William Penn (1644-1718), English coloniser, religious leader and founder of the American state of Pennsylvania. Penn was educated at Oxford University, England, where during his studies he was converted to Quakerism. He was later to write many religious tracts, one of which led to his imprisonment in 1669 at the Tower of London. While imprisoned he wrote his most famous work No Cross, No Crown. In this book he vindicated his religious convictions which helped obtain his release. In 1681 he was granted a large territory in North America, where he was to found the colony of Pennsylvania. Illustration from 1833.