Valentine Carey d.1626

Valentine CAREY d.1626

Biographical Note

Born in Berwick upon Tweed, reputedly the illegitimate son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon. BA Christ’s College, Cambridge 1589, fellow of St John’s 1591, MA 1592, moved back to Christ’s 1597, where he proceeded BD 1599. Prebendary of St Paul’s 1601, Rector of West Tilbury, Essex 1603, of Great Parndon 1604; Archdeacon of Shropshire 1606, and was appointed to several other ecclesiastical preferments in the years following. Master of Christ’s College 1610 (imposed by royal mandate), where he forced a number of the more extreme puritan fellows to leave. Dean of St Paul’s 1614, Bishop of Exeter 1621. He continued to live in London for most of the year, visiting Exeter in the summer, where he was involved in various disputes with the puritan civic leaders. He was noted during the 1620s as a supporter of Arminian thinking.

Books

Carey’s will mentions a number of specific books bequeathed to his chaplain and to his relative Sir John Carey, including works by Aristotle, Augustine, Jerome and Plutarch. The remainder of his books (not quantified) were left to Ernestus Carey, whose relationship with Valentine is unknown. He also left £50 to St John’s College, Cambridge, for the purchase of books (this was principally spent on legal texts).

Characteristic Markings

None of Carey’s books have been identified.

Sources

• Will of Valentine Carey, The National Archives PROB 11/149/376
• Valentine Carey in St John's College Library
• Notes and Queries 3rd ser 6 (1864), p.174.
• Pearson, D., The libraries of English bishops, 1600-1640, The Library 6th ser 14 (1992), 221-257.
• Schwarz, Marc L. '"Carey, Valentine (d. 1626), bishop of Exeter."' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Torry, A., Founders and benefactors of St John’s College, 1888, p.26.
• Tyacke, N., Anti-Calvinists, 1987.