He also wrote a comprehensive, detailed explanation of Quakerism along with a testimony to
5208-506: The court were crushed. Though enraged, the Admiral tried his best to reason with his son but to no avail. His father not only feared for his own position but that his son seemed bent on a dangerous confrontation with the Crown. In the end, young Penn was more determined than ever, and the Admiral felt he had no option but to order his son out of the house and to withhold his inheritance. As Penn became homeless, he began to live with Quaker families. Quakers were relatively strict Christians in
5301-902: The dangerous journey to the New World was his first commercial challenge. Some Quaker families had already arrived in Maryland and New Jersey but the numbers were small. To attract settlers in large numbers, he wrote a glowing prospectus, considered honest and well-researched for the time, promising religious freedom as well as material advantage, which he marketed throughout Europe in various languages. Within six months, he parcelled out 300,000 acres (1,200 km ) to over 250 prospective settlers, mostly rich London Quakers. Eventually he attracted other persecuted minorities including Huguenots , Mennonites , Amish , Catholics , Lutherans , and Jews from England, France, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, and Wales. Narberth, Pennsylvania Narberth
5394-413: The dangers, Penn began to attend Quaker meetings near Cork . A chance re-meeting with Thomas Loe confirmed Penn's rising attraction to Quakerism . Soon Penn was arrested for attending Quaker meetings. Rather than state that he was not a Quaker and thereby avoid any charges, he publicly declared himself a member and finally joined the Quakers at the age of 22 In pleading his case, Penn stated that since
5487-434: The extraordinary splendor of the King's restoration ceremony and was a guest of honor alongside his father, who received a highly unusual royal salute for his services to The Crown . Penn's father had great hopes for his son's career under the favor of the King. Back at Oxford, Penn considered a medical career and took some dissecting classes. Rational thought began to spread into science, politics, and economics, which he took
5580-561: The family estate in Ireland to contemplate his future. The reign of King Charles had further tightened restrictions against all religious sects other than the Anglican Church, making the penalty for unauthorized worship imprisonment or deportation. The "Five Mile Act" prohibited dissenting teachers and preachers to come within that distance of any borough. The Quakers were especially targeted and their meetings were deemed undesirable. Despite
5673-465: The fever of battle soon wore off after his father discouraged him, "I can say nothing but advise to sobriety...I wish your youthful desires mayn't outrun your discretion." While Penn was abroad, the Great Fire of 1666 consumed central London. As with the plague, the Penn family was spared. But after returning to the city, Penn was depressed by the mood of the city and his ailing father, so he went back to
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#17328373904515766-405: The full jury followed him, and they were additionally fined the equivalent of a year's wages each. The members of the jury, fighting their case from prison in what became known as Bushel's Case , managed to win the right for all English juries to be free from the control of judges. This case was one of the more important trials that shaped the concept of jury nullification and was a victory for
5859-565: The grip of the Great Plague of 1665. Young Penn reflected on the suffering and the deaths, and the way humans reacted to the epidemic. He wrote that the scourge "gave me a deep sense of the vanity of this World, of the Irreligiousness of the Religions in it." Further he observed how Quakers on errands of mercy were arrested by the police and demonized by other religions, even accused of causing
5952-456: The king was beheaded when Penn was four years old. Penn's father was often at sea. Young William caught smallpox , and lost all his hair from the disease; he wore a wig until he left college. Penn's smallpox also prompted his parents to move from the suburbs to an estate in Essex . The country life made a lasting impression on young Penn, and kindled in him a love of horticulture . Their neighbor
6045-424: The monarchy had been. Following Oliver Cromwell's death, however, the Crown was re-established and the King responded with harassment and persecution of all religions and sects other than Anglicanism. Fox risked his life, wandering from town to town, and he attracted followers who likewise believed that the "God who made the world did not dwell in temples made with hands." By abolishing the church's authority over
6138-406: The plague. With his father laid low by gout , young Penn was sent to Ireland in 1666 to manage the family landholdings. While there he became a soldier and took part in suppressing a local Irish rebellion. Swelling with pride, he had his portrait painted wearing a suit of armor, his most authentic likeness. His first experience of warfare gave him the sudden idea of pursuing a military career, but
6231-571: The population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,233 people, 1,904 households, and 1,037 families residing in the borough. The population density was 8,571.7 inhabitants per square mile (3,309.6/km ). There were 1,981 housing units at an average density of 4,011.5 per square mile (1,548.8/km ). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.23% White , 1.18% African American , 0.12% Native American , 2.27% Asian , 0.14% from other races , and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of
6324-408: The population. There were 1,904 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and
6417-519: The purchase of 15,000 acres (61 km ) from his friend William Penn, the proprietor of the province of Pennsylvania, and laid out the settlement of what is the present-day Germantown section of Philadelphia. In 1764, the German Society of Pennsylvania was established, which still functions to this day from its headquarters in Philadelphia. In 1668, Penn published the first of many pamphlets, Truth Exalted: To Princes, Priests, and People . He
6510-418: The said tract of Land in as uniform a manner as conveniently may be, upon the west side of Schuylkill river, running three miles upon the same, and two miles backward, and then extend the parallel with the river six miles and to run westwardly so far as this the said quantity of land be Completely surveyed unto you. The Welsh Tract's boundaries were established in 1687, but notwithstanding the prior agreement, by
6603-476: The settlement creating a political utopia guaranteeing free and fair trial by jury , freedom of religion , freedom from unjust imprisonment and free elections. Having proved himself an influential scholar and theoretician, Penn now had to demonstrate the practical skills of a real estate promoter, city planner, and governor for his " Holy Experiment ", the province of Pennsylvania. Besides achieving his religious goals, Penn had hoped that Pennsylvania would be
6696-452: The spirit of Primitive Christianity . Penn was imprisoned several times in the Tower of London due to his faith, and his book No Cross, No Crown , published in 1669, which he authored from jail, has become a classic of Christian theological literature. Penn was born in 1644 at Tower Hill , London , the son of English naval officer Sir William Penn , and Dutchwoman Margaret Jasper, who
6789-459: The territory with all rights and privileges with the exception of the power to declare war. The land of Pennsylvania had belonged to the Duke of York , but he retained the Province of New York and the area around present-day New Castle, Delaware , and the eastern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula . In return, one-fifth of all gold and silver mined in the province, which had virtually none,
6882-701: The use of the writ of habeas corpus as a means of freeing those unlawfully detained. With his father dying, Penn wanted to see him one more time and patch up their differences. But he urged his father not to pay his fine and free him, "I entreat thee not to purchase my liberty." But the Admiral refused to let the opportunity pass and he paid the fine, releasing his son. His father had gained respect for his son's integrity and courage and told him, "Let nothing in this world tempt you to wrong your conscience." The Admiral also knew that after his death young Penn would become more vulnerable in his pursuit of justice. In an act which not only secured his son's protection but also set
6975-663: The west, while the University of Pennsylvania , Drexel University , Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia University , and Temple University are nearby to the east in the City of Philadelphia. As of 2009 there were 11.06 miles (17.80 km) of public roads in Narberth, of which 0.32 miles (0.51 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 10.74 miles (17.28 km) were maintained by
7068-522: The western half of present-day New Jersey . The same year, 200 settlers from Chorleywood and Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire , and other towns in nearby Buckinghamshire arrived, and founded the town of Burlington . Fox made a journey to America to verify the potential of further expansion of the early Quaker settlements. In 1682, East Jersey was also purchased by Quakers. With the Province of New Jersey in place, Penn pressed his case to extend
7161-482: The wrongs of the Church and the King. For its part, the Crown continued to confiscate Quaker property and jailed thousands of Quakers. From then on, Penn's religious views effectively exiled him from English society; he was expelled from Christ Church , a college at the University of Oxford, for being a Quaker, and was arrested several times. In 1670, he and William Mead were arrested. Penn was accused of preaching before
7254-460: Was "ashamed to read". In 1668, after writing a follow-up tract, The Sandy Foundation Shaken , Penn was imprisoned in the Tower of London . The Bishop of London ordered that Penn be held indefinitely until he publicly recanted his written statements. The official charge was publication without a licence but the real crime was blasphemy , as signed in a warrant by King Charles II. Placed in solitary confinement in an unheated cell and threatened with
7347-664: Was a critic of all religious groups, except Quakers , which he saw as the only true Christian group at that time in England. He branded the Catholic Church "the Whore of Babylon ", defied the Church of England , and called the Puritans "hypocrites and revelers in God". He lambasted all "false prophets, tithemongers, and opposers of perfection ". Pepys thought it a "ridiculous nonsensical book" that he
7440-455: Was a volatile mix of Cavaliers , sober Puritans, and non-conforming Quakers . The new British government's discouragement of religious dissent gave the Cavaliers license to harass the minority groups. Because of his father's high position and social status, young Penn was firmly a Cavalier but his sympathies lay with the persecuted Quakers. To avoid conflict, Penn withdrew from the fray and became
7533-458: Was able to summon without any reference material at hand. Penn petitioned for an audience with the King, which was denied but which led to negotiations on his behalf by one of the royal chaplains. Penn declared, "My prison shall be my grave before I will budge a jot: for I owe my conscience to no mortal man." He was released after eight months of imprisonment. Penn demonstrated no remorse for his aggressive stance and vowed to keep fighting against
7626-539: Was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonial era . Penn, an advocate of democracy and religious freedom , was known for his amicable relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Native Americans who had resided in present-day Pennsylvania prior to European settlements in the state. In 1681, King Charles II granted
7719-445: Was censured again after being fired, students were threatened with punishment for associating with him. However, Penn stood by the dean, thereby gaining a fine and reprimand from the university. The Admiral, despairing of the charges, pulled young Penn away from Oxford, hoping to distract him from the heretical influences of the university. The attempt had no effect and father and son struggled to understand each other. Back at school,
7812-488: Was following the command of Jesus not to swear. The basic ceremony of Quakerism was silent worship in a meeting house, conducted in a group. There was no ritual and no professional clergy, and many Quakers disavowed the concept of original sin . God's communication came to each individual directly, and if so moved, the individual shared his revelations, thoughts, or opinions with the group. Penn found all these tenets to sit well with his conscience and his heart. Penn became
7905-696: Was given its new name in 1891, although the name is meaningless in Welsh), and Bryn Mawr , formerly "Humphreysville" (which was renamed in 1869). The area is now part of Montgomery , Chester , and Delaware counties. Many towns in the area still bear Welsh names. Some, such as North Wales , Lower Gwynedd , Upper Gwynedd , Lower Merion , Upper Merion , Narberth , Bala Cynwyd , Radnor , Berwyn , and Haverford Township , are named after places in Wales . Others, such as Tredyffrin and Uwchlan have independent Welsh names. A second "Welsh Tract" of 30,000 acres (120 km)
7998-410: Was granted to Welsh emigrants by William Penn in 1701. It made up the modern Pencader Hundred , Delaware, and some of Cecil County, Maryland . 40°02′11″N 75°22′21″W / 40.036389°N 75.3725°W / 40.036389; -75.3725 William Penn William Penn (24 October [ O.S. 14 October] 1644 – 10 August [ O.S. 30 July] 1718)
8091-618: Was maligned by both Catholics and Protestants . Loe was admitted to the Penn household, and during his discourses on the Inward Light , young Penn recalled later that "the Lord visited me and gave me divine Impressions of Himself." A year later, Cromwell was dead, the Royalists were resurging, and the Penn family returned to England. The middle class aligned itself with the Royalists and Admiral Penn
8184-615: Was sent on a secret mission to bring back exiled Prince Charles . For his role in restoring the monarchy, Admiral Penn was knighted and gained a powerful position as Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty . Penn was first educated at Chigwell School , then by private tutors in Ireland , and later at Christ Church at the University of Oxford in Oxford . At the time, there were no state schools and nearly all educational institutions were affiliated with
8277-604: Was sent to Paris to get him out of view, improve his manners, and expose him to another culture. In Paris at the court of young Louis XIV , Penn found French manners far more refined than the coarse manners of his countrymen, but he did not like the extravagant display of wealth and privilege he saw in the French. Though impressed by Notre Dame and the Catholic ritual, he felt uncomfortable with it. Instead, he sought out spiritual direction from French Protestant theologian Moise Amyraut , who invited Penn to stay with him in Saumur for
8370-455: Was strict, humorless, and somber. The school's teachers had to be pillars of virtue and provide sterling examples to their pupils. Penn later opposed Anglicanism on religious grounds, but he absorbed many Puritan behaviors, and was known later for his own serious demeanor, strict behavior, and lack of humor. In 1660, Penn arrived at the University of Oxford, where he was enrolled as a gentleman scholar with an assigned servant. The student body
8463-407: Was the diarist Samuel Pepys , who was friendly at first but later secretly hostile to the Admiral, perhaps embittered in part by his failed seductions of both Penn's mother and his sister Peggy. After a failed mission to the Caribbean , Admiral Penn and his family were exiled to his lands in Ireland when Penn was about 15 years old. During this time, Penn met Thomas Loe, a Quaker missionary who
8556-454: Was to be remitted to the King, and the Crown was freed of a debt to the Admiral of £16,000, equal to roughly £3,167,726 in 2008. Penn first called the area "New Wales", then "Sylvania", which is Latin for "forests" or "woods", which King Charles II changed to "Pennsylvania" in honor of the elder Penn. On 4 March 1681, the King signed the charter and the following day Penn jubilantly wrote, "It
8649-882: Was widow of a Dutch sea captain and the daughter of a rich merchant from Rotterdam . Through the Pletjes-Jasper family, Penn is also said to have been a cousin of the Op den Graeff family , who were important Mennonites in Krefeld and Quakers in Pennsylvania. Admiral Penn served in the Commonwealth Navy during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and was rewarded by Oliver Cromwell with estates in Ireland. The lands given to Penn had been confiscated from Irish Confederates who had participated in
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