since. The ships at the wharf kept firing, and the bells ringing, all the afternoon. At the night bonfires were lighted."

"The Assembly and Corporation feasted him afterwards; the Chiefs of the five nations being present, rejoiced to see him, and, to renew treaties. The fire engines played all the afternoon and diverted the chieftains greatly."

From the minutes of the city council of the 18th of August, 1732, it appears that the Mayor acquainted the board that the honourable Thomas Penn, Esq. being lately arrived in this city, he thought it the duty of this board to give him a handsome welcome by providing a decent collation at the expense of the Corporation; to which the board unanimously agreed, and fixed the time for Monday next, at the court house, &c.

Mrs. Nancarro told me she well remembered hearing her father, Owen Jones, the colonial treasurer, describe the arrival of Thomas Penn as Governor, in 1732. That it gave great joy to the people, to have once more a Penn among them. The people were of course very anxious to behold him; and although he had shown himself from the balcony of the old court house, they urged him to another exhibition, at the vestibule of the "old Governor's house," so called, in south Second street below the present custom house. He, however, soon became unpopular, and when he retired from us, (on his return,) some of the grosser or more malignant part of the people actually raised a gallows over a narrow pass in the woods by which he had to pass. It was not, however, countenanced by any of the better part of society.

Hugh David who was a respectable Welshman, that had come over with William Penn, in his second visit in 1700, came from his home at Gwynned in 1732, to make his visit of respect to Thomas Penn, then lately arrived; for that purpose he had prepared some verses to present him, complimentary to him as descended of William Penn, who was himself before descended of the royal house of Tudor,-" a branch of Tudor, alias Thomas Penn." The intended verses were however withheld, and have fallen since into my hands, occasioned by the cold and formal deportment of the Governor; for, as Hugh David informed Jonathan Jones, of Merion, in whose family I got the story and the poetry, he spoke to him but three sentences, which were,-"How dost do?""Farewell," "The other door."

It would seem, however, he was sufficiently susceptible of softer and warmer emotions, he having, as it was said, brought with him to this country, as an occasional companion, a person of much show and display, called "Lady Jenks," who passed her time "remote from city," in the then wilds of Bucks County; but her beauty, accomplishments and expert horsemanship made her soon of notoriety enough, to make every woman, old and young, in the country, her chronicle; they said she rode with him at fox-huntings and at the famous "Indian Walk," in men's clothes, (meaning

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without doubt, their simple conceptions of the masculine appearance of her riding habit array) garbed, like a man in petticoats.

Old Samuel Preston, Esq. to whom I am chiefly indebted for facts concerning her, (often, however, confirmed by others) tells me it was well understood there, that she was the mother of Thomas Jenks, Esq.* a member of Friends,-a very handsome, highly esteemed, and useful citizen, who lived to about the year 1810, and received his education and support through the means supplied by his father, Thomas Penn. Indeed, Thomas Penn was so much in the style of an "English gentleman," says my informant, that he had two other natural sons by other women, which he also provided for, and they also raised respectable families." From the great age at which Thomas Jenks died, (said to have been near 100 years) I presume he was born in England, and from his bearing the name of his mother, she must have first arrived as the widow Jenks and son. When E. Marshall, who performed the extraordinary Indian walk, became offended with his reward, "he d-d Penn and his half-wife" to their faces.

In 1734, October, John Penn, (called the " American," because the only one of Penn's children born here,) made his landing at New Castle, and came on to Philadelphia by land. At his crossing the Schuylkill he was met and escorted into the city, and "the guns on Society Hill" and the ships fired salutes. It states, the escort consisted of a train of several coaches and chaises. The Governor and suite alighted at his brother Thomas' house, where an elegant entertainment was given. Their sister, Mrs. Margaret Freame, and husband, also arrived with him. This of course brought over all the then living children of Penn, save his son Richard, then youngest.

In 1751, November, Thomas Penn, aforenamed, was announced as marrying Lady J. Fermer, daughter of the Earl of Pomfret. He died in 1775, and she lived to the year 1801.

In Weems' Life of Penn, he is extremely severe on the cupidity and extortion of the Penn family. I am not able to say where he finds his pretexts. Complaints were made about the year 1755-6 by Tedeuscung, at the head of the Delaware Indians, that they had been cheated in their lands, bought on one and a half day's walk along the Neshamina and forks of Delaware, back 47 miles to the mountains; and I have seen the whole repelled in a long MS. report to governor Dennie, by the committee of Council, in which all the history of all the Indian treaties are given, and wherein they declare that till that time (1757) the Penn proprietaries had more than fulfilled all their obligations by treaties, &c.-paying for some purchases, to different and subsequent nations, over and over again. The paper contained much reasoning and arguments to justify the then Penns. If they indeed, "bought low, and sold

His sen, Thomas Jenks, was a Senator at the time of the formation of the State Cou stitution, a very smart man.

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high," who, without sin in this way, "may cast the first stone!" In the statute sense, the land was theirs before they bought it. It was their ancestor's by grant of the Sovereign, and as good as the Baronies of England by the grant of the Conqueror. Yet I plead not for such assumptions,-I relate the facts.

Having had the perusal of several letters, written by Thomas Penn in England to his Secretary, Richard Peters, dated from 1754 to 1767, I was constrained to the impression that they were honourable to the proprietaries, as showing a frank and generous spirit, both in relation to sales and collections for lands. They were mild too, in remarking upon unkindness to themselves from political parties and enemies. They, in short, (and in truth,) breathed a spirit very free from selfishness or bitterness. In them, Thomas Penn showed great affection for church principles-offering 50£. per annum, out of his own funds, to continue Mr. Barton as a missionary at New Castle, &c. In 1755, he proposes to allow any disappointed lot holders upon Schuylkill a privilege to exchange them for Delaware lots near the Centre Square. In 1760, he is very solicitous to have John Watson of Bucks county, (whom Logan also commends,) to be induced to accept the office of Surveyor General. He speaks of an intention to write to Hannah Watson, whom he knew when a little boy.

It is sufficiently known, however, that Thomas and Richard Penn rendered themselves quite unpopular, by instructing their Governors not to assent to any laws taxing their estates in common with the people. This induced Franklin to write the Historical Review of Pennsylvania, as published in 1759, he estimating their estates then as worth 10 millions sterling.

One of Thomas Penn's letters, of 1767, speaks of the government manifesting an inclination to buy him out as proprietary, saying, "It is the illnatured project of Benjamin Franklin," then in London as agent for the colony. "They would agree (says he) to give us, by the hints of the minister, ten times the money they offered our father. I have declined, and intimated we are not to be forced to it, as Mr. Franklin would wish it."

1763, November, John Penn and Richard Penn, brothers, and sons of Richard, before named, are announced as arrived in the province the former, being the eldest, is called the Lieutenant Governor. His commission as Lieutenant Governor is read from the balcony of the old court house as usual. Their father, Richard, was then alive in England, having lived till 1771.

Owen Jones, Esq. told me he remembered to have seen Richard Penn land at Judge Allen's house, in Water street below High street, corner of Beck's alley, and thence go in procession to the old court house, and, standing out on the balcony there, made an address to the people in the street.

The present aged Mrs. Speakman tells me that when John Penn landed at High street, there was a strong earthquake, as he stept

ashore; when he went home, a dreadful thunder-storm arose; and when he next returned as proprietary, a fierce hurricane occurred!

In 1767, died in London, Springett Penn, grandson of William Penn by his first wife,-being, as the Gazette stated, the last male issue by that lady.

My friend J. P. N. describes those gentlemen thus, viz: John Penn, son of Richard, owner of one third of the province, was twice or thrice Governor; he married a daughter of Judge Allen, of Philadelphia,-was in person of the middle size, reserved in his manners, and very near-sighted. He was not popular,-died in Bucks county in 1795, aged 67 years. He was buried in Christ church ground, and afterwards was taken up and carried to England; thus adding to the strange aversions which the members of the Penn family generally showed to remaining among us, either living or dead. He built here the place called Landsdown House.

Richard Penn, his brother, was Governor a little prior to the Revolution, a fine portly looking man-a bon vivant, very popular, married our Miss Polly Masters,-died in England in 1811, at the age of 77 years, and left several children. His wife died August, 1829, aged 73 years.

John Penn, the eldest son of Thomas, and who had two thirds of the province, was in Philadelphia after the Revolution. He had a particular nervous affection about him, such as was sometimes distressing to himself and others; he was besides near-sighted. He built the place called Solitude, over Schuylkill. He is still alive, and has written to me on Philadelphia subjects occasionally. He has in his possession a great collection of his grandfather's, (William Penn) papers. These will some day be brought to light to elucidate family and civil history. He is now the wealthy proprietor and resident of Stoke Pogis park in the country, and of the mansion house at Spring Garden, London.

When J. R. Coates, Esq. was lately in England, in 1826, as he informed me, he there saw that all the cabinet of original papers of the founder were in fine preservation, all regularly filed and endorsed. Some branches of the family had applied, it is understood, to John Penn to have their use, to form some history from them; but the proprietor declined to give them, alleging he purposed some day to use them for a similar purpose himself. It is gratifying thus to know that there are still existing such MS. materials for our early history. His letter to me of 1825 says, he would very freely communicate to me any thing among them in my way, as he may come across them.

John Penn Gaskill, of Philadelphia county, who married in Montgomery county in 1825, became in 1824 the rich proprietor of the Penn Irish estate. On his visit to that country, to see it, and to possess it, he was received with all the pomp and circumstances of Lordship, which a numerous tribe of tenants and mansion house menials could confer.