Calvert, George (1580?-1632), the first Lord Baltimore, was an Englishman who played an important part in establishing the colony of Maryland. He was a member of the Virginia Company from 1609 to 1620 and received a large proprietary grant in Newfoundland in 1620. However, his colony there did not prosper because of the climate, and in 1629 he appealed to King Charles I for land farther south. Calvert had been converted to Roman Catholicism in 1625 and wanted to provide a refuge for English Catholics. In 1632, Charles granted him the proprietorship of Maryland, but he died on April 15, before the king signed the charter. The charter rights passed to his son, Cecilius.
Calvert was born in Kipling, in Yorkshire, England. He served King James I as secretary of state and in the Privy Council. He was also a member of Parliament. Calvert was made Lord Baltimore in 1625.
