The mystery of Lucius Cary and his death.

Tew House           Cary

This man was the great mind who had  the strength of Kings. The prime minister and Chancellor to King Charles I. He was a scholar that became one of Oxford University  top brains. He was a studious mild gentleman. Even his lands, houses and titles made little difference to his cultured mind. He was a believer in good  and took for granted that others thought the same. He was 2nd Viscount Falkland , a Scottish title

This is the mystery that brought him to the edge of human faith. We can look at his life and make a  leap into suicide or accident as the case may be.

The Earl of Falkland was dead and his son Lucius was now the inheritor to all titles, land and homes, now the richest man in his shire.

You see to understand how rare this young chap was we will examine the century that he lived within. The seventeenth century to be precise was for the first 60 years a time when man looked more deeply into the very fabric of  English Society. Men had come to reason and had throw away the middle ages that gave men jobs owing to rank and Gods will. Questions in law ,Government and science.Even the church was being reformed in English minds.

In many ways it was a time to live for those who wanted change.

At the age of  twelve young Lucius was taken by his parents to Dublin to be educated at Trinity College.  Some time later his grandfather Sir Lawrence Tanfield  died and willed the manors of Great Tew and Burford  to first his dear wife then down to Lucius.

in 1629 ,the grandmother died and at Nineteen Lucius Cary became the owner of all .The vicarage at Tew was vast and lovely .He moved in and had built a library .by now he was versed in Latin and skilled in French. He loved the house and made it fashionable for himself. It was not long after this that he met and fell in love with the daughter of Sir Richard Morrison of Tooley Park in Leicestershire. Her name was Letice and they married against her fathers wishes.

Clarendon, the Royalist Historian said much about the studious Earl and his house at Tew. Having retired from London high life Cary could be found in his library with groups of like minded followers. Even involving his new wife in education .She however seemed to be happy gaining knowledge. Well known poets and theologians. rich educated gentlemen and even Cowley and Suckling the famous strove to be part of this set. Must have been what Virginia Wolf had in mind when writing her story of Orlando.

Like her hero Lucius wrote poetry but it was not filled with fire but was readable. He therefore was a wise and gentle student of all that was important to him. He was not an inventor or a polished mind of original thought. Cultured is the best word to describe him. Never happier than with his head in a book.

The tide was now turning in the country and John Hampton, a near by land owner rejected the new taxation demanded by the King.He called it ship money as tax was to build a navy. It was so high a demand on all folk that it was a real first reason for Civil War. Carys name can be found on this document so we know now that he did leave at least once to ride to London to sign his name to the petition.

ill fated King Charles 1 .

There is found a mistake in papers connected to Carys houses as we find he did pay tax on all other properties in his ownership so the paper for Tew must be lost of taken out by enemies. he also penned a poem on the death of Ben Jonson which states the King is master of the seas. He also served as volunteer in the ill judged expedition against the Scottish Covenanters On facts that exist it seem Cary supported the King. We find him sitting in Parliament as Secretary of State in discourse with Prince Rupert of the Rhine telling that swaggering blade that if he took no notice of Cary,’ You neglected your own Royal uncle,the King. It was Falkland the educated against the brave but foolish German Prince. Rupert did settle down though and was one of the founding members later of the Royal observatory. Falkland may have even warmed to him at that point in the Princes life but he was long dead by then.

  Prince Rupert of the Rhine

We come to the mystery step by step now. Civil wars of 1642-49.  In truth as a soldier for the king he was brave but not a believer in the war that divided English man from his brother, son from his father or mother from her boy, or husband from his wife. It was war, divided by the sword in the hand, the belief in mind and it tore apart holy England. left thousands dead and an executed  King. Before it was stopped and every family suffered cost and what for? Freedom, no, as it was more than that. It was a war that divided people and it never ended did it?

It was as the day progressed and on the morning of 20th September 1643 Lucius Cary dressed calmly told his friends peace is the way not war. Peace, peace. It was the siege of Gloucester. He was heard to say by night fall he hoped to be out of the troubles. “I am very weary of the times, but will be out of it ere night.” He was dressed in a clean linen shirt and a smile to his associates she he spurred his horse into battle.

Choosing an early opportunity in the fighting he walked his horse through a gap in the hedge and was instantly shot dead by Parliament troops approaching the gap from the other side of said hedge. Did Cary know that they had crept up when he went through that gap or did he simple not know is the question.? By all things said he wanted it all over but was his death at that point his wish or just bad luck?

Clarendons, History of the Great Rebellion, says war took his sleep from him and would shortly break his heart.

He was a sensitive man an honest and loyal human with an insatiable desire for education. His love of all things made him a highly interesting mind and one I wish I had known. He had it that all men are equal that no good came from none truth. Without that feeling inside of us life for him, was not worth living for such a man of deep honor a sensitive spirit and a gentle soul who saw old England in tears and blood lust by the Devils throng on both sides of that argument. It solved little as mankind is fickle and rich will always forget the poor. Kings are but empty vessels trying to be political. Man kind will fight over anything led as donkeys by the monkeys in power.

Yes I think Cary had had enough and was unconcerned of his safety but his death was by accident I still feel. Matters not as he was dead for sure and well out of that war. It only comes to mind as a mystery he ever joined that fight at all.

It so enraged both sides of the fight that our King was such a traitor to his people by paying foreign armies to fight his own subjects  just to save his throne. He could have survived and still ruled if he had had honesty, dignity and education that would have told him his belief in the divine right of Kings was rubbish. Then he was not a man to be talked into caring for the people he ruled over. He had it that God himself had placed him in power and his words came from God alone? War just had to happen and it ripped poor England in two. Like an apple it lay rotting whilst the Devil sang.

Lucius Cary 2nd Viscount Falkland, a very educated son of England is worth studying if you see how much he did for all. He thought everyone was good in heart but sadly he was wrong and in that he paid the price with his life.

Lucius Cary.

Thank you again my readers for your support in all I write for you.

Yours with great love and respect, Sir Kevin

 

Copyright Kevin Parr,Bt 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

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