Sir Alexander Carew, 2nd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Alexander Carew, 2nd Baronet (30 August 1609 – 23 December 1644), of Antony
in Cornwall
, was an English Member of Parliament
executed for attempting to betray the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War
.
Carew was the eldest son of Sir Richard Carew, 1st Baronet
(c. 1580-1643). Both his father and his grandfather had been Knights of the Shire (Members of Parliament) for Cornwall
, and Alexander was elected to the same office in the Long Parliament
in 1640. On the outbreak of the Civil War
, Carew declared for Parliament and, in Clarendon's
words, "had, from the beginning of the Parliament concurred in all conclusions with the most violent, with as full a testimony of that zeal and fury, to which their confidence was applied, as any man". Although Cornwall and the rest of the south-west were generally under Royalist control in the opening stages of the war, the Mayor of the strategically vital port of Plymouth
had seized it for Parliament, and Parliament entrusted its defence to a committee including Carew. Carew was made governor of St Nicholas's Island
in Plymouth Sound, the keystone to the defence of the town. It was while held this post that his father died, on 14 March 1643, and he inherited the baronetcy.
After the Royal victory at Stratton
(16 May 1643) and the capture of Bristol
, Sir Alexander secretly contacted the commander of the Royal forces then besieging Exeter
, offering to surrender Plymouth in return for a pardon for himself. The Royalists were willing enough but "he was so sottishly and dangerously wary of his own security, (having neither courage enough to obey his conscience, nor wicked enough to be prosperous against it), that he would not proceed until he was sufficiently assured that his pardon had passed the Great Seal of England" (Clarendon, quoted in Burke's Extinct Baronetage), and the delay left time for a disloyal servant to leak the plot to the Mayor and the rest of the Committee.
He was arrested, and taken by ship to London. A House of Commons resolution disabled him from sitting (in effect, expelled him) on 4 September 1643, and he was committed to the Tower of London
on 5 December. He was eventually tried for treason by court-martial, in the Guildhall on 19 November 1644. Convicted, he was sentenced to death, but his wife petitioned the Commons that he was "in a kind of distracted condition and unfit to die". A House of Commons committee visited him in prison and reported that there was nothing in the petition; however, they allowed him a respite of a month to settle his affairs. He was beheaded on Tower Hill
on 23 December 1644.
Sir Alexander had married Jane Rolle in December 1631, and they had two sons who lived to adulthood. The elder, John
, succeeded to the baronetcy on his execution, and although the estates were initially sequestered they were released and he was allowed to inherit in November 1645; he later became a long-serving Member of Parliament after the Restoration
. Sir Alexander's half-brother, John
, also became an MP, in 1647, and was one of the court that tried the King
in 1649: being still alive at the collapse of the Commonwealth
, he was hanged, drawn and quartered as a regicide
.
Antony, Cornwall
Antony is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.The village is situated on the Rame Peninsula about three miles west of Torpoint and has a shop, a pub and a garage....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, was an English Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
executed for attempting to betray the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Carew was the eldest son of Sir Richard Carew, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Carew, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Carew, 1st Baronet , of Antony in Cornwall, was an English writer and Member of Parliament.Carew was the eldest son of the antiquary Richard Carew . He was educated at Oxford, probably at Merton, and studied law at the Middle Temple...
(c. 1580-1643). Both his father and his grandfather had been Knights of the Shire (Members of Parliament) for Cornwall
Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)
Cornwall is a former county constituency covering the county of Cornwall, in the South West of England. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of England then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
, and Alexander was elected to the same office in the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
in 1640. On the outbreak of the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Carew declared for Parliament and, in Clarendon's
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
words, "had, from the beginning of the Parliament concurred in all conclusions with the most violent, with as full a testimony of that zeal and fury, to which their confidence was applied, as any man". Although Cornwall and the rest of the south-west were generally under Royalist control in the opening stages of the war, the Mayor of the strategically vital port of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
had seized it for Parliament, and Parliament entrusted its defence to a committee including Carew. Carew was made governor of St Nicholas's Island
Drake's Island
Drake's Island is a island lying in Plymouth Sound, the stretch of water south of the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. The rocks which make up the island are volcanic tuff and lava, together with marine limestone of the mid-Devonian period.-Early history:...
in Plymouth Sound, the keystone to the defence of the town. It was while held this post that his father died, on 14 March 1643, and he inherited the baronetcy.
After the Royal victory at Stratton
Battle of Stratton
The Battle of Stratton was a battle of the south-western campaign of the First English Civil War. Fought on 16 May 1643, the resulting victory for Hopton confirmed Royalist control of Cornwall and destroyed Parliament's field army in Devon.-Prelude:...
(16 May 1643) and the capture of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, Sir Alexander secretly contacted the commander of the Royal forces then besieging Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, offering to surrender Plymouth in return for a pardon for himself. The Royalists were willing enough but "he was so sottishly and dangerously wary of his own security, (having neither courage enough to obey his conscience, nor wicked enough to be prosperous against it), that he would not proceed until he was sufficiently assured that his pardon had passed the Great Seal of England" (Clarendon, quoted in Burke's Extinct Baronetage), and the delay left time for a disloyal servant to leak the plot to the Mayor and the rest of the Committee.
He was arrested, and taken by ship to London. A House of Commons resolution disabled him from sitting (in effect, expelled him) on 4 September 1643, and he was committed to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
on 5 December. He was eventually tried for treason by court-martial, in the Guildhall on 19 November 1644. Convicted, he was sentenced to death, but his wife petitioned the Commons that he was "in a kind of distracted condition and unfit to die". A House of Commons committee visited him in prison and reported that there was nothing in the petition; however, they allowed him a respite of a month to settle his affairs. He was beheaded on Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
on 23 December 1644.
Sir Alexander had married Jane Rolle in December 1631, and they had two sons who lived to adulthood. The elder, John
Sir John Carew, 3rd Baronet
Sir John Carew, 3rd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1660 and 1692....
, succeeded to the baronetcy on his execution, and although the estates were initially sequestered they were released and he was allowed to inherit in November 1645; he later became a long-serving Member of Parliament after the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
. Sir Alexander's half-brother, John
John Carew (regicide)
John Carew , from Antony, Cornwall, was one of the regicides of King Charles I.Elected MP for Tregony in 1647, he was a prominent member of the Fifth Monarchy Men who saw the overthrow of Charles I as a divine sign of the second coming of Jesus and the establishment of the millennium a thousand...
, also became an MP, in 1647, and was one of the court that tried the King
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in 1649: being still alive at the collapse of the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
, he was hanged, drawn and quartered as a regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
.