Lord Baltimore Swears Not to Take the Oath.
Lord Baltimore willingly took the oath of allegiance as the Virginia provisional council requested if he wished to remain among them. But now he was faced with a more demanding request from this council. The council decreed that he must take an oath of supremacy. This was not an oath Lord Baltimore was going take, nor did he deem it necessary.
Calvert had quit British politics because he declined to take such an oath, an oath that acknowledged the king as leader of the church as well as supreme political leader. Besides, back in merry old England the king had already declared that he did not have to take such an oath to stay in England or to be involved in British politics. What right did these up-start Americans have to tell him, Lord Baltimore, that he had to take such an oath to dwell amongst them?
When Calvert refused to take the oath the council made the strong suggestion that he return to England. Evidently Jamestown wasn't big enough for the two of them, Lord Baltimore and the council. Further compounding the touchy situation, the council informed Lord Baltimore that once he was back in England he could get, for himself, a ruling on the matter. They then proceeded to send a letter ahead of Calvert giving their side of the situation to the King, the same king who had said that Lord Baltimore did not have to take this oath.
As dire as the situation sounds, evidently it was not one of eminent danger. When Lord Baltimore returned to England his wife and children remained in Jamestown.
While Lord Baltimore was back home in England King Charles decreed him a patent to certain lands south of Virginia. Now came the first of many troublesome situations with William Claiborne of Virginia and his London fraction. Evidently the Claiborne fraction didn't want Lord Baltimore residing as a neighbor to Virginia any closer than necessary. They raised such a stink over the patent that the king had issued to Baltimore that it could not be ignored.
The Lords Baltimore continued: part 5.
Give Me Land, Lots of Land in Maryland
Lord Baltimore receives a land paten in America called Maryland. Its boundaries encompassed present-days Maryland, Delaware, parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
