Family and Education

b. c.3538, 1st s. of Sir Edward Carne^† of Ewenny by Ann, da. of Sir William Denis, wid. of Sir John Raglan. m. (1) Catherine, da. of Sir John Wyndham of Orchard Wyndham, Som., 2s. 1da.; (2) Eleanor or Joan (d.1612), wid. of John Newton of Sandal and of Charles Wyndham. suc. fa. 1561.

Offices Held

J.p. Glam. by 1562, sheriff 1561-2, 1571-2, 1580-1.1

Biography

Carne’s father, Queen Mary’s ambassador at Rome, had declined Elizabeth’s summons to return to England, pleading papal coercion to avoid the forfeiture of his estates, of which the most important were the buildings and lands of Ewenny priory, purchased at the dissolution of the monasteries. Carne himself was a Catholic, being included in a list drawn up in 1574 in the interests of Mary Queen of Scots, and in 1577 being accused by the bishop of Llandaff of having abstained from Anglican worship since the beginning of the reign. In 1588 the Privy Council intervened in a fatal affray between Carne’s followers, backed by Nicholas Herbert of Cardiff, and those of Thomas Lewis of The Van. This was not an isolated outbreak of violence on Carne’s part. He had been accused by John Thomas of Brocastle in 1569 of having marched at the head of 400 men to attack his house and attempt to slay him. Carne was also at odds with another neighbour, John Gamage of Coity, over an attempt to enforce his alleged feudal rights as successor to the priors of Ewenny, which Gamage resisted in the court of Exchequer. He is not mentioned by name in the parliamentary journals, but his position as knight for the shire entitled him to attend two subsidy committees on 22 Feb. 1587 and 11 Feb. 1589. Carne’s will, dated 20 Oct. 1602, was proved 27 May 1603. He asked to be buried in the ‘high quire’ of Ewenny parish church, and among several charitable bequests was a donation for the repair of Llandaff cathedral. The heir and executor was his eldest son, later Sir John Carne.2

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: A.H.D.

Notes

• 1. C142/130/102; Clark, Limbus, 377; CPR, 1560-3, p. 148; Lansd. 1218, f. 92.
• 2. Clark, 376; CSP Rome, 1558-71, pp. 15-16; DWB, 67; Cath. Rec. Soc. xiii. 111; xxii. 94, 95; Arch. Camb. (ser. 3), xi. 47-8; (ser. 5), vii. 93-5; D’Ewes, 409, 431; APC, xvii. 98-9; xviii. 66; PCC 31 Bolein.