Elizabeth Carew facts for kids
Elizabeth Carew (born Bryan; around 1500 – 1546) was an English lady who lived at the royal court. Some people believed she might have been a special friend of King Henry VIII.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir Thomas Bryan and Margaret Bourchier. She married Sir Nicholas Carew, who was a close friend of King Henry VIII. Sir Nicholas was an important statesman (a person involved in government). Sadly, he was later executed because he was thought to be involved in a plot against the king called the Exeter Conspiracy. Many historians have described Elizabeth as a very beautiful woman.
Her brother, Sir Francis, was also a close friend of the king. He was part of the group that decided her husband's fate. After Sir Nicholas was sentenced to death, Elizabeth faced financial hardship.
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Family Connections at Court
Elizabeth had important family connections that helped her standing at court. She was a first half-cousin to both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were two of King Henry VIII's wives. She was also a second half-cousin to Jane Seymour, another of Henry's wives.
Her only brother was Sir Francis Bryan. Elizabeth was also said to be friends with Bessie Blount, who was another lady at court and had a son with King Henry in 1519.
Elizabeth's mother, Margaret Bourchier, was a half-sister to Anne Boleyn's mother, Elizabeth Howard. This meant they shared the same mother but had different fathers. Through her mother, Elizabeth was also related to King Edward III.
Life at the Royal Court
Elizabeth Carew grew up at the royal court because both her parents worked for the royal family. Her father was in charge of the queen's household, and her mother was a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife.
Before Elizabeth got married, King Henry VIII gave her mother a large sum of money, about £500. This money was meant for Elizabeth's wedding to Nicholas Carew. They got married in December when Nicholas was 19 and Elizabeth was 14. King Henry probably helped arrange their marriage. He even attended their wedding and gave them land as a gift.
In the early years of King Henry VIII's rule, Elizabeth and Nicholas were part of the king's close social group. They often performed in plays and dances, which were some of the king's favorite activities. Elizabeth danced at royal events in Greenwich in 1514 or 1515 and again in 1518.
Elizabeth also enjoyed reading and learning. She encouraged her uncle, John Bourchier, to translate a Spanish story called The Castle of Love into English. He also translated another story, Huon of Bordeaux, for her. Elizabeth owned several books, including Recuyell of the Histories of Troye and Fall of Princes. These books were popular adventure and romance stories of her time.
In 1518, Elizabeth and her husband returned to the king's court after being away for a while. In 1519, the king visited their home in Beddington for a week to hunt. In 1520, Elizabeth hosted the Duke of Suffolk and his wife, Mary Tudor, who was the former Queen of France. That same year, Elizabeth Carew attended a very grand meeting called the Field of the Cloth of Gold. She was one of the Queen's gentlewomen there.
In 1522, Elizabeth and Nicholas were given the manor of Bletchingley, a large estate in Surrey. King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn stayed with the Carews at Beddington in 1528, before Henry and Anne were married. Later, in 1536, Jane Seymour also stayed with the Carews before her marriage to Henry. After Jane Seymour passed away a year later, Elizabeth was one of the ladies who attended her funeral procession.
Elizabeth's husband was executed in 1539. After this, Elizabeth had to leave her home in Beddington. She moved to her other property in Wallington. She wrote to a powerful government official, asking for help from the king. Her mother also wrote, saying that Elizabeth was not used to a difficult life. She hoped the king would give Elizabeth the manor of Bletchingley, which he had given them earlier.
Elizabeth eventually kept her property in Wallington and some land in Sussex. She passed away in 1546 and was buried with her husband in St. Botolph's Aldgate church in London.
Was Elizabeth Carew a Royal Favorite?
Rumors that Elizabeth Carew might have been a special friend of King Henry VIII started around 1514, when she was only 14 years old. These rumors might have come from a letter written by the king's brother-in-law, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. In the letter, he hinted that he had been flirting with both Elizabeth and another lady named Bessie Blount. Some historians think this letter was a way to encourage King Henry to show interest in the two young women.
Another reason for these rumors was the many gifts King Henry VIII gave Elizabeth over the years. Besides the money and land for her wedding, he also gave her a diamond necklace, a fur coat, expensive fabrics, an emerald, and many beautiful diamonds and pearls. Records show that the king gave Lady Carew very expensive gifts for New Year and when her son was born. While this could be because she was the wife of his close friend, King Henry was not usually so generous with all his friends' wives.
However, there's another idea about why Henry might have favored Elizabeth so much. He might have simply liked the whole Bryan family. Elizabeth's mother was one of Henry's most trusted servants and was responsible for caring for his children. Elizabeth's brother, Francis, was also one of the king's closest friends. Some historians suggest that the stories about Elizabeth being the king's special friend might have come from confusion about the valuable jewelry Queen Jane Seymour left to Elizabeth Carew when she died. Queen Jane was very fond of Elizabeth and gave her many beautiful jewels.
Elizabeth's Children
Elizabeth and Nicholas Carew had several children:
- Anne Carew (born around 1520 – died 1581)
- She married a diplomat named Nicholas Throckmorton.
- Their daughter, Elizabeth, later married the famous explorer Sir Walter Raleigh.
- Sir Francis Carew of Beddington (1530 – 1611)
- He got back his father's estates but chose to stay out of politics.
- He never married and adopted his nephew, Nicholas Throckmorton, who then took the Carew name.
- Mary Carew (born around 1520)
- She married Sir Arthur Darcy.
- They had many children, ten sons and five daughters.
- Elizabeth Carew
- Isabel Carew (born around 1530)
- She married Nicholas Saunders. They had three sons and four daughters.
See also
- List of English royal mistresses
