Frank Calvert was born into an English Levantine family on Malta in 1828.
He was the youngest of six sons and one daughter born to James Calvert and his wife, the former Louisa Lander, the sister of Charles Alexander Lander, James' business partner.
In social standing they were of the aristocracy.
James was a distant relative of the Calverts who founded Baltimore, Maryland, and Louisa was a direct descendant of the Campbells of Argyll (Scottish clansmen).
Not having inherited any wealth, they took to the colonies, married in Ottoman Smyrna in 1815, and settled in Malta, which had changed hands from the French to the British Empire with the Treaty of Paris (1814).
They associated with the "privileged" social circles of Malta, but they were poor.
James clerked in the mail and grain offices of the Civil Service.

The family regarded itself as a single enterprise.
They shared property, assisted each other, lived together and had common interests, one of which was the antiquities of the Troad.
They did not do well in Malta, but in 1829 the Dardanelles region underwent an upswing of its business cycle due to historical circumstances.
The Greek War of Independence was about to be concluded in favor of an independent state by the Treaty of Constantinople (1832).
The Levant Company, which had had a monopoly on trade through the Dardanelles, was terminated.
The price in pounds of the Turkish piastre fell.
A manyfold increase in British traffic through straits was anticipated.
A new type of job suddenly appeared: British Consul in the Dardanelles, which brought wealth with it.
Frank Calvert was born into an English Levantine family on Malta in 1828. He was the youngest of six sons and one daughter born to James Calvert and his wife, the former Louisa Lander, the sister of Charles Alexander Lander, James' business partner. In social standing they were of the aristocracy. James was a distant relative of the Calverts who founded Baltimore, Maryland, and Louisa was a direct descendant of the Campbells of Argyll (Scottish clansmen). Not having inherited any wealth, they took to the colonies, married in Ottoman Smyrna in 1815, and settled in Malta, which had changed hands from the French to the British Empire with the Treaty of Paris (1814). They associated with the "privileged" social circles of Malta, but they were poor. James clerked in the mail and grain offices of the Civil Service.
The family regarded itself as a single enterprise. They shared property, assisted each other, lived together and had common interests, one of which was the antiquities of the Troad. They did not do well in Malta, but in 1829 the Dardanelles region underwent an upswing of its business cycle due to historical circumstances. The Greek War of Independence was about to be concluded in favor of an independent state by the Treaty of Constantinople (1832). The Levant Company, which had had a monopoly on trade through the Dardanelles, was terminated. The price in pounds of the Turkish piastre fell. A manyfold increase in British traffic through straits was anticipated. A new type of job suddenly appeared: British Consul in the Dardanelles, which brought wealth with it.
Troy