George Cary (priest)

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Arms of Cary: Argent, on a bend sable three roses of the field[1]
Mural monument to Dr. George Cary (1611–1680), Dean of Exeter, Clovelly Church

Doctor George Cary (1611

Professor of Sacred Theology, lord of the manor of Clovelly, Devon, was Dean of Exeter between 1663 and 1680[3] (amongst other duties responsible for the maintenance and decoration of Exeter Cathedral). He was also Rector of Clovelly and of Shobrooke in Devon and Chaplain in Ordinary to King Charles II. He was one of the Worthies of Devon of John Prince (died 1723).[4]

Origins

He was the second son and eventual heir of William Cary (1576–1652),

Member of Parliament for Mitchell, Cornwall, in 1604,[5] by his second wife Dorothy Gorges (died 1622), eldest daughter of Sir Edward Gorges of Wraxall, Somerset by his wife Dorothy Speke. His mother's monument survives in the Speke Chantry in Exeter Cathedral
.

Career

He was educated at

Emperor Augustus with the City of Rome, so did Dean Cary with the Dean's House in Exeter "found it ruines but he left it a palace", as Prince suggests.[10] Indeed King Charles II stayed there on the night of 23 July 1670, having visited the newly built Citadel in Plymouth. It was also the chosen abode of Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, Lord Lieutenant of Devon, for three weeks in 1675 and again during the Monmouth Rebellion. He was a liberal benefactor in assisting the Corporation of Exeter in the completion in 1699 of the cutting of a leat between Exeter Quay and Topsham
, which fed into a pool which could shelter 100 ships.

He twice refused offers of the

Nolo Episcopari, is unknown, but he refused the second time due to age and infirmity which would prevent him attending Parliament as would be required.[11]

In 1675 he succeeded to the paternal estates, including Clovelly, of his elder brother Sir Robert Cary (1610–1675), a

Gentleman of the Privy Chamber
to King Charles II who died unmarried and without children. He erected in his memory the surviving mural monument in Clovelly Church.

Marriage and issue

Canting arms of Hancock of Combe Martin: Gules, on a chief argent three cocks of the field

He married Anne Hancock, a daughter of William Hancock (died 1625), lord of the manor of Combe Martin, Devon, by whom he had numerous children including:[12]

Death

He died at Shobrooke on 2 February 1680, but was buried in Clovelly Church, where his mural monument survives, erected by his eldest son Sir George Cary (1654–1685),[18] the armorials of the latter's two wives appearing on the top of the monument as follows: dexter: Azure, a chevron between three mullets pierced or (Davie of Canonteign, Christow); sinister: Or, a lion reguardant sable langued gules (Jenkyn of Cornwall). The Latin inscription is as follows:[19]

Georgius Cary
S(acrae) T(heologiae) P(rofessor)
Decanus B(eat)i Petri Exon(iensis), vir omnibus dignitatibus major quem ipsa latebra licet ei solum in deliciis non potuit abscondere. Nemo magis invitus cepit nemo magis adornavit cathedram ut lux e tenebris sic illustravit ecclesiam. In omnibus concionibus, hospitiis, conciliis antecelluit. Pectore, lingua calamo, praepotens. In justa causa nemini cedens; in injusta abhorrens lites. Fratribus in ecclesiae negotiis nunquam sese opposuit nisi rationibus et in his semper victor. Erga regem iniquissimis temporibus infractae fidelitatis: post reditum erat ei a sacris. Caelestem vero non aulicam petiit gratiam, quae tamen nolentem sequebatur, nam bis vocante Carolo Secundo, bis humillime respondit: Nolo Episcopari. Obiit die Purificationis B(eatae) Virginis A(nn)o Aet(atis) (suae) 72, A(nn)o Dom(ini) 1680.

Which may be translated as:

"George Cary, Professor of Sacred Theology, Dean of the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin
, in the year of his age 72,(sic) in the year of Our Lord 1680".

Notes

  1. ^ Vivian, p.150
  2. ^ Some doubt exists as to the date of his birth, which his mural monument makes 1608, derived from the date of his death being given as 1680 and his age 72. However that would have made him his father's eldest son and heir of Clovelly before his brother Sir Robert Cary (1610–1675), which was not the case. Vivian gives his date of birth as 1611. Prince, who transcribed his monumental inscription otherwise entirely accurately, appears to have deliberately mis-transcribed the last line as "MDCLXXX" (i.e. 1680) in place of "1680" and "LXIX" (i.e. 69) in place of "72"
  3. ^ Ursula Radford (1955). "An Introduction to the Deans of Exeter". Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association 87: 1–24.
  4. ^ Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, London, pp. 187–191, Cary, George, D.D.
  5. History of Parliament biography of Cary, William (c. 1578 – 1652), of Clovelly Court and Exeter, Devon[1]
  6. ^ Prince, p.188
  7. Yeo Vale, Alwington
    ) as "of Clovelly", and notes that the infant son of their eldest brother John Cary was buried at Clovelly
  8. ^ Prince, p.188
  9. ^ Prince, p.189
  10. ^ Prince, p.189
  11. ^ Prince, p.188
  12. ^ Vivian, p.441, pedigree of Hancock; given erroneously on p.159 as "John" Handcock (sic)
  13. ^ History of parliament biography of Cary, Sir George (c.1653-85), of Clovelly, Devon
  14. ^ History of parliament biography of Cary, Sir George (c.1653-85), of Clovelly, Devon[2]
  15. History of Parliament biography of Cary, William (c. 1661 – 1710), of Clovelly, Devon[3]
  16. Gray, Todd & Rowe, Margery (Eds.), Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of The Reverend John Swete
    , 1789-1800, 4 vols., Tiverton, 1999, Vol 2, p.19
  17. ^ Vivian, p.466
  18. ^ Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, London, p.190, states it was erected by his second son William Cary (c. 1661 – 1710), apparently incorrect on the basis of the armorials
  19. ^ Transcribed from monument 2015; transcript, with date of death mis-transcribed, given in Prince, p.191

Sources

  • Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp. 150–9, pedigree of Cary
  • Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, London, pp. 187–191, Cary, George, D.D.
  • Lauder, Rosemary, Devon Families, Tiverton, 2002, pp. 131–6, Rous of Clovelly
  • Griggs, William, A Guide to All Saints Church, Clovelly, first published 1980, Revised Version 2010
Church of England titles
Preceded by Dean of Exeter
1662–1663 		Succeeded by
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