Thomas CAREW

Born: BET 1594 - 1595, possibly West Wickham, Kent, England

Died: 23 Mar 1639/40

Buried: St. Dunstan's-in-the-West, Westminster, England

Father: Matthew CAREW (Sir)

Mother: Alice RIVERS

Married: Margaret SMYTHE

Poet, a younger son of Sir Matthew Carew, by Alice, daughter of Sir John Rivers, knt., was born about 1595. He apparently matriculated at Merton College on 10 Jun 1608, aged 13, and graduated B.A. 31 Jan 1611. As early as 1613 his father, who was in straitened circumstances at the time, writing to Sir Dudley Carleton, complains that one of his sons was 'roving after hounds and hawks, and the other [Thomas] studying in the Middle Temple, but doing little at law'.

Lord Arundel and others having declined to take him into their service in consequence of his misconduct, which had been aggravated by 'aspersions' spoken and written against Sir Dudley and Lady Carleton. In 1619 Carew went with his friend Lord Herbert of Cherbury to the French court. He had previously been seen at Whitehall, for at the creation of Charles, Prince of Wales, 3 Nov 1616, he is mentioned as attending on Lord Beauchamp as his squire. He became in 1628 gentleman of Charles I's privy chamber, and subsequently sewer in ordinary. He was, it is said, high in favour with that King, who had a high opinion of his wit and abilities.

The poet Carew has been confused with Thomas Carey (b. 1597 - d. 1634), second son of Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth, a favoured courtier of James I and groom of the bedchamber to Charles I, who granted him in 1630 the manor of Sunninghill, Berkshire.

At the date of his death he was Ambassador designate to Venice.

By his wife Margaret, he left three daughters. Margaret Smythe was a daughter of Sir Thomas Smythe and Sarah Blount, C. Leicester.

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