George Carew

, Son of Mr. George Carew sometimes Dean of Ch. Ch. in Oxon, was born in Devon, but originally descended from the Carews of Carew Castle in Pembrokshire, became a Gent. Commoner of Broadgates hall in 1572. aged 15. About which time two of his Sirname studied in Vniversity coll. which hath given occasion, many years after, to some of the Fellows of that house, particularly to Dr. Joh. Browne, to take (a)(a) In his Additional notes to a Cat. of Scholrs of Univ. coll. in the [〈◊〉] of Q. Eliz. Which Cat. consists much of Sirnames only. one of them to be this George Carew whom we are farther to mention. Howsoever it is, or whether he studied in both houses successively, I shall not now dispute it: Sure I am that he was of Broadgates, and that being more delighted in Martial Affairs than in the solitary delights of a study, he left the University without a degree, went into Ireland, and there had a command given him against that noted Rebel the Earl of Desmond. Afterwards his merits being made known to Q. Eliz. she thereupon made him one of her Council, and Master of the Ordnance, there: In which last employment he behav’d himself with great renown in various expeditions, as some years after he did in the Voyage to Cadiz in Spain. In 1589. he was actually created M. of A. with other persons of quality, he being then a Knight. At length when all Ireland was in a manner invaded with a domestick Rebellion, and a Spanish Army, he was made President of Munster for 3 years; where joyning his Forces with those of the Earl of Thomond, he took divers Castles and strong Holds in those parts, and brought the titular Earl of Desmond (one of the most active Rebels there) to his tryal. After K. James came to the Crown he was called home, and in the first year of his Raign he was constituted Governour of the Isle of Guernsey and Castle Cornet. In the third year of that Kings Reign he was (b)(b) Ba [〈◊〉] of Engl. Tom. 3. p. 423. advanced to the degree and dignity of a Baron, by the title of the Lord Carew of Clopton, having before married Joyce the Daughter and Coheir of Will. Clepton of Clopton near Stratford upon Avon in Warwicksh. Esꝫ. Afterwards he was made Vicechamberlain and Treasurer to Q. Anne, Master of the Ordnance throughout England, and of the Privy Council to the King. At length when Charles came to the Crown, he was made by him, in the first year of his Reign, Earl of Totness in Devonshire, as being then a faithful Subject, a valiant and prudent Commander, an honest Counsellour, a gentile Scholar, a lover of Antiquities, and a great Patron of learning. He wrote a book intit.

Pacata Hibernia. Or, the History of the late Wars in Ireland. Lond. 1633. fol. with his picture before, and these verses under, it.

Talis crat vultu, sed linguâ, mente manuque

Qualis crat, qui vult dicere, scripta legat.

Consulat aut famam, qui linguâ, mente manuve

Vincere hunc, fama judice, rarus erat.

Of which History containing three years transactions in Munster, the said Earls actions (G. Carew) are not the least part. It was, while he lived, reserved first for his own private satisfaction; secondly preserved for the furtherance of a general history of the Kingdom of Ireland, when some industrious writer should undertake a compleat description of those Affairs: And lastly out of his own retired modesty, it was by him held back from the stage of publication, lest himself, being a principal Actor in many of the particulars, might be perhaps thought to give vent and utterance to his private merit and services, however justly memorable. After his death it came into the hands of his faithful and trusty Servant, (or rather his natural Son) called Tho. Stafford, by whom, it being first offer’d to the view and censure of divers learned and judicious persons, was at length published. This is that Thom, Stafford who was Master of many choice Originals of Charters of English Nobility, written in the time of Hen. 2. mostly containing conveyances and gifts of Lands to Religious Houses; which I presume he had by the gift of his aforesaid Master the Earl of Totness: But when Stafford died, they came into the hands of Sir Simonds D’ewes Bt. Besides Pacata Hibernia, our author Carew hath in four large volumes collected several Chronologies, Charters, Letters, Muniments and other materials, belonging to Ireland. Which as choice rarities, are at this day reserved in the Bodleian Library. He also made several collections, notes, and extracts for the writing of the History of the Reign of K. Hen. 5. which were (c)(c) Hypercritica, or a rule of judgment for writing, or reading our histories. MS. Address. 3. Sect. 3. remitted into the History of Great Britain, &c. published by Joh. Speed. In which History were also remitted most, if not all, of the Lord Viscount S. Albans Hist. of Hen. 7. the notes and collections of Sir Rob. Cotton concerning the Reign of K. Hen. 8. notes and collections of Sir Hen. Spelman for another King, the life of K. John by Dr. Jo. Barcham, and the notes of Edm. Bolton concerning K. Hen. 2. As for Speeds part in the said History of Gr. Britain, it is such for stile and industry, that for one who (as Martial speaks) had neither a Graecum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , nor an Ave Latinum, is perhaps without many Fellows in Europe. So much also have I understood of him by sure information, that he had no meaning in that labour to prevent great practick learnedness, but to furnish it for the common service of Englands Glory. As for our author Carew Earl of Totness, he ended his days in the Savoy situated in the Strand near London, 1629 27. Mar. in sixteen hundred twenty and nine, aged 73. and 10 months. Whereupon his body was conveyed to Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire, and was inter’d at the upper end of an Isle joyning on the North side to the body of the Church there. Over his grave was soon after a stately monument erected, with a large inscription thereon, which for brevity sake I now pass by; and desire the Reader to observe that there was one Tho. Carve who writes himself of Mobernan in the County of Tipperary in Ireland, a Priest and Apostolick Notary, who in the year of his age 70. Dom. 1660. wrote a book intit. Lyra sive Anacephalaeosis Hibernica in qua de exordio, sive origine, nomine, moribus ritibusque gentis Hibernicae succinctè tractatur. Sulsbaci 1666. 2d. edit. qu. But this Tho. Carve, who lived at Vienna in Germany in the Court of the reverend Curats and Levites belonging to the Cath. Church of St. Stephen there, to the year 1664. and after, is not to be understood (as some have done) to be the same with Tho. Carue, or any thing of kin to Geor. Carew before mention’d, or that he was beholding to Pacata Hibernia, when he composed his book, or to his MS. collections, as I can yet perceive. Besides the aforesaid George Carew was another of both his names, a native of Cornwall, who having benefited himself much in this University, and afterwards in the Inns of Court and in travelling beyond the Seas, was at his return called to the Barr. Soon after he supplyed the place of Secretary to Christop. Lord Hatton L. Chanc. of England, and after his decease performed the like Office to his two Successors, by special recommendation from her Majesty, who also gave him a Prothonotaryship in the Chancery, and in 1597. being then a Knight and one of the Masters of the Chancery, was by the said Queen (d)(d) Camden in Annal. Reg. Eliz. an. 1597. sent into Prussia to inform the K. and State of Poland, and the prutenic Cities, those things which she answered to Dzialine the last Embassador in England, &c. In which County and in other Nothern parts, he underwent, through unexpected accidents, extraordinary perils, but being freed from them by Gods great Providence, he performed his duty in acceptable manner. In January 1605. he was sent (e)(e) Idem in Annal. Reg. Jac. 1. MS. an. 1606. ordinary Embassador into France, where he behaved himself to the credit of the English Nation, and after his return the Commonwealth used his service, in the places of trust which he then injoyed. Whether he was the same Sir George Carew, who was created Master of Arts, with other persons of quality, at Cambridge 30. Aug. 1571. I know not Qu.