Benedict Swingate Calvert | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait by John Wollaston, 1754 | |
| Judge of the Land Office | |
| In office 1755 – May 13, 1777 | |
| Succeeded by | St George Peale |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 27, 1722 England |
| Died | January 9, 1788 (aged 65) Maryland |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Calvert |
| Children | 13, including: Eleanor Calvert George Calvert |
| Parent | Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore (father) |
| Residence | Mount Airy Mansion |
| Occupation | planter, politician |
Benedict Swingate Calvert (January 27, 1722 – January 9, 1788) was a planter, politician and a Loyalist in Maryland during the American Revolution. He was the son of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, the third Proprietor Governor of Maryland (1699–1751). His mother's identity is not known, though one source speculates that she was Melusina von der Schulenburg, Countess of Walsingham. As he was illegitimate, he was not able to inherit his father's title or estates, which passed instead to his half brother Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore (1731–1771). Benedict Calvert spent most of his life as a politician, judge and planter in Maryland, though Frederick, by contrast, never visited the colony. Calvert became wealthy through proprietarial patronage and became an important colonial official, but he would lose his offices and his political power, though not his land and wealth, during the American Revolution.