Friends of a Friend
The Swedes and William Penn
apparently got along quite well
This rare postcard depicts William Penn’s relationship with Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church in Philadelphia.
When William Penn arrived in Philadelphia on the ship Welcome in 1682, the Swedes had already established a rural community in Wicaco just south of Penn’s new city of Brotherly Love.
As a good Quaker (aka the Society of Friends), Penn welcomed the settlers (and Indians) who came before him and tried to treat them fairly. In fact, he purchased much of the land for Philadelphia from three Swedes of Wicaco — the Svennson or Swanson brothers, sons of Sven Gunnarsson.
Penn’s first choice for his city’s location was actually in Upland (where the current city of Chester, Delaware County, is today), because it was closer to the sea. But his three commissioners found it too difficult to buy or trade land with the long-time Dutch and Swedish residents there. So Penn moved upriver to set up his city between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. And it prospered, growing as much in seven years, as many places did in 40, Penn said.
Note: Recent reports say William Penn kept as many as 12 enslaved people at his Bucks County home, Pennsbury Manor. I’m sorry to hear that. While misguided, he was a man of his time. Over the course of his life, he provided many precious freedoms to people in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
Some interesting oddities about the
Swedes’ connection with William Penn
Nils Gustafson, a 91-year-old Swede, remembered having seen “a great forest” where Penn’s city of Philadelphia is today. He also met with an old Indian who said he often killed stags “on the spot where Philadelphia now stands.”
According to George W. Boudreau, author of “Independence: A Guide to Historic Philadelphia,” Gloria Dei Church (Old Swedes’) is believed to be the only surviving building in Pennsylvania William Penn ever set foot in.” The church was also close to Penn’s city — once being described as being “no farther than two musket shots from the south side of the town.”
William Penn signed the naturalization papers for Pastor Andreas Rudman of Gloria Dei Church, and knew him well. Clergyman Eric Björk said in a letter that Penn was “quite favorable and courteous” to Rudman, lived close to him “and often walks to his house.”
Even before coming to America, the clergymen actually met Penn in London in 1696. They visited him to obtain Penn’s approval for their voyage to America. Why? Because by that time, Sweden had no diplomatic representative in America.
A granddaughter of Sven Swanson, who lived to be 103 years of age, told her grandson she remembered having seen William Penn on his second visit here (Dec. 1699 to Nov. 1701). She described him as “a thick-set, agreeable-looking man, of middle stature, wearing a wig.”
Peter Gunnarsson Rambo, the longest living of the original Swedish settlers and known as the Father of New Sweden, was selected by the Swedish settlers to greet William Penn, their new governor, when he arrived at Upland on Oct. 27, 1682. His grandchildren reported that Penn often lodged at Rambo’s home.
Rambo, who adopted his surname for reasons not completely clear, brought apple seeds in a box to America. It’s possible the first Rambo apple tree was produced from one of those trees. When novelist David Morrell came across the apples in Pennsylvania, he liked “the sound of force” of the name Rambo. So he named the action hero in “First Blood” John Rambo.
Although William Penn was invited to the dedication of Gloria Dei Church Jun. 2, 1700, we don’t know if he attended or not. But we do know that during his less than four years total time in Philadelphia, Penn had a good deal of contact with the Swedes here … and a good relationship as well.
In a letter to the Free Society of Traders, he said: “(The Swedes) are a plain strong, industrious people … they kindly received me.”
Research Credit: Amy Grant
Some Sources:
https://archive.org/details/annalsofphiladel1884wats
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gunnarsson_Rambo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo_apple
https://journals.psu.edu/pmhb/article/view/41566
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20089155
https://www.ushistory.org/penn/timeline.htm
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A54171.0001.001/1:3?rgn=div1;view=fulltext