Cary family
The Cary family is an English aristocratic and landed-gentry family, with associated branches in Ireland and several historically prominent noble lines.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Cary family, also spelled Carey, is an English aristocratic and landed-gentry lineage with a related branch in Ireland. Its earliest known ancestor is Sir Adam de Kari, recorded as living in 1198. The family’s social position strengthened during the fourteenth century, particularly through Sir John Cary, a judge and parliamentary representative who acquired the manor of Clovelly. Although Sir John apparently did not reside there and later died in exile in Ireland, the acquisition helped establish the Cary name among the Devonshire landed gentry. The family’s principal early seat was Cockington in Devon. Sir Robert Cary, who died around 1431, was repeatedly elected as a Member of Parliament for Devon and had connections with the households of Richard II and John Holland, Duke of Exeter. His descendants maintained the family’s influence through landholding, parliamentary service, royal administration, marriage alliances, and local office. The lineage also became connected to the Courtenay, Spencer, Bryan, Holleway, Poulett, Carew, Fulford, Gorges, and other notable families. Several branches achieved peerage status in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The descendants of Sir John Cary of Plashley included the Viscounts Falkland. Another important branch descended from William Cary, a younger son of Thomas Cary of Chilton Foliat. William was a courtier of Henry VIII and married Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn. Their children included Catherine Carey, later associated with the court of Elizabeth I, and Henry Carey, who became the first Baron Hunsdon and a Knight of the Garter. The Hunsdon line subsequently included the first Earl of Monmouth, Robert Carey, a courtier and diplomat under James I and Charles I. The Clovelly branch remained particularly associated with Devon. Robert Cary, who died in 1586, became the first member of the family to be seated exclusively at Clovelly after the family’s other Devon estates passed to half-brothers. He served as Member of Parliament for Barnstaple, Sheriff of Devon, recorder of Barnstaple, and a local magistrate. He died during the Black Assize of Exeter, an outbreak of jail fever that also killed other Devon magistrates. His monument survives in All Saints Church, Clovelly. George Cary, Robert’s son and heir, served as Sheriff of Devon and built a harbour wall at Clovelly. The structure helped protect the village’s harbour and supported local fishing activity, especially the herring trade in the Bristol Channel. Later members of the Clovelly line continued to hold local offices and maintain ties to the church, county administration, and royal service. Sir Robert Cary of Clovelly served as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to Charles II and died unmarried in 1675. His brother, the Reverend George Cary, became Dean of Exeter, a royal chaplain, and a Doctor of Divinity. The Cary family is therefore best understood not as a commercial brand but as a historical family designation covering multiple related English lineages. Its historical significance rests on landownership, noble titles, court service, parliamentary representation, ecclesiastical appointments, and marriage networks rather than on products, commercial operations, or contemporary corporate activity.
History
The Cary family’s documented history begins with Sir Adam de Kari, who was living in 1198. The family became more firmly established in Devon during the fourteenth century. Sir John Cary, who died in 1395, was a prominent judge and twice represented Devon in Parliament alongside his brother Sir William Cary. He acquired the manor of Clovelly and thereby helped consolidate the family’s landed status, although his judicial career ended in political difficulty and he died in exile in Ireland. Sir John’s descendants were based principally at Cockington. Sir Robert Cary, who died around 1431, served in royal and aristocratic households and was elected to Parliament for Devon on numerous occasions. His son Sir Philip Cary also represented Devon, while the next heir, Sir William Cary, was killed after the Lancastrian defeat at Tewkesbury in 1471. Through inheritance and marriage, the family accumulated connections with several important West Country and national lineages. A major genealogical division arose from Thomas Cary of Chilton Foliat. His sons included Sir John Cary of Plashley and William Cary. Sir John’s descendants produced the line later associated with the Viscounts Falkland. William Cary became a courtier of Henry VIII and married Mary Boleyn. Their children included Henry Carey, later created Baron Hunsdon by Elizabeth I, and Catherine Carey, who served in royal households and married Sir Francis Knollys. The possible biological paternity of Mary Boleyn’s children by Henry VIII has been debated by historians, but the claim remains uncertain. The Clovelly branch developed separately through Robert Cary, who died in 1540, and his descendants. Robert’s son Robert Cary, who died in 1586, received Clovelly and became the first Cary to be based there exclusively. He held a succession of legal, parliamentary, and county offices before dying during the Black Assize of Exeter. His monument in Clovelly Church records his status and family alliances. George Cary, who succeeded him, served as Sheriff of Devon in 1587 and improved Clovelly’s harbour by constructing a protective wall. This work had practical value for the village’s maritime economy and its tenants engaged in fishing. George’s son William Cary continued the family’s local and parliamentary role. William has sometimes been linked to the character Will Cary in Charles Kingsley’s novel Westward Ho!, but the historical identification is uncertain and the novel’s adventures are fictionalized. William’s sons included Sir Robert Cary and the Reverend George Cary. Sir Robert served Charles II as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber and died without issue in 1675. Reverend George Cary became Dean of Exeter and a royal chaplain after the Restoration, later receiving a doctorate in divinity. His ecclesiastical career illustrates the family’s continuing relationship with the Church of England and the restored Stuart court. Across its different branches, the Cary family’s influence was maintained through land, officeholding, royal service, peerage, church appointments, and strategic marriages. The family should not be treated as a modern operating brand or corporation; it is a historical genealogical subject whose branches and titles changed over several centuries.
- 1675
Death of Sir Robert Cary of Clovelly
[1]Sir Robert Cary died unmarried after serving Charles II in the Privy Chamber.
- 1587
Harbour works at Clovelly
[1]George Cary became Sheriff of Devon and constructed a protective harbour wall at Clovelly.
- 1586
Black Assize deaths
[1]Robert Cary of Clovelly died of jail fever during the Black Assize of Exeter.
- 1561
Henry Carey receives the Garter
[1]Henry Carey, later the first Baron Hunsdon, was appointed a Knight of the Garter.
- 1555
Robert Cary becomes Sheriff of Devon
[1]He served as Sheriff of Devon in 1555–1556 and later held local legal office.
- 1553
Robert Cary represents Barnstaple
[1]Robert Cary of Clovelly served as Member of Parliament for Barnstaple.
- 1471
Death of Sir William Cary at Tewkesbury
[1]Sir William Cary was beheaded after the Lancastrian defeat at the Battle of Tewkesbury.
Earliest recorded ancestor
[1]Sir Adam de Kari is recorded as living, providing the earliest known documentary reference associated with the family.
Parliamentary representation in Devon
[1]Sir John Cary and his brother Sir William Cary represented Devon in Parliament during the fourteenth century.
Sir John Cary becomes Chief Baron
[1]Sir John Cary served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1386 to 1388.
Products and positioning
A historical aristocratic and landed-gentry family designation rather than a commercial brand.
Sources1 sources
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