JOHN CARY the Plymouth Pilgrim
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JOHN CARY the Plymouth Pilgrim A p&0ple whic/1 takes no pride in noble achieve• ments of remote ancestors, will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants .. -Macaulay. By SETH C. CARY PubU~hed by S E T H C. C A R Y, DORCHESTER CENTER, BOST ON, MASSACHUSETTS 1 9 1 1 ~e?nmtw TO THE DESCENDANTS OF ~foqu (!! at'\? SETH C CARY. PUBLl:iHER The Story of the Cary Coat of Arms .. f As TOLD BY THE OLD CHRONICLERS, "In the beginning of the reign of Henry V. (1413-1422) a certain Knight-errant of Aragon, having passed through divers countries, and performed many feats of Arms, arrived here in England, where he challenged any man of his rank and quality to make a trial of his skill in arms. This challenge was accepted by Sir Robert Cary, between whom a cruel encount,er, and a long and doubtful combat was waged in Smithfield, London. But at length this noble Champion vanquished the presumptuous Aragonois, for which King Henry V. restored unto him a good part of his father's lands, which for his loyalty to Richard II. he had been deprived of by Henry IV. and authorized him to bear the Arms of a Knight of Aragon, which the noble posterity continue to wear unto this day; for according to the laws of Heraldry, whoever fairly in the field conquers his adversary may justify the wearing of his Arms."-Burke's Heraldry. Another account is so quaint that it is placed before the reader: "In the time of Henry V. cam out of Aragon a lusty gentleman into England, and challenged to do feites of armes, with any English gentleman without exception. This Sir Robert Cary hearing thereof, made suite forthwith to the Prince, that he might ansvver the chal lange, which was granted, and Smithfield was the place appointed for the same, who, at the day and time prefixed, both parties mett and did performe sundrie feates of armes, but in the end this Robert gave the foils and overthrow to the Aragon Knight, disarmed and spoiled . him, which his doinge so well pleased the Prince, that he receyved him into great favor, caused him to be restored to the most pa,rt of his father's landes, and willed him also for a perpetuall memorie of his victorie, that he should henceforth give the same arrnes as the Aragon Knight, which is Argent, on bend sable three roses argent, for before they did beare gules, chevron entre, three swans argent."-Heralcl's Vi.motion, 16:zti. THE ROSES' MESSAGE TO US. The age of chivalry has passed away; We cannot now on tourney-fields display Our strength and courage; neither did we flee From native land to find beyond the sea Freedom and justice; these we now possess, And need not. seek them in the wilderness. Yet even now must we fierce battles fight, And firmly stand as champions of the right. Valor is needed if we hope to win Our victories over greed, and wrong and sin. The roses white must we preserve from stain, And other trophies by our valor gain. Then let each one who bears the Cary name Remember whence his shield and motto came: Remember, too, the one who brought them o'er The ocean's waves to this New England shore. All that the fathers have by valor gained Must by the sons be valiantly maintained. Then take the shield; go forward to the fight; Guard well the roses; m:iy their silvery light Shine on brave deeds performed for truth and right. -From Later Cary Poems, by permission. THE LINE OF DESCENT. OF THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, OF THE OWNER OF THE BOOK. JOHN CARY, SEC. 1, JOHN CARY, SEC. 2. JAMES CARY, SEC. 10, JAMES CARY, SEC. 25-A. JOHN CARY, SEC, 60-A. JOHN CARY, SEC, 105-A. SETH C. CARY, SEC. 206-B. KNIBLOE B. CARY, SEC, 318. ILLUSTRATIONS THE CARY COAT OF ARMS, .• • Frontispiece SETH C. CARY I • Facing page 4 Jom~ CARY.MONUMENT, II 18 ALICE AND PHEBE CARY I " 210 HoN. SAMUEL FENTON CARY, " . 215 REV. OTIS CARY, D. D., " 252 PREFACE. The plan of this book is very simple, and that is to tell the story of John Cary the Plymouth Pilgrim, and his descendants. This can not be done wisely ~d disregard the monumental work of t_he Hoo. Samuel Fenton Cary, who published the "Cary Memorials" in 1874- H.e laid the foundations, and they need not be relaid. All that can be done is to add to the superstructure, D1aking here and there a correction, and adding such new material as further research has developed. The last word has not yet been said in regard to the early years of John Cary. The time does not yet seem ripe to say more than has already been said; but to put together the best that can be done for the multitude that are coming after. The most recent thing published is Prof. Henry Grosvenor Cary's "The Cary Family in England." It is rare to find a man who gat_hered to himself so much of good, and then to send down through family life, cleaner morals, higher ideals, or a more pervasive personality. He was quiet yet firm; true and aggressive, persistent and successful. He was one who could afford "to labor and to wait." It will be noted that. in this book our name is invariably spelled C-a-r-y. It is also well ·known that some of the branches of the Family prefer and use the longer form, C-a-r-e-y. In some cases this is from choice, and in" others it is what has descended to them from the recent past. The writer has no question but that the shorter form is correct. And yet when asked by those who seek to know what they should do under the circumstances, he has no hesitancy in saying this: If you are tied up in business, and entangled by legal forms and documents, such as wills, deeds, patents, etc., keep on as you are; but the younger members of the family, who are not thus hampered, can make the change, and thus bring about uniformity. The only reason why we 15 16 Preface do not print the name as each line or branch is accustomed to do, is because of the utter confusion that would result, and our proof-reading would be interminable. At first it was thought possible that the book could be quite largely illustrated, but it was soon discovered that this would make the work altogether too bulky, and also too expensive. Years of work have been put upon this book, and many bands have been occupied in its production. It is the best that the condi tions and surroundings allow. And it is now entrusted to your hands to be studied, to be enlarged and filled out to its proper capacity and its fullest. development. Many of its Sections can and should be worked up into biographies, or sketches, and out of this scores of families could enrich their own family life. The author cheerfully resigns the work to the optimism and enthusiasm of the younger Carys. Dorchester Center, SETH C. CARY. Boston, lifassac/rnsetts. INTRODUCTION. ( This book <;ontains ·the names of the descendants of John Cary, so far as they have been reported, or discovered in any other way. No claim that it includes them all is made, but a wide search has been instituted and carried on for years, and none are knowingly omitted. If others report themselves, it will be a pleasure to add their names to the already long list. So far as known this is the only work devoted to this Family that is now in print and brought up to date. The family is English, and they appear first in the Domesday Book, and are traced back to Adam De Kari, who was Lord of Castle Cary in IIg8. The three principal lines which came to America are descended from John, who came to Plymouth about 1634; James, who came to Charlestown in 1639, and Miles, who came to Virginia in 1640. There are numerous other individuals or families who have come to this land of opportunity at various times, but there seems as yet no com- plete list of them. · . In England the Family is represented in almost all grades of the nobility, all orders in the Church, and among the people. Their tombs are found in St. Paul's, \Vestminster, and various other Cathedrals and Churches. They attained distinction in Statesmanship, Poetry, Music, and Letters; in the Army and Navy; as Diplomats, Courtiers, and Representatives of the English Crown abroad. "\Villiam Cary, the great Baptist missionary to India, well represents the family by his work as a Translator; while a ~foravian preacher bearing our name was instrumental in the conversion of Captain \Vebb, an English officer, who planted Methodism in Philadelphia. This book will be valuable to all Carys, whether their names are included or not; if not here, and they belong to the family, all the orig inal ancestors are easily found, and thus connection can be made with the proper branch. It is equally valuable for all the lines of inter marriage, since in many cases these have been traced to considerable length, in order that the work may be most complete. A singular fact has recently come to light: Some German-speak- 2 . 17 18 Introduction ing Russians at 1Iandan, North Dakota, spe_}I their name Kari, and pronounce it Cary.