My Lady’s Manor 300th
Arrows for The Queen
My Lady’s Manor, occupying parts of northern Baltimore County and northwest Harford County, turned 300 this year. It is one of only a few working agricultural and historical communities in the United States that is on the National Register of Historic Places
In 1713, Charles Calvert, 3rd Lord Baltimore, granted those 10,000 acres as a gift to his fourth wife, Margaret Charleton of Hexham.
Over the course of its 300 years, My Lady’s Manor has gone from ownership of the Calvert family and rule of the British Crown to being auctioned off to Revolutionary War veterans and its former tenants. To this day, many of the descendants of those early families still reside and farm on the original 10,000 acres.
A roadside plaque was dedicated on September 29 to celebrate this rich legacy of history, conservation of the environment and rural culture of My Lady’s Manor.
The ceremony was held on a beautiful autumn afternoon on the grounds of Old St James Episcopal Church in Monkton, Baltimore County. Maryland Society Governor Henry Conley Pitts officiated.
Representatives from the County and State of Maryland as well as the British Embassy were in attendance. The colors were posted by the Old Guard of the White House. There was a procession of re-enactors portraying the various peoples of the Manor’s history. The anthems of God Save the Queen, Maryland My Maryland and The Star Spangled Banner were sung by students of St. James Academy.
Greetings from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, were delivered by the British Ambassador’s representative, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Moorhouse of the Royal Marines.
In the tradition of the Lords Baltimore, for the Charter of Maryland Governor Pitts presented two arrows to be forwarded to Her Majesty. The archives department of the State of Maryland graciously loaned for the occasion the original 1713 patent, and it was viewed by all in the St. James Church Hall.
Afterwards, many of the Warriors in attendance and the general public enjoyed tailgate parties with their families and friends.
The erection of the roadside historical marker and the ceremonial event at which it was unveiled were sponsored by the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maryland, the Manor 300 Committee and the Manor Conservancy.
Later, on December 6, a formal presentation of the arrows to be sent to the Queen was made during the Maryland Society’s annual fall cocktail party, held this year at the Elkridge Club.
At the Fall Cocktail Party at the Elkridge Club on December 6, Maryland Society Governor Henry Pitts (left) and LTC Edward Moorhouse of the British Embassy display the boxed arrows to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II. From days of King Charles I such tribute was paid by the Maryland Colony
A Letter for Her Majesty, The Queen
This is the letter that accompanied the boxed arrows sent to Queen Elizabeth II. It was addressed to Rt Hon Sir Christopher Geidt KCVO, OBE, PC, Private Secretary to Her Majesty The Queen, Buckingham Palace, London SW1 SW1A 1AA. Signed by J. Scott Watkins on behalf of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maryland, it reads as follows:
Dear Sir Christopher:
Please express to Her Majesty our gratitude for her kind greetings in recognition of the 300th anniversary of the granting of My Lady’s Manor. Her Majesty’s words were received with great delight and pride by all who attended the plaque ceremony. The correspondence is on display in the church ball of Old St. James in the heart of the Manor.
In the tradition begat by Cecilius Calvert, second Lord Baltimore to Charles I for the charter of Maryland, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maryland, Henry C. Pitts, Governor, is pleased to present this tribute of two arrows to Her Majesty, The Queen. The case was made by Manor resident and twelfth generation Marylander, Governor Pitts. Its wood comes from a cherry tree harvested on My Lady’s Manor. The arrows were crafted by a person of the Chesapeake, Daniel Fire Hawk, a member of the Nanticoke tribe. Their design and contents, as were in the days of Charles I, made from the flora and fauna of Maryland. The silver plaque represents the original agreement along with the two arrows of one fifth of all the gold and silver found in the colony to be paid to the Crown. None was ever found. The original presentation was witnessed by many on Sunday, September 29, 2013. A representative of Her Majesty’s Ambassador, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Moorhouse of the Royal Marines accepted the gift.
Our celebration of My Lady’s Manor honored much we have in common, a service to people, a stewardship of the land, a respect for history, a duty to tradition and of course, a love of horses. The Queen’s participation made it special. Again, please convey our thanks and best wishes to Her Majesty for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
P.S. It may be of interest for Her Majesty to know two horses that spent much of their time on My Lady’s Manor, Jay Trump (1965) and Ben Nevis (1980) were winners of The Grand National. Triple Crown great, Seattle Slew (1977), received his early training at The Manor.
