Germantown and William Penn

Thirteen Families often referred to as the Original Thirteen are also referenced as the Germantown Founders. The thirteen heads of household listed as the original thirteen are: Leonard Arrets, Johannes Bleickers, Tones Coenen-Heggers, Peter Kurlis, Johann Lenssen, Johan Lucken, Reiner Theissen-Doors, Abraham Tunes Klinken, Wilhelm Streper, Abraham Isacks Op den Graeff, Derick Isacks Op den Graeff, and Herman Isacks Op den Graeff. The families arrived on the ship Concord on October 6, 1683. On this subject much is written.

The Krefeld German's over the years have been described in a variety of ways, and have come to be known as weavers, merchants, printers, innkeepers, millwrights, teachers, writers, confectioners, and other occupations. Undisputed is the fact that shortly after arrival they are enjoined by Francis Daniel Pastorious.

A fact which has eluded many is that The Op den Graeff family was in fact cousin to the founder of Pennsylvania William Penn. Penn's mother was the daughter of Jan Jansen of Rotterdam (Seitz, 1719 & Burke, 1929).

Giles Penn grandfather of William the founder married Jeanne (Joan) Gilbert November 5, 1600 at St. Mary Redcliffe church in Bristol. Their children were George Giles (b. 1601), Rachael (b. 1607), Eleanor (died 1612), and William (b. 1621). Today’s descendants of George Penn (Giles brother), who came to Massachusetts, note that Giles died in Fex or, Morocco about 1641 (Hart, 2004). Founder William Penn would not know his grandfather. He would only be familiar with the accounts portraying his grandfather’s role in the liberation of the English and Irish slaves from the Turks of North Africa. 

Giles Penn’s son became Admiral William Penn (1621-1670). Admiral William Penn was born April 23, 1621 in St. Thomas Parish, Bristol. He married after his father’s death Margaret Van der Schure. They were married at St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol. She at the time was a Dutch widow having been married to Nicasius Van der Schure. Margaret Van der Schure was the daughter of Jan (Johann, John) Jasper merchant of Rotterdam (Seitz, 1719 & Burke, 1929) and Alet Pletjes, whose family was from Kempen, Prussia (Lutz, 1988 & Miller, 1991). On October 14, 1644 William Penn the Founder of Pennsylvania was born.  

Margaret Jasper's sister Anne married Captain William Crispin. The Jasper family lived in County Clare Ireland. John Jasper rented land from the Earl of Thomond. The names Jasper bridge and Jasper pond are still found in Doora Parrish.

1. Burke, Bernard. (1929). Burke’s Peerage 1929. Burke’s Peerage Ltd. London.
2. Cox, R. (2004). Our Kinsfolk in the Netherlands Always Closely Associated with Britain. http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/kinsfolk.html retrieved 5/19/2004. “Penn’s wife and mother were Dutch”
3. Hart, A.D. (2004). Our Folk. http://www.aritek.com/hartgen/htm/penn.htm retrieved 5/16/2004. “Penn Family Genealogy”  
4. Hart, Frank "Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania.
5. Lutz, J.S. (1988) History of the Op den Graef/Updegraff Family, P. U-2.
6. Miller, G.W. (1991) Reconstructing the Op Den Graff windows of 1630 A.D. to fit Lohengrin Genealogy of the House of Cleves. Krefeld Immigrants and Their Descendants, 8:1 9-28.
7. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext05/twpwm10.txt retrieved 8/20/4. “ Penn’s Tryal transcript”
8. Seitz, D.C. (1719) Compleat Collection of State Tryals. 
9. Stephen, R. (2004). The Penn Family. http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~rstephen/livingeaston/ retrieved 5/16/2004. “Local church history, U.K., Minety Church”
10. Ulle, R.F. (1983) The Original Germantown Families. Mennonite Family History. April.
11. Waters A.M., H.F. (1907, 1981). Genealogical Gleanings in England. Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc. Baltimore.

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