CHARLES, 3rd BARON BALTIMORE CALVERT (1637 - 1715) The second Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland, inheriting the colony upon the death of his father, Cecilius Calvert. He had been his father's Deputy Governor since 1661 when he arrived in the colony at the age of 24. Rare manuscript D.S. "Charles Calvert" as "Lieutenant General of our said province of Maryland", 1p., 14" x 11", Saint Mary's, Maryland, Aug. 25, 1664, on vellum. In part, "...Cæcilius, Absolute Lord and Proprietary of the Provinces of Maryland and Avalon Lord Baron of Baltimore to all persons to whome these presents shall come Greeting in our Lord God Everlasting...James Hall of this province planter...Do hereby grant unto him the said James Hall a parcel of land (called Cove Hall) Lying in Talbott County on the North Side of Choptank River...Together with all rights profits and benefits thereunto belonging (Royall Mynes Excepted)...yielding and paying therefore yearly unto us and our heires att our Receipt att Saint Marys...at the Feast of the Annuncion of the blessed Virgin Mary and att the Feast of Saint Michaele...the rent of two Shillings Sterling in Silver or gold...". In 1632, King Charles I granted to Cecilius Calvert a charter for "Maryland colony." Established in 1634, St. Mary's City was one of the earliest permanent settlements in British America and Maryland's first capital. On August 27, 1664, just two days after this document was signed, English frigates sailed into New Amsterdam's harbor demanding the Dutch surrender and on September 8th, New Amsterdam became New York in honor of the Duke of York, son of King Charles I. In colonial times all grants of land from the Lords Baltimore were as leases subject to nominal ground rents, reserved by the Proprietary, and payable annually at Michaelmas, the Feast of St. Michael, which occurs on September 29th. Early Maryland colonial documents signed by Calvert are exceedingly rare: only one has been sold at a major public auction in the last 30 years! There is minor soiling on this strong vellum document, the upper portion of the text is light, and there are three holes touching five words, none of which affect the substance of the 344-year-old document. Very good.