Introducing the family: Benedict Calvert

Benedict "Swingate" Calvert (1724-1788) was my wife's 4th great-grandfather. He was born in England, the natural son of Charles Calvert, the 5th Lord Baltimore, and an unknown woman. Family lore says that this woman may have been Melusina von Schulenberg, the natural daughter of King George I and Ermengarde von Schulenberg, but this has not been definitively proven. Benedict was sent to Maryland in 1742 and lived in Annapolis. Six years later he married his cousin Elizabeth, whose father was Charles Calvert, governor of Maryland. In the 1760s they moved to Mount Airy Mansion in Prince Georges County. Their daughter Eleanor (Nelly) married John Parke Custis, stepson to George Washington.

During our honeymoon Nancy and I visited Mount Airy Mansion. At that time it was closed down and not in very good repair, and we had to get special permission to visit it. We also worshipped one sunday morning at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Croom, beneath which Benedict is buried. His grave marker is in the floor of the church, right near the pew where we were sitting.

Through my genealogical research, I've discovered that Benedict is, among other things, my own 7th cousin, 7-times removed. This is not at all unusual or surprising. I will be writing about the familial interconnectedness of virtually everyone on earth at some point.