Philadelphia County PA Archives Biographies.....William PENN, October 14, 1644 - July 30, 1718 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Thomas Smith Tomroysmith@aol.com The Ghost of William Penn: A Sterling Tale of Two Delco Politicians Thomas R. Smith, a.k.a., William Penn Hear Yea: Today a sterling tale which beckons to be told. For one particularly world spin moment, in year 1700, two opponent party thinkers, John Blunston (1644-1725 and David Lloyd (1656-1731), put aside divisiveness and be-joined for a sterling event. The great work earned by these Delaware County men yet resonates. The on-High desk utilized by Ghost William Penn gets terra firma reader queries. “Dear Governor William Penn… ” Today, of query, William Penn recalls his connection with a Darby citizen, and a Chester resident, whose lives in early Penn-Proprietary times, separate and jointly earned social uplift for Pennsylvanians. Namely: John Blunston of Darby and David Lloyd of Chester. William Penn encouraged both men to immigrate to Pennsylvania. Enter: William Penn. William Penn speaking: “Front foremost, I wish it known, I was beholding to David Lloyd from his landfall arrival at Chester in 1686. Attorney Lloyd’s adroit work with King and Parliament preserved the Penn Proprietary. It was narrowly dissolved and refashioned a Royal Colony. I was nearly Governor of naught.” “Lloyd settled in Chester. Older than Philadelphia, Chester thrived a short down river distance from the future poised site of Philadelphia. Lloyd rapidly prized a deed box chock full of Chester properties. Consequently I tagged him the ‘Land lord of the Chester.’ Note: Back in October of 1682 the ship which carried me to America made landfall at a Chester.” “David Lloyd was born in 1656 in Wales. He earned a legal degree, distinguished himself, and in 1686 I was joyful when he agreed to assist me in Pennsylvania as Attorney General. Good choice, his attorney role lasted unto 1710. Lloyd’s service grew. As Assemblyman, David Lloyd represented at various times Delco, old colonial Chester County, Philadelphia County, and the City of Philadelphia. Thirteen of those years, he served as Speaker.” “Having served City of Philadelphia, the outer fringed County of Philadelphia, and Delco, too, David Lloyd held unprecedented popular accord.” “We are edge closer to Sterling 1700 / 1701, which relates to query three. First, of duty and, my pleasure, it is time to tout John Blunston.” “Beautiful John Blunston… John I counted a wonderful friend. Of laugh, once my eyes fell upon a Chester court record one relating to a disgruntled man who called John Blunston a short sentence highlighted by nailing John ‘a rouge.’ Latter, with a grin, I squared up and told John, ‘I know just how you feel. …Been there, suffered that.’ ” “Hear Yea!: After I received the Royal Charter for Pennsylvania’s creation I dashed off on a several hundred mile selling trip of my Penn Proprietary lands. My re-visits to Quaker Meetings were mutually familiar. Note: Every Meeting claimed one or more weighty Friends, whose life-ways swayed meeting regulars. In my re-visits I sealed land sales to the weighty Friend – select group. -- Coy Me.” “In Derbyshire, I courted a promise from weighty John Blunston. We sealed with a land purchase and his promise to set sail. He did on the ship ‘Welcome.’ The very Welcome passage I took, thus together we jointly padded Pennsylvania soil in October 1682.” I held rightly confident his coming would pull-tug members of his Quaker Meeting. Come they did!” “Missive note: I like to sprinkled John Blunston dashes in missives; look in older ones and you’ll find him. In his own time he was Waldo. J.B., as I called him, was always there but you needed to look hard to detect him. Sought out, he rose to the seat of Assembly Speaker!” “Blunston, even among fellow Quakers, did not put himself forward. This worked for him, when he did step forward in the spot light, it urged full attention. An insert that tells… “Blunston, with three Delco others, in 1714, pressed the Quakers to boycott the buying of slaves. Yes, some Quakers early bought and owned slaves. Yes, I owned perhaps eight at one time. Yes, my beloved Philadelphia once accommodated ships with small numbers of slaves aboard; the human cargo was newsprint advertised.” “Blunston, et al., stopped the ship traffic of slaves. It was a master stroke, prior to the stop – of influx new slaves - efforts for slavery’s abolition in Pennsylvania were exasperated. Success came of a Quaker sphere action rather than a political one. “ Here permit me a pitch: Modern politicians should champion faith based help.” “Quaker John Blunston, with others, reasoned that slavery could not be ended while more slaves were permitted in. A ‘discipline’ of total boycott was adopted by Quakers. This faith based action extinguished the profit motive. Slaves were keeled else port.” J. B. et al., curled smiles. Now, for the third query that be-joins all:” “ ‘Governor Penn, I need to know about the Charter of Privileges.’” “Permit me to say by answer: If there was a Sterling Time to early Pennsylvania, surely it was 1700 and 1701. Colligate spirit reigned. Rewards reigned forth.” “Truth told: In 1699 David Lloyd was head of the Anti-Proprietary Party. I prayed. ..,And Withal the Lord heaped help. I wished to bond a final Charter – at least from me. I approached David Lloyd for help. He agreed to robe colligate. I exhaled. I also smiled Heavenward “A man of his word, as a team member Lloyd channeled his brains for pure uplift.” “I also asked the Pennsylvania’s finest moderate to assist. My friend John Blunston affirmed he would come. I did not worry whether J.B. would leave his adversarial self at the door. He had lost it many door-years before. With his acceptance, again, I smiled Heavenward.” “The Charter of 1701, latter celebrated as the Charter of Privileges, lasted for seventy-five years. It closed, but not in any forgotten way in 1776.” “Constitutional Scholars say they detect the fingerprints of David Lloyd, J. B., and W. P. They detect them on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.” “My sentiments are justified. I count the years 1700 and 1701 as Sterling. Two Delco politicians gave shine to the time.” “Your Governor thanks you for listening”. I close. William Penn This file is located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/philadelphia/bios/penn-w2.txt