Hello Calverts!
Firstly let me say I am no Calvert myself, but that I have a great
interest in one John Calvert (1825-1897) of London, England, who I have
been researching for several years. John was, shall we say, a colourful
character of Victorian England. He spent several years in Australia and
is said also to have voyaged in South America, Africa, New Zealand and
various of the Pacific Islands. He is primarily remembered today for the
huge collection of minerals, shells, antiquities and ethnographia that
he amassed in hs London house. He was also a gold prospector, claiming
to have been the first to find gold in Australia. He traced his descent
from Frederick Calvert, 6th Lord Baltimore, and though it would appear
that he had claim to the title he was never to take it up. In fact he
was a charlatan on a grand scale, and much of his so-called life story
was borrowed wholesale from the experiences of others. Nevertheless,
there is sometimes a kernel of truth in his stories and I'm turning to
you for clarification on John's supposed line of descent as described by
his biographers. It is said to run as follows:
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John's father was the celebrated artist Edward Calvert, a noted engraver
and close friend of William Blake and other members of Blake's circle.
Edward's father was Rowland Calvert who is supposed to have been the
only son of Frederick Calvert 6th Lord Baltimore and his 2nd wife Mary
Jenson. Their marriage was not a happy one and she stayed in Altona
while Frederick removed to England. After Frederick's disgrace over a
rape case she "obtained an order forbidding her son ever to assume the
title of Baron Baltimore." On the death of his mother "some years" after
the death of his father in 1798, Rowland moved to England where he was
provided with a suite of apartments at St James's Palace by George III.
He married at Sarum Church, Salisbury, to Katherine Rider, a grand-
daughter of William Gray, master ship builder of Woolwich and Chatham
and they lived for a while at St Winnows, near Lostwithiel, Cornwall.
When Rowland was appointed Captain in the Devonshire Yeomanry they moved
to Bideford, but returned to St Winnows "some while before his death" in
1813. His artist son Edward was born Appledore, Devon 20.9.1799. The
first years of Edwards' life were passed near Starcross. Joined the navy
when very young. When his ship Albion was paid off at Devonport he
retired from the navy, having previously married Mary Bennell at
Devonport. "At this time [he] was barely 20 years of age, and his wife
was a mere schoolgirl." He moved to London to take up his career as an
artist. John was born in 1825 (though he was later to claim he was
older). Other sons William and Samuel went to Australia in the 1840s or
so and there became well known as engravers.
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Well, does any of this make sense? I have read the articles on the
Calverts in the American Dictionary of Biography and obtained Nicklin's
Calvert genealogy. Neither source mentions Frederick's second wife. I
would be VERY interested to hear the comments of the group!
Thanks in advance
Mick
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Michael Cooper, Mineralist minerals(a)mpcooper.demon.co.uk
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