- Source: Gawain Carew
Sir Gawain Carew JP DL (c. 1503 – 1585) was an English politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Devon and for Plympton Erle.
Biography
= Early life and ancestry
=Gawain Carew was born c. 1503 as the fourth son of Sir Edmund Carew and Katherine Huddesfield. His maternal grandfather, William Huddesfield, was an English statesman who served as the Attorney General for England and Wales under Edward IV and Henry VII.
Gawain Carew's father made special provisions for Gawain and his brother George in his will before his death in 1513. They were placed in the custody of the elder brother Nicholas who appeared to have attached them to the household of Henry Courtenay, Marquess of Exeter, where they received a livery of cloth as household members in 1525. Their father also provided for their maintenance, and left them £200 to be paid at their marriage.
= Later life and career
=Despite being widely connected in Devon, Carew's early career centred around court and the capital. In October 1532, Carew's brother-in-law, Charles Brandon, recommended him to be the sheriff of Devon to Thomas Cromwell; but he did not hold the office for another 15 years. In April 1538, he was imprisoned in the Compter after he and his servant had killed an adversary and seriously wounded another, but by January 1540 he was sufficiently in favour enough that he was appointed to receive Anne of Cleves at Blackheath.
Following the outbreak of war with France in 1543, Carew was ordered to accompany Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, to the Netherlands, and he brought with him four horsemen and four footmen. In 1544, he took part in the Boulogne campaign and in 1545 he captained the Matthew Gonson in naval engagements. He received a knightood in 1545.
Carew testified against Queen Catherine Howard at her trial in 1542, and also testified against Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey in January 1547.
Carew was the Sheriff of Devon from 1547 to 1548, and Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall and Devon in 1569. He was also the MP for Devon and for Plympton Erle. Carew was a Justice of the peace for Devon from 1547 to 1553 and again from c. 1558 until his death.
= Family and death
=Carew was married three times. He was firstly married to Anne Brandon, daughter of William Brandon, and sister of Charles Brandon. He married secondly Mary Wotton, who was the widow of Henry Guildford. His third marriage was to Elizabeth Norwiche. He had no children.
Carew lived to be over 80 and died in 1585. He was buried in Exeter Cathedral, where a monument of him was later built.