John Carroll

First bishop and archbishop of Baltimore and founder of the American Catholic hierarchy, John Carroll was born at Upper Marlboro, Maryland, On January 8 (or 19), 1736, the fourth of seven children of Daniel Carroll, merchant and planter, and Eleanor Darnall. Though but remotely related on his father’s side to the more famous Carroll branch that produced Charles Carroll of Carrollton, he was through his mother a second cousin of the latter. Through his mother he could also claim descent from some of the leading families of England. John was probably baptized in the chapel of the newly built mansion of his uncle Henry Darnall III called "His lordship's Kindness." The uncle would soon after take communion in the Church of England in order to hold public office and then flee the province when caught embezzling public funds. John would have more than his share of blacksheep relatives.