Thomas Carve facts for kids
Thomas Carve (born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1590 – died around 1672) was an Anglo-Irish historian. His real family name was Carew, which belonged to a very important family in the Munster region of Ireland during the 1400s and 1500s.
Life and Travels
Early Years
From his own writings, we know that important families, like the Butlers of Ormonde, helped Thomas Carve when he was young. We don't know exactly where he went to school, but he became a priest. He spent some years working in a church area in Ireland.
A Chaplain's Journey
Later, a man named Walter Butler, who was a colonel (a high-ranking officer) in an Irish army group serving in Austria, invited Thomas Carve to join them. Thomas left Ireland and became a chaplain for Butler's army. A chaplain is like a priest or minister who travels with soldiers to offer spiritual support.
Thomas Carve returned to Ireland twice, in 1630 and 1632. After Walter Butler passed away, Thomas continued as a chaplain for Devereux, who took over Butler's command of the Irish forces. These forces were fighting under Ferdinand II in a major European conflict called the Thirty Years' War.
Witness to History
Thomas Carve traveled with the troops during several parts of the Thirty Years' War. This gave him a great chance to see and learn about the events he later wrote about in his history books. In 1640, he became the chaplain for all the English, Scottish, and Irish forces in Austria. He held this job until 1643, when he moved to Vienna. There, he worked as a choral vicar at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, which is a famous church. His last book was published in a town called Sulzbach in 1672.
His Books
Thomas Carve wrote several books, mostly about history and his travels. Here are some of his most well-known works:
- Itinerarium R. D. Thomae Carve Tipperariensis: This book was published in parts between 1639 and 1648. It's a travel diary and gives a good account of the Thirty Years' War. It's especially helpful for understanding the mysterious life of a general named Wallenstein. A new edition of this work was published in London in 1859.
- Rerum Germanicarum ab anno 1617 ad annum 1641 gestarum Epitome: This book, published in 1641, is a summary of events in Germany from 1617 to 1641.
- Lyra seu Anacephalaeosis Hibernica: Published in Vienna in 1651, and a second edition in 1666. This book talks about the start, origin, customs, and traditions of the Irish people. It also includes a history of Ireland and events that happened across Europe from 1148 to 1650.
- Enchiridion apologeticum Noribergae: This book was published in 1670.
- Responsio veridica ad illotum libellum cui nomen Anatomicum examen P. Antonii Bruodini: This was his last known book, published in Sulzbach in 1672.
