George Cary, of Clovelly

George I Cary (1543-1601), eldest son and heir, Sheriff of Devon in 1587. He constructed at Clovelly a harbour wall, surviving today, described by Risdon as "a pile to resist the inrushing of the sea's violent breach, that ships and boats may with the more safety harbour there". Clovelly's main export product was herring fish, which formerly appeared at certain times of the year in huge shoals, close off-shore in the shallow waters of the Bristol Channel, and such a harbour wall was a great benefit to the village fishermen, tenants of the Cary lords of the manor. He married thrice:

Firstly to Christiana Stretchley, daughter and heiress of William Stretchley of Ermington in Devon and widow of Sir Christopher Chudleigh (1528-1570) of Ashton, by whom he had issue including:

William Cary (1576-1652) of Clovelly, JP, eldest son and heir.

Secondly to Elizabeth Bampfield, eldest daughter of Richard Bampfield (1526-1594) of Poltimore, Devon, Sheriff of Devon in 1576; without issue.

Thirdly in 1586 to Catherine Russell (d.1632), of Sussex, by whom he had 3 sons and 3 daughters.

His monumental brass survives in Clovelly Church in the form of a ledger stone on the floor of the chancel, inset into which is an inscribed brass tablet and below which in the 1860s was added into an empty matrix a reproduction large monumental brass in the form of a bishop's crozier. It is unclear what relevance such an object might have to him and when the original brass which once filled the matrix was removed or robbed. The Latin inscription is as follows:

Epithaphium inditum viri insignissimi curatoris pacis & qui(eti)ssimi et Musar(um) patroni dignissimi Georgii Caret (sic) Armigeri qui obiit decimo die Julii anno Domini 1601. En ubi vir situs est pietate et pace beatus justitiae cultor relligionis amans multorum exemplar, patriae decus, anchora pacis ingenio, forma Pallade, Marte potens. Dum vixit Christum coluit, sic orbe recessit in sancta stabilis relligione Dei. Nunc capit in caelis solatia grata laborum; nunc requiem aeterni carpit in arce poli.

("A funeral oration set in place of a most distinguished man, a most neutral guardian of the peace and a most worthy patron of the Muses, of George Cary, Esquire, who died on the tenth day of July in the year of Our Lord 1601. Behold where is placed a man, blessed with piety and peace, a cultivator of justice, a lover of religion, an example of (for) many, an ornament to his country, in his character an anchor of peace, in his (physical) form like (the Titan) Pallas, powerful in Martial feats. While he lived he worshipped Christ, thus he withdrew from the world firm in the holy religion of God. Now at one time he takes in the Heavens deserved consolation of his labours, at another time he seizes the rest of eternity in the vault of the sky").

Source: wikipedia.org