John Hart (Governor of Maryland)
Encyclopedia
John Hart served as the 12th Royal Governor
of Maryland
from 1714–1715 and continued as the 12th Proprietary Governor
of Maryland from 1715–1720, after the restoration of proprietary control to Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
. His governorship marked the beginnings of the restoration of the Calvert family's control of Maryland.
had witnessed his family's loss of their proprietary Province of Maryland
in 1689, in part because of his family's Roman Catholic religion. Calvert calculated that the chief impediment to the restoration of his family's title to Maryland was his Catholicism, and he therefore converted to Anglicanism
, deciding to "embrace the protestant religion", and gambling that this move would win back his family's lost fortune in the New World. Such a bold move would come at a cost. Benedict's father Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore
, furious at his son's apostacy, withdrew his annual allowance of £450 and ended his support for his grandchildren's education and maintenance. Fortunately Benedict was able to persuade the Crown to grant him an allowance of £300 a year, and Queen Anne
even acceded to his nomination of John Hart as governor of the province, on condition that Hart would share with Calvert £500 per annum out of his profits from the office.
Hart's governorship therefore marked the beginnings of the restoration of the Calvert family's control of Maryland.
Royal governor
Royal governor is an informal term used to refer to a colonial or provincial Governor, or by extension a Governor-General or similar gubernatorial official, appointed by a king or other monarch....
of Maryland
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
from 1714–1715 and continued as the 12th Proprietary Governor
Proprietary Governor
Proprietary Governors were individuals authorized to govern proprietary colonies. Under the proprietary system, individuals or companies were granted commercial charters by the King of England to establish colonies. These proprietors then selected the governors and other officials in the colony....
of Maryland from 1715–1720, after the restoration of proprietary control to Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, 3rd Proprietor and 17th Proprietary Governor of Maryland, FRS was a British nobleman and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland...
. His governorship marked the beginnings of the restoration of the Calvert family's control of Maryland.
Governor of Maryland
Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron BaltimoreBenedict Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore
Benedict Leonard Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore, 10th Proprietary Governor of Maryland was an English nobleman and politician. He was the second son of Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore by Jane Lowe. He became his father's heir upon the death of his elder brother, Cecil in 1681...
had witnessed his family's loss of their proprietary Province of Maryland
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
in 1689, in part because of his family's Roman Catholic religion. Calvert calculated that the chief impediment to the restoration of his family's title to Maryland was his Catholicism, and he therefore converted to Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, deciding to "embrace the protestant religion", and gambling that this move would win back his family's lost fortune in the New World. Such a bold move would come at a cost. Benedict's father Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, 2nd Proprietor and 6th and 9th Proprietary Governor of Maryland , inherited the colony in 1675 upon the death of his father, Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. He had been his father's Deputy Governor since 1661 when he arrived in the colony at the age of 24...
, furious at his son's apostacy, withdrew his annual allowance of £450 and ended his support for his grandchildren's education and maintenance. Fortunately Benedict was able to persuade the Crown to grant him an allowance of £300 a year, and Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
even acceded to his nomination of John Hart as governor of the province, on condition that Hart would share with Calvert £500 per annum out of his profits from the office.
Hart's governorship therefore marked the beginnings of the restoration of the Calvert family's control of Maryland.