Thomas Greene (Governor)

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Thomas Greene (born March 27, 1610 in Bobbing , Kent , England ; † January 20, 1652 in Saint Mary's County , later in the US state of Maryland ) was an English colonial governor of the Province of Maryland .

Life

Thomas Greene was a son of Sir Thomas Greene and Lady Margaret Webb. In 1634 he came to the Province of Maryland with Leonard Calvert on the so-called Ark and Dove Expedition . This made him one of the first settlers in the colony, which was owned by the Calvert family. He settled in what was then the capital, St. Mary's City . In the colony he soon rose to become an influential politician. He became a member of the colonial council. In the predominantly Catholic colony, he took a moderate stance by professing tolerance towards other denominations. He was in contrast to the radical Catholic wing.

In 1647 Thomas Greene was appointed as his successor by the dying governor Leonard Calvert. This made sense because Greene was one of the few early settlers still available in the colony and was therefore thoroughly familiar with its problems. In his tenure, which lasted until 1649, he strengthened the militia in order to be able to better counter Indian attacks, but also to be better prepared for attacks from other English colonies, such as those that had taken place in Virginia in the early 1640s. On the other hand, there were also tensions between the denominations, which were also influenced by the events of the English Civil War . With this in mind, the Maryland Tolerance Act was passed in 1649 .

In 1649 Thomas Greene was deposed as governor by Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , owner of the colony, and replaced by William Stone . Greene was appointed as his deputy. In response to the Maryland Tolerance Act, there was renewed rebellion in the province, and Puritans usurped power in Maryland. It was not until 1657 that Calvert was reinstated in his rights as owner of the colony. At this point Thomas Greene had been dead for five years. He died on January 20, 1652.

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personal data
SURNAME Greene, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English colonial governor of the Province of Maryland
DATE OF BIRTH March 27, 1610
PLACE OF BIRTH Bobbing , in Kent , England
DATE OF DEATH January 20, 1652
Place of death Saint Mary's County , later in the US state of Maryland