The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-07-07
WAS SIGNED BY CHARLES l
JUST 300 YEARS AGO
HESTER DORSEY RICHARDSON
In The Baltimore Sunday Sun

The Charter of Maryland granted
by King Charles 1 of England to &C.
cilius Calvert passed the Great Seal
and was signed by the King at West
minister on June 20, 1852. By this
Royal Act, Cecilius Calvert became
the First Proprietary of Maryland,
the largest domain ever granted to an
individual in the New World; accord
ing to authorities it included from ten
to twelve million acres of land and
water.
By the provisions of this ample
grant, Maryland was to be erected
into a Province with all the royal
rights and privileges of the "Palanti-
nate of Durham" and Calvert was en-
powered "to confer Titles, make laws
with consent of the Freeman) and to
be forever exempt from taxation"
The Proprietary of Maryland was to
hold it "by Fealty only" and mot by
Knights Service" paying to the King
or his heirs, 1.-TWO Indian Arrows" of
those parts to be delivered at "Our
Castle of Windsor every yeere on the
Tuesday in Easter week." (also one
fifth part of "any gold or silver oare
that may be found" which was an
empty provision).
The passing of the Charter was a
momentous event, not only to Cecilius
Calvert, who thus became the "Prince
of Maryland" but also to the horde
of ill-wishers who had wrested it from
Sir George Calvert, "whom the King
delighted to honor" this coveted grant
which his Majesty had prepared for
him but of which death, after unwar-
ranted delays in it's passage, had sud-
denly deprived him two months be-
fore.
That the news of the granting of
the Maryland Charter became at once
the "buzz of the Town" is certain and
from Whitehall and the great houses
of the nobility, to the taverns and ale
houses along the Thames, rendezvous
of possible colonists and Of those sew
enteenth century monsters, the
"crimps" of London, who kidnapped
children to sell to the plantations, it
was the chief topic.
The shouting and the tumult which
had turned the "Starre Chamber" ses
sions into riot since early in the
year 1881, when the Governor and
Council of Virginia and other men,
bers of the Old Virginia Company
first entered their protests against
Sir George Calvert, "the Papist," be-
ing granted any land in or near to
Virginia, after the King had issued
him warrant for "a precinct of land
below the James river" that year,
continued to follow him through life.
This gift had been made by King
Charles in response to Sir George Cal
yert's letter dated at Ferryland, New
foundland, 10Th of August, 1929, in
which he asked for land in milder
climate in which to settle with his
family.
1t has taken 300 years to clear away
the mists that have obscured the truth
regarding the causes which hindered
and handicapped Sir George Calvert
and later his son Cecilius in their de-
sire to establish happy domain on
the new continent.
The whole sorry tale of the defeat
of Sir George Calvert's dream of COL
Onization along the waters of the
Chesapeake, strangely has never
been told, but is familiar to historical
research workers in the accounts left
BY Cecilius Calvert, preserved in the
Sloan manuscript in the British Mu-
scum, and in the Star Chamber and
Privy Council records, London.
When King Charles declared in
the Charter to Lord Baltimore his pur-
pose "to more eminently distinguish
Maryland above all other regions in
those parts (of America) and to dec
crate it with more ample titles" by
erecting it into a Province, with call
the Royal Rights and Privileges of the
Palantiate of Durham" he set the
standard of it's jurisdiction by this
last surviving Palantinate in England,
whose powers are enumerated by the
late DR.. Clayton C. Hall, as follows:
The authirity of a count palatine
was little short of royal. On account
of the military necessities of his from
tier position, he was authorized to
summon his feudal forces to resist in
vasion without waiting to communi-
cate with the King. In this manner
the Bishops of Durham exercised do
minion from their ancient and beauti-
full seat and stronghold near the Scot
tish border.
The authority of the Bishops of Dur
ham extended not only to military
matters; it included civil jurisdic-
ton as we'll. Judges were appointed
by them and justice was administered
and crimes punished, not in the name
of the Crown hut of the RiShOD