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Christopher Pennock was the very first Pennock to immigrate to America in 1684. [1] Almost all Pennocks in the United States can trace their ancestors back to Christopher and his sons and daughters.
Where and when he was born is not known. Most sources say he was born in Ireland about 1649,[2] however, records indicate he was “committed to Goal” (gaol[3] or jail) in 1660 for practicing his Quaker religion[4] meaning he would have only been 11 years old if born in 1649. He was probably born closer to 1645 or even 1640.
Some sources state that he was born in Germany, moved to England and finally Ireland. [5] What is known is that in 1660 he lived in Cork, a seaport on the river Lee, in Ireland where he had a shop as a cardmaker (making wire toothed wool combs) and wire drawer. [1]
Around 1664, he married his first wife, Dorothy Harwood. The birth of their son John, on 24 Aug 1665, was recorded by the Cork Friends' (Quaker) Meeting. They would go on to have 2 more children, Hannah and Sarah. Dorothy died 4 July 1671[1] leaving Christopher a young widower with three young children ages 2 to 6.
A year later, before or about Aug 1672, Christopher married Mary Collett, the daughter of a wealthy Irish Quaker George Collett, who leased an estate which included "Killhouse, Castle, Shop and Cellar" at Clonmel in the picturesque county of Tipperary, Ireland. Christopher and Mary had 5 children: Mary, Nathaniel, Joseph, Elizabeth and Ann. [1]
Christopher Pennock was a devote Quaker and during this time in history there was tremendous religious strife between the Irish Catholics, Anglicans and the Quakers. He remained a Quaker in spite of being harassed and imprisoned numerous times. Here are a few examples: [1][6][7][8]
1660
Imprisoned by order of the Mayor, Christopher Oliver, for meeting together (with some other Friends) to worship God in the City of Cork.[4]
1661
Imprisoned with 16 Friends for meeting in the City of Cork by the Mayor, Walter Cooper, where they were kept several weeks. [4]
1667
Imprisoned with William Penn and 17 other Friends for meeting together on 3 Nov 1667.[4]
1667
Imprisoned with 6 other Friends for meeting together on 24 Nov 1667 by the Mayor, Christopher Rye.[4]
1669
Imprisoned with 17 other Friends for meeting together by the Mayor, Christopher Rye.[4]
1670
Fined forty-nine yards of "stuff" worth £2, 16 shillings, for attending Quaker meeting.[4]
1671
The church warden took 8 shillings from him for the maintenance of the priest, Benjamin Cross.[1]
1675
The church warden took 7 shillings out of his "shop-box" for the priest, Benjamin Cross.[7]
1676
Mary, his wife, was imprisoned for one night for keeping shop open on Christmas, a feast day unobserved by Friends.[7]
In 1669 William Penn was sent over to Ireland by his father to deal with many of the leases on his father's Irish estates in County Cork. However, he spent most of his time working on behalf of the Quakers, attending many meetings and staying with leading Quaker families. Immediately on landing in Cork he went to see Quakers imprisoned by the authorities of the town. Penn himself had been imprisoned with Christopher Pennock two years before for having a Quaker meeting. [4][9]
In Penn’s journal he writes about meeting Christopher Pennock on 27 Dec 1669 and again on 30 Dec 1669 when Pennock arrived late in the evening with John Stubbs. Stubbs was a former soldier in Cromwell's army who became an English Quaker minister when George Fox, the founder, converted him to Quaker beliefs. The following day Penn traveled with Christopher and Stubbs part of the way to Youghal, where they had a Quaker meeting. [9]
On 1 Aug 1683, Christopher's father-in-law, George Collett, purchased 5,000 acres in the province of Pennsylvania, America. George paid about £106 to the brothers, Francis and George Rogers, Cork city merchants, who had bought the land in 1681 from William Penn. [1] Within a year, Christopher would become the first Pennock to arrive in the new lands of America because of this fortuitous event.
In 1684, after residing in Ireland (and possibly Cornwall, England)[8] Christopher and Mary Pennock, their children, Nathaniel, Joseph, Elizabeth and Ann, along with his daughter Sarah from his previous marriage and Mary's brother, George Collett, Jr., sailed for Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia Christopher Pennock carried on the trade of cardmaker and was active in the Friends' meeting. He was among those "Friends being met in the fear of the Lord at the Governour's house, and waiting a while proceeded to business, the fourth of the ninth month, 1684." (4 Nov 1684)[1]
Mary became dissatisfied in Philadelphia and wished to return to her father in Ireland. It's possible that she was concerned about their children's education in a very new frontier town. The first Friends' Public Grammar School would not be chartered in Philadelphia until 1689.[10] Two of her brothers, George Jr and one other who were in town, favored her going back home. Christopher Pennock never forgave them for this. Years later he wrote that they
Mary Pennock left Philadelphia about 1686, never to return. She took their children with her, leaving only Sarah from Christopher's first marriage. While she and Christopher would corresponded for the rest of their lives, her father gave him no encouragement to come to Ireland. [1]
The first important social event for the Pennock family in Philadelphia was the marriage, in 1688, of Christopher Pennock's daughter, Sarah, to William Salway, a Philadelphia merchant who would have a subsequent career as a provincial assemblyman, judge and councilor. Their intentions of marriage were first presented to the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting on 5th month 26th 1688 (26 Jul 1688),[11] by Sarah Eckley and Margaret Beardsley. William Salway was requested to bring a certificate from his monthly meeting and after producing this, they were left at liberty to proceed on 7th month 28th 1688 (28 Sep 1688).[1] [12]
Many websites, family trees, newspaper articles and books have various descriptions of the history of this Christopher Pennock that cannot be reconciled. Some of the confusion may also come from a Christopher Penick in Bethel Twp, PA being written as this Pennock but that Christopher and all his brothers died between 1729 and 1732. Unfortunately, many just copy information from site to site or tree to tree and perpetuate the errors and myths.
Some state that he was from Germany and also lived in Cromwell, England. [5] Many state that he was a soldier or officer in the army of William of Orange (William III , King William of England) [5] [14][15] before coming to Ireland and that after his first wife died he was “riding past Killhouse Castle near Clonmel, Tipperary Country when he saw a young girl, Mary Collet, with whom he fell in love at first sight.” Romantic but unsubstantiated. Some say he never came to America. Finally others say that after arriving in America in 1684 he was recalled to Ireland to fight at the Battle of Boyne in 1690. [14][15]
Even if this Christopher Pennock was born in 1640, he was too young to have served, especially as an officer, for Cromwell or William of Orange, in the Cromwellian war in Ireland (1649–53) and was an established Quaker by 1660 going to prison for his faith. Quakers in these early years were pacifists so it is unlikely he would return to fight at the Battle of Boyne in 1690. Also in a autobiographical letter dated "30th of ye 11th mo 1700" (30 Jan 1701) to the Monthly Meeting of friends in Philadelphia, he stated,
He never went back to Ireland to see her.
The exact date of Christopher Pennock’s death is unknown. He died between 15 Apr 1701 and 31 Jul 1701. He executed his will in Philadelphia on the “15th day of the Second moneth 1701” (15 Apr 1701) and the minutes at the Third Haven Meeting, in Talbot County, Maryland dated “the 5th month 31st., 1701” (31 Jul 1701) stating “Christopher Pennock being sudainly removed by Death…” requested that an “inventory of the goods and chattles of Christopher Pennock” be performed. [1] There is no evidence to state where he died. It is possible he died in Philadelphia prior to "takeing a Journey into Maryland in Some Short time,"[1] or in Maryland while looking after his brewery.
The Will of Christopher Pennock:
Chrsto: Pennock." [1]
Some believe that Christopher Pennock is the son of John Pennock and Mary Ward. However, no source has been found and they are listed here only as a possible reference. Further research is required.
See also:
Thank you to all that have contributed to this profile of Christopher Pennock
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