BALTIMORE, GEORGE CALVERT, 1ST BARON (C. 1580-163 2) , English states man, whose name is associated with the foundation of Maryland, son of Leonard Calvert, and Alice, daughter of John Cros land of Crosland, was born at Kipling in Yorkshire and educated at Trinity Col lege, Oxford. After travelling on the con tinent, he entered the public service as secretary to Robert Cecil, afterwards earl of Salisbury. For his various services he received knighthood in 1617, a secretaryship of state in 1619 and a pension of f 2,000 a year in 162o. He repre sented successively Bossiney (1609), Yorkshire (1621) and Oxford university (1624) in the House of Commons, where it fell to him in his official capacity to communicate the king's policy and to obtain supplies. He was distrusted by the parliament, and was in favour of the unpopular alliance with Spain and the Spanish marriage. He then declared himself a Roman Catholic, and on Feb. 12, 1625, threw up his office, when he was created Baron Baltimore of Baltimore and received a grant of large estates in Ireland. He had established a small settlement in Newfoundland in 1621, for which under the name of Avalon he procured a charter in 1623, and which he himself visited in 1627. In consequence of disputes and the unsuitable nature of the climate he sailed thence for Virginia, but was forbidden to settle there unless he took the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. He returned home, and died on April 15, 1632, before a new concession was secured, the charter of Maryland passing the great seal on June 20, 1632, in favour of his son Cecilius, second Lord Baltimore, who founded the colony. Baltimore wrote Carmen funebre in D. Hen. Untonum (1596) ; The Answer to Tom Tell-Troth . . . (1642) is also attributed to him, and Wood mentions Baltimore as having composed "some thing concerning Maryland." His letters are to be found in various publications, including Strafford's Letters, Clarendon State Papers and the Calendars of State Papers.