Lionel Copley - First Royal Governor Of Maryland - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Leonard Calvert led the first colonists to the shores of Maryland in 1634 and established a settlement named St. Mary's. With plans of escaping the English conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the first MD charter mandated the freedom of religion and worship. St. Mary's became the capital and Leonard was named the governor of MD. Eventually, religious tolerance became a law.

When William and Mary ascended the throne in 1689, religious strife broke out in the colony between the Catholics and Protestants. William took over the province and erected a royal government appointing Lionel Copley as the first royal governor. Religious freedom was abolished and Protestantism was established as the official religion.

Copley died in 1693 and was buried in the Trinity Church cemetery. A memorial plaque on his burial vault reads:

HERE LYETH THE BODY
OF
LIONEL COPLEY OF WADWORTH, CO.YORK, ENGLAND
BORN 1648, DIED SEPT. 27, 1693.
AND OF
ANNE BOTELER, HIS WIFE OF WATTON,WOODHULL, CO.HERTS, ENGLAND
DIED MARCH 5, 1962

HE WAS SOMETIME
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOUR OF KINGSTON UPON HULL
1669-1690
LIEUTENANT GENERAL, GOVERNOUR IN CHIEF, AND
CHIEF ADMIRAL OF MARYLAND IN AMERICA
1691-1693
HIS SHORT TENURE OF LIFE IN THIS PROVINCE
WAS MARKED BY SINGULAR FIDELITY
IN TROUBLOUS TIMES TO
HIS GOD, HIS KING, AND HIS COUNTRY
---------------
MARYLAND SOCIETY OF COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA
HAS ERECTED THIS MEMORIAL
SEPTEMBER 27,1922

Coincidentally, not far from the first royal governor's grave is a monument to the very first governor of Maryland, Leonard Calvert.

References:

• History - stmaryscity.org
• Colony Of Maryland: A Brief History
• St Mary's Episcopal Parish - History
• On site information

Description: First royal governor of Maryland Date of birth: 01/01/1648 Date of death: 09/27/1693 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Tomb (above ground) Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Open daily Fee required?: No Web site: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   09/19/2015 Searcher28 visited it