The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-06-07
WILLIAM PENN.
His Bones Will Not BE Dis
turbeds


be transferred from their quiet resting
place in Buckinghamshire to America, /
determined to make pilgrimage to Jor-
dan meeting house churchysrd. Ichose
June I'd for the visit, and duly made my
way to RickmAnsworth, quaint little
town in Hartfordshire, and thence to
Chalfont by confusing and winding roads.
Chalfont is in the heart of Buckingham
shire. It is several miles from the rail-
road station, and is off the high road, yet
is historic and grand. Near by in Chai-
font, st. Giles'ls shown, ths house where
Milton passed soma Of his later years and
composed much of his poetry, and where
Ellwood, quaker, suggested to him the
writing Of Paradise Regained The
little burial ground of the Friends
in which Penn is buried, is about three
miles beyond Chalfont, st. Giles. The
road is very solitary, but very pleasant
at he<ime of the year when the haw-
thorn and chestnut are in full bloom, and
the fields are waving with young corn.
After tapping slight elevation l WAS
surprised by g sight quite out of keeping
with the prevailing solitude. Twas look
ing down upon the thicklY wooded hol-
low, where the two paths joined, and
saw score or two of people, both men
and women, passing to and fro. A glance
assured me that most Of them were
Friends and that this must undoubtedly
be the place which sought, some ex-
traordinary occasion having brought
them together. A short walk brought
me within view of humble building en-
shrouded amid q grove of magnificent
trees, which are douhly sacred to the
Friends as having served their co-relig-
onists as a Worshipping place for
generations, and as being the chosen
resting place Of William Penn.
No mouldering ruin or rich sculptured
tracery attracts the gaze. Not single
object of artistic beauty, not one form OF
earthly grandeur meets the view. 1t is a
simple bsrn-like structure. In front Of
it are few uupretending gTavestones,
and that ia all. One might almost fancy
it the cemetery OF some ruined and de-
serted hamlet, but for the people there
assembled. I found that had hit upon
the rare occasion Of an annual meeting
Of the Friends of the district. It is al
most the only meeting held here during
the whole course Of the year, and the
very matter which took me there had
All had heard or talked Of the removal
Of PENIS bones, although none believed
it could be. Ali wanted to hear what
was said on the subject. Among the
numbers were some American Friends,
who were on their travels, and who had
devoted the day to seeing the spot which
was go endesred to them. Among them
were DR.. King, of Baltimore. J. Q.
Thorn, of Baltimore, Amos Haines, of
New York, and nearly q dozen others
l found group Of gentlemen gathered
about one of the unpretending graves, or
gravestones, should say, for there was
hardly mound to indicate where a body
had been laid. 1t bore the simple ln-
scription: "William Penn, 17l8." A
few years ago q stranger would have
been unable to distinguish the grave Of
William Penn from the surrounding
grass-covered hillocks. No sign declared
the former rank and character OF the
sleeper; wild flowers grew alike over all.
It was Granville Penn. of stoke Pogis,
the greAt-grandson Of Penn, who sug-
gested the erection of q small sleu 10
mark the resting place Of his ancestor.
His advice was adopted. Headstoues
mark not only the grave of Penn, but
his two wives, his children, his relatiY IS,
his Intimate associates and his fellow
laborers. The greater number of graves
remain unmarked by stones. Only if
teen stones are found in all, these being
close to the grave Of Penn. Near the
entrance gate, to the left Of the narrow
path, is row ofgraVes, five marked by
headstones. The second and third are
those of Isaac Pennington and ais wife,
the fourth is that of Penn's frat wife,
Gulielma Maria, the fifth bears the name
of William Penn and his second wife.
To modest any Of those graves, to modest,
most of all, the chief among them, that
of William Penn, would be desecrstion.
Such ives the opinion ofall with whom l
spoke, Americans as we'll as Epgtish.
They would not like 10 see the graves
touched on any account. Nowhere could
Penn's remains rest go suitably ss beneath
the elms of the quiet spot where with
others he had worshipped in uDquiet and
dangerous times and where at his own re-
quest he was buried. This opinion found
unanimous expression in . resolution
which was passed at the meeting to the
effect that nothing would ever induce the
trustees of the little grave yard to allow
any of the graves to be molested. They
had heard that sum Of money had been
collected to purchase grave for Penn's
bones, but they smiled at the simplicity
of any one who would suppose that
| money could have any effect upon them
For anything which they intended to dc
| or which they could be induced to do 10
| the matter the remains would stay where
they are for ever. Minutes to this efi-ct
we're entered upon tho record of the day
| proceedings and q committee was APP
pointed to see that nothing was done con-
trary to this resolution, should any direct
application be made for the removal OF
PENIS body Up to the present this has
not been the case. 1t should be said that
those views are in accordance with the
| wish of Colonel Stuart, whose wife Is s
descendant of the founder of Pennsylva'
mia, and who atill enjoys the pension o.
"a, coo which was granted to the family
| in lieu of the money lent by William
Penn to Charles II. Among thes'
elected upon this committee for the safe
guard of the grave may be mentioned
the names of r Littleboy, OF Newport
Pagnell, Luke Hitching and Mr..
Browntown, counsellor Of Liston
The Last nsmed is the chief trustee o.
Jordsn's meeting house. He writes te
the TINES, this morning, the following
| letter: The iutimAtion in your cores
pondence from the United States relative