- Horatio Sharpe
Horatio Sharpe (1718-1790) was Governor of Maryland from 1753 to 1768 under the
Restored Proprietary Government .Horatio Sharpe was born in England in 1718. He had nine brothers and four sistersndash Sharpe's brothers John, Joshua, William, and
Gregory Sharpe . Sisters's names are unknown. His brother Gregory Sharpe (1713-1771) was Master of the Temple and chaplain to George III.He was commissioned in the King's forces in 1745 as aCaptain and fought in theJacobite rebellion against the Scots. He served with the20th Regiment of Foot and theMarines . Later he is found in the West Indies as aLieutenant-Colonel . He served until his appointment byFrederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore as the proprietary Maryland colonial governor. (FollowingSamuel Ogle , who had died.) Horatio Sharpe was the brother of Lord Baltimore's guardian (William). He arrived in Maryland in August 1753.Appointed by the King in 1754 as the Royal Commander in Chief of all British Forces and commander of colonial forces for the protection of Virginia and adjoining Colonies until superseded by Maj. Gen.
Edward Braddock in 1755.He was a capable civil and military administrator, gentleman-farmer, fancier of fine horses, hospitable host, and friend of
George Mason andGeorge Washington . (Source: Jim Bartlinski, Carlyle House Curator, 14 Feb 2006)Horatio Sharpe also built Whitehall on the outskirts of
Annapolis (Whitehall Road, Skidmore,Anne Arundel County ). Now aNational Historic Landmark , Whitehall was designed byJoseph Horatio Anderson , who was also the architect of theMaryland State House . It served as Sharpe's residence from the time of his enforced retirement in 1769 until his return to England in 1773.He returned to England to attend to family matters in 1773 and remained there until his death in 1790. In the Maryland Confiscation Act of 1780, Horatio Sharpe is specifically mentioned by name. He was encouraged by the new state of Maryland to return from England to Maryland and reclaim his lands. Barring that, he was permitted to sell or dispose of all his Maryland properties which he did by selling or giving to his long-time secretary, John Ridout. John Ridout staying in Maryland throughout the Revolutionary War to protect his former employer's property.
Sir Robert Eden , 1st Baronet (1741–1784) was the last Royal Governor of Maryland. He followed Horatio Sharpe as governor in 1769.External links
* [http://aomol.net/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000006/html/index.html Sharpe's correspondence] . From "The Archives of Maryland"
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