List of colonial governors of Maryland facts for kids
Maryland began as a proprietary colony of the Catholic Calvert family, the Lords Baltimore under a royal charter, and its first eight governors were appointed by them. When the Catholic King of England, James II, was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution, the Calverts lost their charter and Maryland became a royal colony. It was governed briefly by local Protestants before the arrival of the first of 12 governors appointed directly by the English crown. The royal charter was restored to the Calverts in 1715 and governors were again appointed by the Calverts through the American Revolution.
Colonial period
This list includes appointed governors, including those briefly appointed by the Cromwellian government, but excludes those who claimed themselves as governors of the colony without a formal appointment from London.
Number | Name | Picture | Took office | Left office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Proprietary governors | |||||
1 | Leonard Calvert | 1634 | 1647 | ||
2 | Thomas Greene | 1647 | 1649 | ||
3 | William Stone | 1649 | March 28, 1652 | ||
4 | Rev. Robert Brook Sr. | March 29, 1652 | July 3, 1652 | ||
5 | William Stone | July 4, 1652 | 1656 | ||
6 | Lieutenant-General Josias Fendall | 1657 | 1660 | ||
7 | Phillip Calvert | 1660 | 1660 | ||
8 | Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore | 1661 | 1676 | ||
9 | Jesse Wharton | 1676 | 1676 | ||
10 | Thomas Notley | 1676 | 1679 | ||
11 | Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore | 1679 | 1684 | ||
12 | Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore | 1684 | 1688 | ||
13 | William Joseph | 1688 | 1689 | ||
Leaders of the Protestant associators | |||||
1 | John Coode | 1689 | 1690 | ||
2 | Nehemiah Blakiston | 1691 | 1692 | ||
Royal governors | |||||
1 | Sir Lionel Copley | 1692 | 1693 | ||
2 | Sir Thomas Lawrence | 1693 | 1694 | ||
3 | Sir Edmund Andros | 1693 | 1693 | ||
4 | Colonel Nicholas Greenberry | 1693 | 1694 | ||
5 | Sir Edmund Andros | 1694 | 1694 | ||
6 | Sir Thomas Lawrence | 1694 | 1694 | ||
7 | Francis Nicholson | 1694 | 1699 | ||
8 | Colonel Nathaniel Blakiston | 1699 | 1702 | ||
9 | Thomas Tench | 1702 | 1704 | ||
10 | Colonel John Seymour | 1704 | 1709 | ||
11 | Major General Edward Lloyd | 1709 | 1714 | ||
12 | John Hart | 1714 | 1715 | ||
Governors of the restored proprietary government | |||||
1 | John Hart | 1715 | 1720 | ||
2 | Colonel Thomas Brooke, Jr. | 1720 | 1720 | ||
3 | Captain Charles Calvert | 1720 | 1727 | ||
4 | Benedict Leonard Calvert | 1727 | 1731 | ||
5 | Samuel Ogle | 1731 | 1732 | ||
6 | Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore | 1732 | 1733 | ||
7 | Samuel Ogle | 1733 | 1742 | ||
8 | Sir Thomas Bladen | 1742 | 1746/47 | ||
9 | Samuel Ogle | 1746/47 | 1752 | ||
10 | Benjamin Tasker | 1752 | 1753 | ||
11 | Horatio Sharpe | 1753 | 1769 | ||
12 | Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, of Maryland | 1769 | 1776 |