1st Baron Baltimore

DEDICATED TO MY AMERICAN COUSINS: THE LATE REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES McDOWELL, MIMI AND THOMAS VAN POOLE

It is claimed that this noble family was originally Flemish. From Flanders they transported themselves into the north of England.

LEONARD CALVERT (1550-1611), of Danby Wiske, Yorkshire, son of John George Calvert, married Alicia, daughter of John Crossland, of Crossland, in the same county, by whom he had issue, a son,

THE RT HON GEORGE CALVERT (1579-1632), of St Martin's Lane, Westminster, and Kiplin Hall, Catterick, Yorkshire, MP for Bossiney, 1609, Yorkshire, 1621, Oxford University, 1624, who having served as secretary to Sir Robert Cecil, when Secretary of State, and afterwards as Clerk to the Privy Council, received the honour of knighthood, 1617, and was thereafter appointed Secretary of State to the King, who employed him in the most important affairs.

The King granted him large tracts of land in Ireland, and elevated him to the peerage of that kingdom in 1624, in the dignity of BARON BALTIMORE, of Baltimore Manor, County Longford.

Whilst Secretary of State his lordship obtained a grant of the province of Avalon, in Newfoundland, with the most expensive privileges, and expended £25,000 in the settlement thereof.

This place he visited thrice in the reign of JAMES I, but after contending with great spirit against the French encroachments, he was obliged to abandon it altogether. 

Whereupon he obtained from CHARLES I a patent of Maryland to him and his heirs forever, with the same title and royalties as in Avalon, to hold in common socage as of the manor of Windsor, paying yearly, as an acknowledgement to the Crown, to Indian arrows at Windsor Castle, upon Easter Tuesday, and the fifth part of the gold and silver ore.

His lordship did not live, however, to see the grant pass the Great Seal.

He married firstly, in 1604, Anne, daughter of George Mynne, of Hertingfordbury, Hertfordshire, and had issue,

CECIL, his successor;
Leonard, 1st Governor of Maryland;
Francis;
George;
Henry;
John;
Philip, 5th Governor of Maryland;
Anne; Mary; Dorothy; Elizabeth; Grace; Helen.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

CECIL, 2nd Baron (1605-75), Governor of Newfoundland, Proprietor of Maryland Colony.

The province of Maryland was so named by CHARLES I in the honour of his Queen, HENRIETTA MARIA.

His lordship wedded, in 1627/8, Anne, daughter of the 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour, and had issue, nine children, of whom

CHARLES, 3rd Baron (1637-1715), 8th Governor of Maryland, present at JAMES II's Irish parliament in 1689, was outlawed for high treason in Ireland, although he had never been in that kingdom; but WILLIAM III, upon his lordship's representation, caused the outlawry to be reversed in 1691.

3rd Baron Baltimore (Image: Enoch Pratt Free Library)

He espoused firstly, Mary, daughter of Ralph Darnall; and secondly, ca 1666, Jane, daughter of Vincent Lowe, by whom he had issue,

Cecil (1667/8-81);
BENEDICT LEONARD, his successor.

His lordship married thirdly, Mary Bankes; and fourthly, in 1712, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Charleton.

He was succeeded by his son and heir,

BENEDICT LEONARD, 4th Baron (1679-1715), 10th Governor of Maryland, who had conformed to the established church in 1713, MP for Harwich, 1714-15, who wedded the Lady Charlotte Lee, daughter of Edward, 1st Earl of Lichfield, and had issue,

Benedict Leonard;
Edward Henry;
CHARLES, of whom hereafter;
Cecil;
Charlotte; Jane.

He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

CHARLES, 5th Baron (1699-1751), 17th Governor of Maryland, MP for St Germains, 1734-41, Surrey, 1741-51, who espoused, in 1730, Mary, daughter of Sir Theodore Janssen Bt, and had issue,

FREDERICK, his successor;
Caroline; Louisa.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

FREDERICK, 6th Baron (1731-71), who died without legitimate issue at Naples, Italy, in 1771, when the title became EXTINCT (his lordship had sold his estates before going abroad to Mr John Trotter, of Soho, London).

*****

The City of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, is named after Cecil, 2nd Baron Baltimore, proprietor of the colony of Maryland.

The Maryland state flag is the un-differenced Arms of Calvert quartering Crossland, a strikingly attractive flag.

The history of the Barons Baltimore is detailed and extensive.

A fuller account can be found here.

 First published in April, 2012.