YorksPast

Arundel Castle was built in the 11th Century and is located south of London. Ships sailed to and from Arundel; a five-mile journey along the River Arun to the English Channel. During the English Civil War (1642-45), William Cromwell’s Parliamentary forces laid siege to Arundel Castle until the royalist defenders surrendered the castle on January 6, 1644. The siege ruins were eventually restored and today more than 170,000 visitors tour the castle annually.

Sir William Springett was a Knight in Cromwell’s Parliamentary forces. Sir William died at the young age of 23-years-old, as a result of a wound received during the siege of Arundel Castle and is buried in Ringmer Church. Surviving Springett were a son, John Springett and his pregnant wife Mary; to whom was born Gulielma Maria Springett.

Miss Gulielma Springett became the first wife of William Penn in 1672. Springett Penn was the name given to both a son and a grandson. The following partial Time Line Family Tree, for William Penn, only focuses on the SPRINGETT connections. If you are reading this on the Ydr.com site, click on this LINK for a Full View of the illustrations in this post on the original YorkBlog site; since the ydr.com site will occasionally cut off important details in the cropping of illustrations.

In 1681, King Charles II granted the Charter for Pennsylvania to William Penn. Within the charter, special powers were granted to erect manors for Penn heirs. In 1722, when the grandson, Springett Penn, was 22-years-old, a Manor was established in Pennsylvania for him. At that time, his grandfather and father were no longer living, however William Penn’s second wife Hannah Penn was still alive.

Springett Penn’s manor, The Manor of Springettsbury, was established on lands west of the Susquehanna River, falling within present day York County. The location was selected specifically to counter the encroachment of Maryland squatters. The land was marked with Springett’s name blazed upon the trees, in hopes of keeping off “Marylanders and other disturbing persons.”

On April 20, 1891, the northeastern area of Spring Garden Township in York County was incorporated as a separate township. Since the new township extended north and south across almost the entire width of the colonial The Manor of Springettsbury, the name Springettsbury Township was selected.

The connection of Springett Penn to Springettsbury has been extensively written about. I thought taking the connection back to the Springett surname should also be brought to light. Now you know how Springett Penn received his given name, from his great-grandfather the Knight, Sir William Springett.

Related posts include:

• Tale of the Springettsbury Township Crest
• Springetts Springtime Parade in the 1970s
• Dr. Neal O. Hively Connected Draft Map of The Manor of Springettsbury
• The Manor of Springettsbury by Neal Otto Hively

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