Hannah Callowhill Penn
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Hannah Callowhill Penn (February 11, 1671 - December 20, 1726) was the second wife of Pennsylvania founder William 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 in Philadelphia and in Pennsbury Manor, a beautiful estate located in Bucks County, on the Delaware River. 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., 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.
[edit] Children
- John ("The American"), 1699-1746
- Thomas, 1702-1775
- Hannah Margarita, 1703-1707
- Margaret, 1704-1750
- Richard, 1706-1771
- Dennis, 1707-1722
- Hannah, 1708-1709
[edit] Legacy
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 an Act of Congress (PL. 98-516) by Ronald Reagan 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 has also been named in her honor.
A street in Perkasie Pa is also named after Mrs.Penn
