Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland

Biographical Summary

"Sir Henry Gary, the eldest son, was born about 1576 ; admitted to Gray's Inn, London, 2 August 1590 ; created a Knight of the Bath, 3 November 1616 ; Comptroller of the Household 1617, and Member of Parliament for Herts 1614-22. He was also a member of the Privy Council. On 10 November 1620 he was created VISCOUNT FALKLAND, with remainder to his heirs-male bearing the name and arms of Cary. Why he was granted a Scottish Peerage, and why his title was taken from one of the Royal Palaces of Scotland it is difficult to say, but it afterwards seems to have been thought necessary to ratify the creation, and at the same time to issue letters of naturalisation to the Viscount and his successors as Scottish subjects. Lord Falkland was Lord-Deputy of Ireland 1622-29. He was the author of a History of Edward II. and other works. He died from the results of an accident in 1633, being buried, on 25 September of that year, at Aldenham. He married (contract 27 June 1602) Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Sir Laurence Tanfield, Chief Baron of the Exchequer. She died 1639, aged about fifty-four. She was separated from her husband in 1625, and made a public profession as a Roman Catholic then, though she had become an adherent of that Church many years before. By his wife the Viscount had issue :

• Lucius.
• Sir Lorenzo, baptized 5 October 1613 ; knighted in Ireland 27 March 1634, killed there 1642.
• Edward, died unmarried ; buried 29 August 1616.
• perhaps a son who entered religion, and was known as Father Placid, but this may possibly have been the next brother.
• Patrick, born in Ireland about 1623, and brought up as a Roman Catholic by his mother.
• Catherine, born 1609 ; married as his first wife, James, second Earl of Home, contract 2 August 1622, but was dead before 8 May 1626.
• Anne, baptized 4 December 1614, received into the Benedictine Convent at Cambray 8 March 1639, and died, a nun, in Paris.
• Elizabeth, baptized 15 November 1617 ; received into the above-mentioned convent as Sister Clementina, and died there 17 November 1683.
• Lucy, baptized 23 December 1619 ; received into the above-mentioned convent 31 August 1638, as Sister Magdalena, and died there 1 November 1650.
• Victoria, baptized 16 September 1620, was married, as his second wife, to Sir William Uvedale of Wickham, co. Herts, with issue ; and secondly, 14 August 1653, to Bartholomew Price of Linlithgow.
• Mary, baptized 9 January 1621-22 ; received as above along with her sister Lucy, and died 22 September 1693."

SOURCE: The Scots peerage, Vol. III, page 609