Quick Facts
Biography
Sir George Carew (died ca. 1613) was an English diplomat and historian.
Life
He was the second son of Thomas Carew of Antony and brother of Richard Carew. He was educated at Oxford and entered the Inns of Court before travelling abroad. At the recommendation of Queen Elizabeth I, who conferred on him the honour of a knighthood, he was appointed secretary to Sir Christopher Hatton. Later, having been promoted to a Mastership in Chancery, he was sent as ambassador to the King of Poland.
He sat for St. Germans in 1584, for Saltash in 1586, 1588, 1593, and for St. Germans in 1597 and 1601. The honour of knighthood was conferred upon him at Whitehall 23 July 1603.
Family
He married Thomazine, the daughter of Sir Francis Godolphin.
Writings
During the reign of James I he was employed in negotiations with Scotland and for several years was ambassador to the court of France. On his return he wrote a Relation of the State of France, written in the classical style of the Elizabethan age and featuring sketches of the leading persons at the court of Henry IV. It appears as an appendix to Thomas Birch's Historical View of the Negotiations between the Courts of England, France and Brussels, from 1592 to 1617, 1749.
Much of the information regarding Poland contained in De Thou's History of His Own Times was furnished by Carew.
Carew is also believed to have written, or been responsible for the compilation of, A Relation of the State of Polonia (1598): Res Polonicae ex archivo Musei Britannici; (Georgio Carew communiter adscribitur); eddit Carolus H. Talbot. 2 vols. Romae: Institutum Historicum Polonicum, 1965–1967