Henry Harford (1758-1834)
of Down Place, Berkshire; 5th & last Lord Proprietor of Maryland
He was born in London, the only - but illegitimate - son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore. He was educated at Eton College and Exeter College, Oxford. He succeeded to all his father's considerable estates in England and America, but could not succeed to his title due to being born out of wedlock. In 1771, though only 13-years old, he became the 5th Lord Proprietor of Maryland and in 1773 Harford County was named for him. Maryland had been the most pro-British of the 13-colonies but by 1781 in the thick of the Revolution, the State of Maryland confiscated all his estates there which amounted to 245,000-acres. After the end of the war, he travelled to Maryland in a bid to reclaim those estates and despite the support of Charles Carroll among others, he was unsuccessful. He estimated his losses at £400,000 and was compensated by the British government with £100,000, second only to the payout given to John Penn. Harford was married twice to: (1) Louisa Pigou, by whom he had 5-children, and (2) Esther Ryecroft by whom he had a further 5-children. Seven of his children (listed above) lived to adulthood. He lived between 8 New Cavendish Street in London and Down Place.
