Temporary record

William Penn had a great number of children by his two wives, Gulielma and Hannah, however only William, and the hereditary joint proprietors of Pennsylvania, Thomas and Richard, produced significant lineages. The great-granddaughter of the first William Penn, Christian Gulielma (through his son and grandson, both named William), married into the Gaskell family.

Scope and contents:

The Penn-Gaskell collection comes through the branch of the Penn family that married into the Gaskells. It is a heterogeneous assemblage of materials including a small number of documents (wills, deeds, indentures, ceritificates of marriage), some letters, and an extensive bound volume containing copy letters and assorted notes. Many of the items pertain to the family's estate in Shannagarry, Ireland, and come from Penn's great-greatgrandson, Thomas Penn Gaskell, his son, Peter Penn Gaskell, and grandson, also named Peter Penn Gaskell.

Upon his death, Springet Penn left a terrible financial situation, and it was up to his relatives to sort it out. The bound volume, "containing many useful hints & other things quite necessary in our Irish affairs," is dated 1768 and is in the hand of Peter Gaskell (husband of Christiana Gulielma Penn). It includes some accounts, discussion and recommendations concerning the finances and estate of Springet Penn (Christiana Gulielma's brother), and surveys of the Irish land holdings of the Penn family. The bulk of the notebook is filled with detailed records of the disposition of Irish land holdings of the various Penns, their extent, mortgages, leases, liens, etc. Copies of some business correspondence (again, mostly concerning the disposition of Penn lands and the financial problems of Springet Penn) are included. Peter Gaskell appears to have recorded accounts in the remainder of the notebook.

M-2441

Subjects

Finances, Personal
Land tenure--Ireland
Quakers--Pennsylvania
Quakers--Ireland

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