William Penn. By Kyran William Penn was born in 1644 and was famous as a Quaker and the leader of the Pennsylvania Colony. The Five Mile Act was passed in 1655 and prohibited dissenting teachers and preachers to come within that distance of any borough. In 1666 another disaster struck struck England, The Great Fire of London. Penn then returned to the once great city in ruins. William Penn then passed away because of a stroke and will forever be remembered as the leader of the Pennsylvania Colony.