William Penn Signed 1682 Pennsylvania Proprietary Indenture Form
Founding-Era Vellum Document Created for the First Sale of Pennsylvania Lands
A remarkable partly printed vellum land instrument bearing the signature “Wm Penn,” dating from 1682—the year William Penn first arrived in the province that bears his name.
The document identifies Penn as “William Penn of Worminghurst in the County of Sussex, Esquire” and recites the historic March 4, 1681 charter by which King Charles II granted him the territory of Pennsylvania. It was prepared to convey a specified quantity of land within:
“that tract of land or Province of Pensilvania in America.”
These early instruments were issued to purchasers who bought land from Penn before its precise location had necessarily been surveyed. Their investments helped finance and populate Penn’s new province, conceived as a “Holy Experiment” founded upon religious toleration, representative government and comparatively enlightened relations with Indigenous inhabitants.
The document specifies that each acre was to be measured according to the English statutory standard established during the reign of Henry VIII. It also reserves the customary proprietary quit-rent of one English shilling annually for every hundred acres.
Unlike a completed deed, the spaces intended for the purchaser’s name, acreage, consideration and exact day and month appear blank or extremely faded. This suggests that the instrument may be an unused or pre-signed proprietary form rather than a completed conveyance. Such a survival offers an unusual look at the actual legal documents prepared for Penn’s earliest land program.
A bold “Wm Penn” signature appears at the lower edge on a small rectangular section of vellum attached to the folded margin. The nature and date of this attachment have not been conclusively determined; it may represent an original component, an early reinforcement or a separately mounted signature. The item is consequently offered as a signed 1682 proprietary indenture form, with final determination of the signature’s physical relationship to the document reserved pending specialist examination.
Condition
The vellum exhibits substantial age-related toning, scattered staining and soiling, original folds, wrinkling, edge wear and several small marginal losses. There are separations and weaknesses along certain folds, particularly near the lower edge. The original wax seal is absent. Printed portions remain substantially legible, while manuscript entries are absent or extremely faded. The “Wm Penn” signature remains dark and distinct on an attached rectangular vellum section along the folded lower margin.
A fascinating founding-era Pennsylvania artifact bearing one of the most recognizable names in colonial American history.
Founding-Era Vellum Document Created for the First Sale of Pennsylvania Lands
A remarkable partly printed vellum land instrument bearing the signature “Wm Penn,” dating from 1682—the year William Penn first arrived in the province that bears his name.
The document identifies Penn as “William Penn of Worminghurst in the County of Sussex, Esquire” and recites the historic March 4, 1681 charter by which King Charles II granted him the territory of Pennsylvania. It was prepared to convey a specified quantity of land within:
“that tract of land or Province of Pensilvania in America.”
These early instruments were issued to purchasers who bought land from Penn before its precise location had necessarily been surveyed. Their investments helped finance and populate Penn’s new province, conceived as a “Holy Experiment” founded upon religious toleration, representative government and comparatively enlightened relations with Indigenous inhabitants.
The document specifies that each acre was to be measured according to the English statutory standard established during the reign of Henry VIII. It also reserves the customary proprietary quit-rent of one English shilling annually for every hundred acres.
Unlike a completed deed, the spaces intended for the purchaser’s name, acreage, consideration and exact day and month appear blank or extremely faded. This suggests that the instrument may be an unused or pre-signed proprietary form rather than a completed conveyance. Such a survival offers an unusual look at the actual legal documents prepared for Penn’s earliest land program.
A bold “Wm Penn” signature appears at the lower edge on a small rectangular section of vellum attached to the folded margin. The nature and date of this attachment have not been conclusively determined; it may represent an original component, an early reinforcement or a separately mounted signature. The item is consequently offered as a signed 1682 proprietary indenture form, with final determination of the signature’s physical relationship to the document reserved pending specialist examination.
Condition
The vellum exhibits substantial age-related toning, scattered staining and soiling, original folds, wrinkling, edge wear and several small marginal losses. There are separations and weaknesses along certain folds, particularly near the lower edge. The original wax seal is absent. Printed portions remain substantially legible, while manuscript entries are absent or extremely faded. The “Wm Penn” signature remains dark and distinct on an attached rectangular vellum section along the folded lower margin.
A fascinating founding-era Pennsylvania artifact bearing one of the most recognizable names in colonial American history.
