Thomas Carte facts for kids

Thomas Carte (1686–1754) was an English historian. He also worked as a clergyman in the Church of England. He supported the Stuart royal family, who had lost the throne.

Early Life and Studies

Thomas Carte was born in 1686 near Clifton upon Dunsmore, which is close to Rugby. He was the oldest son of Samuel Carte, who was also a historian and collector of old things.

Thomas went to University College, Oxford in 1698. He earned his first degree from Brasenose College, Oxford in 1702. Later, he received a Master of Arts degree from King's College, Cambridge in 1706.

Early Career and Challenges

Carte first became known because of a disagreement he had with Henry Chandler. This argument was about the role of King Charles I in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. The debate started in 1714 when Carte gave a sermon at the Abbey Church in Bath. He defended King Charles I against claims that the king was involved with Phelim O'Neill.

Carte was very loyal to the Stuart family. Because of this, he refused to take the Oath of Allegiance in 1714. This oath was required to support the new king, George I. Around this time, he became a clergyman.

In 1722, Carte was accused of a serious crime called high treason. This happened when a plot by Francis Atterbury, whose secretary Carte was, was discovered. To avoid arrest, Carte had to escape to France. While there, he used the name Philips.

Return to England and Major Works

While in France, Carte gathered many old documents. These were for a special London edition of a history book by Jacques Auguste de Thou. Richard Mead bought these materials and helped publish them. In 1728, Carte was pardoned and allowed to return to England. This was thanks to the help of Queen Caroline. Later in his life, Carte served as a rector in Yattendon, Berkshire.

In 1733, Richard Mead also helped Carte and Samuel Buckley publish the London edition of de Thou's Latin history.

Carte then began working on a book called Life of James Duke of Ormond. He found a large collection of letters from Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran. He published these letters as Volume 3 in 1735. This allowed people to refer to them easily. Then, he published Volumes 1 and 2 of the book in 1736.

After that, he started writing a "General History of England." He wanted to improve on an earlier history by Paul de Rapin. Carte published Volume 1 in 1747, Volume 2 in 1750, and Volume 3 in 1752. Volume 4 was published in 1755, after he had passed away.

In the first volume of his history, Carte included a story about a miraculous healing. It was about the "King's evil" (a disease) being cured by the touch of the "Old Pretender". This story made many of his supporters lose trust in him.

Thomas Carte passed away on April 2, 1754. He was buried in the church at Yattendon.

His Writings

Life of James Duke of Ormond

This important work tells the story of James Butler, Duke of Ormond.

1735/1736 Edition

This edition came out in three volumes. Volume three, which contained letters, was published first.

1851 Edition

A later edition was published in six volumes, covering different time periods and letters.

A General History of England

This large history book covered England from its earliest times.

• Earliest times to 1216
• 1216 to 1509
• 1509 to 1613

Other Books

• A General Account of the Necessary Materials for a History of England (1738)
• History of the Revolutions of Portugal, which included letters from Sir Robert Southwell (London, 1740)

Throughout his life, Thomas Carte collected many historical papers. After he died, these papers became the property of the University of Oxford. They are now kept in the Bodleian Library and are known as the Carte Manuscripts.