Benedict Swingate Calvert (before 1727-1788)

Benedict Swingate Calvert

Benedict Swingate Calvert is my wife's 4th great grandfather and my own generation's 7th cousin 7 times removed. During our recent travels, we visited more than one site associated with Benedict, who was born in England, moved to Annapolis as a child, eventually presided over a stately home in Upper Marlboro known as Mt. Airy Mansion, and is buried in St. Thomas Church in Croom. Benedict was a common name amongst the Calverts, so this particular Benedict is usually referenced by his second name Swingate to distinguish him from his relatives.

Benedict was fathered by Charles Calvert, the 5th Lord Baltimore sometime before 1727. His gravestone lists his birth year as 1722, although he was likely born several years later. The identity of Benedict's mother is uncertain, although there is more than one theory concerning his maternal parentage, two of which tie him to the reigning house of Hanover in Great Britain.* If one of these connections is proven, it would be remarkable given that the Calverts were largely Jacobites and, a few generations earlier, included the Stuart monarchs themselves. Benedict was a loyalist during the War for Independence, although he was also a personal friend of George Washington, a fact which appears to have protected him and his property from confiscation by Patriots. Benedict's daughter Eleanor, who is buried next to him in St. Thomas Church, married Washington's stepson John Park Custis at Mt. Airy Mansion in 1774, although their marriage sadly ended seven years later with Custis's death.

This is the house at 10 Francis Street in Annapolis where Benedict lived as a child. It now houses the Maryland Catholic Conference. 

Nancy and I visited Mt. Airy Mansion on our honeymoon and again with our daughter in 2008. We visited it once more during our recent travels and discovered, to our dismay, that it has noticeably deteriorated. At one time it was being used as a catering venue, but that is no longer the case. The house, with its associated buildings, is located in Rosaryville State Park, whose website contains this message: "Mt. Airy Mansion is closed until further notice due to necessary renovations." However, we found no evidence that anything is being done to rectify its sorry state, despite its historical significance. Here are some photographs of the building:

Finally, on sunday, 26 April, Nancy and I worshipped at St. Thomas Church in Croom, where Benedict is buried beneath an impressive monument in the floor of the sanctuary. We sat in the pew directly behind this monument. We found the liturgy uplifting and the sermon quite solid.

 

This is the third instalment of a series devoted to our recent genealogical tour of Maryland. More to follow.

 

* See, for example, Nancy Calvert-Koyzis, "'Of the Highest Rank in England': The Search for Benedict Swingate Calvert’s Mother," Maryland Genealogical Society Journal (volume 63, no. 2, 2022).