Nicholas Carew (courtier)

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Sir Nicholas Carew after Hans Holbein

Sir Nicholas Carew or Carewe (* around 1496 ; † March 8, 1539 ) was an English nobleman as well as cavalry master and diplomat under King Henry VIII. Carew was one of the king's oldest friends and was thus one of the most influential nobles at court. Although he was largely related to Queen Anne Boleyn , he was one of the advocates of the outcast Queen Catherine of Aragón and her daughter Princess Maria . Like his brother-in-law Francis Bryan , he participated in the plot against Anne Boleyn and supported her rival and successor Jane Seymour . As a member of the conservative camp, he was hostile to the Reformation and ultimately fell victim to an intrigue. Suspected of being involved in the Exeter conspiracy , he was found guilty of high treason in 1539 and executed on March 8th.

Life

Rise at court

Sir Nicholas Carew, sketch by Hans Holbein

Nicholas Carew came from the Carew family and was the son and heir of Sir Richard Carew (around 1469-1520), lord of Beddington in Surrey , and his wife Maline Oxenbridge. His father had been knighted by Henry VII , served as sheriff in Surrey, and in 1513 became lieutenant of Calais . Nicholas himself probably came to the court at a young age, because he was later said to have been "raised by the king himself". As early as 1511 he was appointed valet Henry VIII , around 1515 he was Esquire of the Body, was promoted to Knight Bachelor in 1517 and around 1518 he received the newly created office of gentleman of the Privy Chamber.

Carew quickly became one of the king's closest friends. When he married Elizabeth Bryan, the younger sister of Francis Bryan , in December 1514 , the king attended the wedding and gave them lands worth 50 English marks. Elizabeth Bryan was highly favored by the king and, according to contemporary reports, was "showered with jewels" by him. The young couple took part in various masquerades and tournaments and Carew made a name for himself in particular in tjosten . Heinrich, who himself was an enthusiastic joiner, encouraged Carew to the best of his ability and provided him with generous equipment, including his own joystick.

On July 7, 1517 Carew distinguished himself as a "Blue Knight" when a large jousting tournament in honor of foreign ambassadors was held in Greenwich. Among other things, the papal nuncio was present, who left a report. Heinrich himself entered the tournament, but Carew was the undefeated hero of the tournament. He caused a stir with an unusually large lance, 22 cm in diameter and 3.65 meters in length, which had to be carried in by three men. Carew carried the lance with one hand, as was customary at the joust "to the extreme admiration and amazement of everyone".

Offices and dignities

From 1513 until his father's death in 1520, Carew shared the post of captain of Calais with him. Carew also accompanied the king on his campaign against France in 1513. As a reward for his service in the war, he and five other courtiers received a silver-interwoven cloak made of green velvet. Heinrich Carew also signed various mansions in Sussex and lands in Surrey. In 1515 Carew became Heinrich's cupbearer and in this capacity took part in a banquet in honor of the Spanish ambassadors in 1517.

King Henry VIII approx. 1523, artist unknown

His confidential dealings with the king quickly aroused the envy of the conservative faction. In 1517 Carew came into conflict with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey . Wolsey wanted to marry off the wealthy widow Margaret Vernon to his servant Sir William Tyrwhit, but Carew's comrade William Coffin also had an eye on her. Carew used his position as the royal favorite to support Coffin's advertising and persuaded the king to give his blessing to this association. Of Wolsey's reaction, a statement by William Compton has come down to us, who told George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury : "My lord Cardinal is far from satisfied." Many courtiers also disliked Carew's preference for France. In early 1518 he had to leave the court for a short time, because Richard Pace wrote in March that Carew had returned to the court with Elizabeth Bryan, "too early in my opinion."

This conflict reached a climax when an improper incident became known in France. Carew and his brother-in-law Francis Bryan had been to France on a diplomatic trip and had "ridden through Paris in disguise, throwing eggs, stones and other silly trifles at people." In May 1519 both were banned from court by the Privy Council. The king didn’t seem to take offense at the behavior of his friends, because in October both were fed again at court. Heinrich also had Carew's debts canceled in 1520, another token of his favor. Also in 1520 the meeting took place at the Camp du Drap d'Or in France. There Carew took part in the jousting tournament with thirteen other knights. With Henry Courtenay, Earl of Devon and Francis Bryan, he also went in a splendid procession through the streets of Ardres and Guisnes in disguise .

As the king's confidante, Carew was often given diplomatic and politically significant tasks. Towards the end of the year he was sent to France as ambassador to persuade King Francis I not to send troops to Italy. Although he was only moderately successful, he still received £ 100 on his return. In 1521 he was a member of the jury that held Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham in court and found him guilty of high treason. After Buckingham's execution, Heinrich Carew transferred not only Buckingham's mansion to Bletchingley in Surrey, but also his former office of administrator of Brasted Park in Kent . More transfers and offices followed, so that in 1527 the value of all his lands was £ 400, the third highest value among the king's servants. He received his most important office, Rittmeister of the King, in 1522.

In the 1520s, Carew made several more trips to the continent. 1522 he was among the troops in the Picardy invaded, in 1527 he brought Francis I. the Order of the Garter . In 1529 Carew met with an embassy from Charles V in Bologna to attend the signing of the Imperial-French peace treaty negotiated in the Peace of Cambrai . Geronimo De Ghinucci, Bishop of Worcester, wrote to Henry that Carew had "handled the king's cause with so much prudence and skill that he leaves the Emperor and the Pope with the greatest satisfaction".

Carew and Anne Boleyn

During the restructuring of the royal household in January 1526, the so-called Eltham Ordinances , Cardinal Wolsey took the opportunity to remove all offices in the Privy Chamber from the brother-in-law Carew and Bryan, who are known as troublemakers. Once again, both were removed from the king's immediate vicinity. However, Carew managed to secure a position in the Privy Chamber again in January 1528. Historians suggest that Anne Boleyn , a distant relative of Carew's, was responsible for his return. In 1531, when Heinrich began to avoid Catherine of Aragón and go on extensive hunting trips with Anne, Carew was one of the three courtiers who were allowed to accompany him. In addition, Carew made his house Beddington available to the two lovers as a meeting point, which was praised by contemporaries as a “beautiful house, almost a palace” and “paradise of joy”. Nevertheless, Carew would very quickly prove to be a loyal friend and advocate of Catherine and Princess Mary . As early as 1529, as ambassador to the court of Charles V , Carew had unofficially sided with Katharina's side and contacted Eustace Chapuys , the Spanish ambassador to England.

Anne Boleyn after Hans Holbein

At Anne Boleyn's coronation in the summer of 1533, Carew took part in the jousts that were performed during the festivities. Still, according to contemporary reports, the Tjosten were not a great success. The horses often shied away, probably because the new arena was not properly developed. Sometimes, however, it is also suspected that Carew deliberately performed badly to dup Anne, but with this behavior he would have drawn the wrath of the king. If he was already working against Anne at this time, it was much more discreet. Chapuys referred to Carew in 1534 when he wrote to Charles V that the king was already tired of his wife. The Carews were in constant contact with Princess Maria, even after she was disgraced, and were among their friends and confidants.

When Katharina died after a long illness in January 1536 and Anne had a miscarriage shortly afterwards, her opponents saw another chance to overthrow her. Carew was now much more open against Anne. When a court jester aroused Heinrich's anger because he spoke out for Katharina and Maria and described Anne and Elisabeth as mistresses and bastards, Carew protected and sheltered him. In the spring of the same year Carew and Anne's brother George Boleyn competed for the only free place in the prestigious Order of the Garter . Carew's application was supported by Francis I, while Anne sponsored her brother. Since the election ended in a draw, Heinrich postponed his decision for a day and finally it was announced on April 23, 1536 that there were several who would indeed be extraordinarily worthy. At the moment, however, he believed it was right that Sir Nicholas Carew should be given preference in the election. Carew then fell on his knees and protested that he owed this post not to his own merits, but only to the kindness of the king. Perhaps Anne Boleyn's declining influence also played a role here. David Starkey argues that the Queen's opposition to Carew's nomination was a recommendation in the eyes of her disappointed husband. Chapuys interpreted the result as a setback for Anne Boleyn, as her brother received nothing. A little later, Carew wrote to Princess Maria that she was in good spirits, as the Boleyns fell in favor of the king and "the opposing party would soon pour water into their wine". Carew's solemn introduction to the Order took place on May 21, 1536.

In April 1536 contemporaries reported that Carew was on Jane Seymour's side, in which the king was now interested. Carew was at this time a contact person for Jane, how she could win the love of the king for herself, namely "that she should under no circumstances comply with the wishes of the king, unless by marriage". For both him and Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter , a marriage between Heinrich and Jane was a means to an end to reintegrate Princess Maria into the line of succession and to stop the Reformation promoted by Anne. Immediately after Anne's arrest, Carew was at the king's side to comfort him. He also offered Jane Seymour his house in Beddingfort while the investigation into Anne Boleyn continued. On the one hand, this kept her away from any scandal, and on the other hand, the king could visit her. Together with Francis Bryan, Carew brought George Boleyn a message in the Tower from his wife Jane Boleyn , in which she promised to ask the King for mercy. On May 14th, Carew brought Jane Seymour back to London. His close connection to her rise is often interpreted by historians to mean that Jane was his puppet, simply speaking and acting as he had taught her to do, and which was intended to strengthen his own influence. If Carew thought so, he would soon be taught otherwise.

Fall and execution

Shortly after Anne Boleyn's execution, the Lord Seal Keeper Thomas Cromwell set about eliminating Maria's advocate. Heinrich still regarded his daughter from his first marriage as illegitimate. Maria refused, however, to recognize her illegitimacy and in response Heinrich took a sharp approach against anyone who defended her claim to the throne. First, Francis Bryan was interrogated, who testified that Carew and other members of the Privy Chamber had cheered the end of Anne Boleyn and hoped that Maria would be reinstated in the line of succession if Jane Seymour did not have children. Anthony Browne, one of his comrades, testified that Carew wrote to Maria imploring her to submit to the king because “if she does not give in, she is lost. The king is a gracious prince and will have pity on her if she gives up her stubbornness and does not throw herself away ”.

Henry Courtenay, a good friend of Carew and a supporter of Mary, lost his position in the Privy Chamber during the investigation, a sign that he was no longer in the king's favor. Carew's wife Elizabeth Bryan pleaded with Mary to “submit to the King in all things at the Passion of Christ, otherwise she would be lost for good .” What exacerbated the situation was the 1st Act of Succession , which Henry's Parliament passed the year before and who made it treason to contest Princess Elizabeth's claim to the throne. As long as no new bill was passed, the act was considered final and branded any attempt to bring Mary to the throne as high treason. Thus, Carew and all of Mary's supporters were potential traitors. By threatening her friends, Heinrich put pressure on Maria until she finally gave in and officially recognized her illegitimacy. For now, Carew and his friends were safe again.

Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein , ca.1533

In the same year Carew went together with Francis Bryan, Henry Courtenay and Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk against the pilgrimage of grace to the field, where he himself provided 200 armed men. Although he himself represented ideals similar to those of the pilgrims, he profited from the suppression of the uprising and the resulting closure of the English monasteries, because in 1537 Heinrich gave him several lands that had once been church property. In April 1538 the king was a guest at Carew's in Beddington. But only a few months later, Carew's close friends Henry Courtenay, Henry Pole and Edward Neville were arrested and accused of organizing the so-called Exeter conspiracy . Historians suggest that Thomas Cromwell wanted to do this to eliminate the conservative faction at court because they stood in the way of the Reformation. In early December, Courtenay, Pole and Neville were executed as traitors.

Nicholas Carew was also arrested on December 31st. The reason for this was a letter from Courtenay's wife, Gertrude, found in Carew's house. The letter allegedly revealed that Carew was involved in the Exeter conspiracy. According to Thomas Fuller, an argument between Carew and the king had recently taken place, whereupon the king was "so angry that Sir Nicholas fell from the top of his favor to the cause of his disfavor and was fatally injured". In his trial on February 14, 1539, it was stated that he had supported Henry Courtenay, who had been executed as a traitor, and had talks with him about how the world could be changed. He was also accused of treason to have received letters from Courtenay and then burned them. In addition, he had been heard saying about Courtenay's trial: "I am surprised that the charges against the Lord Marquess were carried out so secretly and for what purpose, because it is unheard of," which was also blown into treason. The jury found Carew guilty of high treason. His own brother-in-law and close friend Francis Bryan sat on the jury because he himself was under suspicion and had to prove his loyalty to the king.

On March 8th, Nicholas Carew was beheaded on Tower Hill . On the scaffold he declared that he had only recognized God's word through his guardian, who gave him an English Bible. It is possible that he turned his back on conservative Catholicism in his last days, although it is unclear whether he did it out of conviction or to placate the king. Unlike other convicted traitors, however, his head was not displayed, but buried together with his body in the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the middle of the tower. His remains were later transferred to St. Botolph's Church in London. After his death, all of his belongings fell to the crown, as was customary with executed traitors, including his wife's jewels. However, with the help of her brother and mother, Elizabeth Bryan managed to petition to get back a large part of the confiscated goods and items. Under King Edward VI. the family was rehabilitated and Carew's son Francis recognized as his father's heir.

progeny

Marriage to Elizabeth Bryan produced five children:

  • Anne Carew (around 1520–1581), ⚭ Nicholas Throckmorton; Parents of Elizabeth Throckmorton
  • Sir Francis Carew of Beddington (1530-1611), unmarried
  • Mary Carew (* 1520), ⚭ Sir Arthur Darcy
  • Elizabeth Carew
  • Isabel Carew (* around 1530), ⚭ Nicholas Saunders

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Stanford Lehmberg: Carew, Nicholas . In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Volume 10: Cappe-Chancellor. 2004 Oxford University Press
  2. ↑ Barbara J. Harris: English Aristocratic Women 1450-1550. Marriage and Family, Property and Careers. 2002 Oxford University Press, p. 142
  3. ^ A b David Starkey: The Reign of King Henry VIII. Personalities and Politics . 2002 Vintage Books, p. 56
  4. ↑ a b Susan Bridgen: Bryan, Francis. In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Volume 8: Brown Burstow . 2004 Oxford University Press
  5. ↑ David Starkey: Six Wives. The Queens of Henry VIII. 2004 Harper Collins Perennial, p. 319
  6. ↑ Eric Ives : The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 107
  7. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 146
  8. ↑ David Starkey: Six Wives. The Queens of Henry VIII. 2004, Harper Collins Perennial, p. 340
  9. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 140
  10. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 182
  11. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 194
  12. ↑ Linda Porter: Mary Tudor. The first queen . 2009 Piatkus, p. 109
  13. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 301
  14. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 302
  15. ^ A b William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 1, Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 22.
  16. ^ A b David Starkey: Six Wives. The Queens of Henry VIII. 2004 Harper Collins Perennial, p. 562
  17. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 306
  18. ↑ Linda Porter: Mary Tudor. The first queen . 2009 Piatkus, p. 114
  19. ^ A b David Starkey: Six Wives. The Queens of Henry VIII. 2004 Harper Collins Perennial, p. 590
  20. ^ Anna Whitelock: Mary Tudor. England's first queen. 2010 Bloomsbury, p. 78
  21. ↑ David Starkey: Six Wives. The Queens of Henry VIII. 2004 Harper Collins Perennial, p. 588
  22. ↑ Eric Ives: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn. 'The Most Happy'. 2009 Blackwell Publishing, p. 332
  23. ↑ a b Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 10: January-June 1536 , accessed December 4, 2011 at 11:14 pm
  24. ^ A b David Starkey: Six Wives. The Queens of Henry VIII. 2004 Harper Collins Perennial, p. 598
  25. ↑ TRIAL OF SIR NICHOLAS CAREWE
personal data
SURNAME Carew, Nicholas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Carew, Sir Nicholas (full name); Vicar of Hell
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English diplomat and captain Henry VIII.
DATE OF BIRTH around 1496
DATE OF DEATH March 8, 1539
Place of death London , England