Dame Anne Carey (Carew)

In the centre of the quire pavement at Westminster Abbey is the gravestone of Dame Anne Carey (or Carew, as she is called in the Abbey burial register). When the black and white paving in this area was laid down in 1676 her grave was not disturbed. The inscription had worn away and when the stone was repaired in 1869 the inscription and coat of arms were re-cut. The coat of arms now on the stone are said to show her husband's arms (seemingly those of Crewe), impaled with her own.  The arms have worn away once again.

The Latin inscription can be translated:

Anne, daughter of Nicholas Hyde Kt., Chief Justice of England, wife of Ross Carey (who, deserving most highly of his country on the expedition to Rhe, and being adorned with the title of Knight Banneret, yet further adorned that title), is buried here. Once Britain was restored to Charles, once Charles was restored to Britain, Anne joyfully yielded up her soul on 23 August in her 50th year and year of salvation 1660.

Her life

Her father Nicholas (died 1631) was a son of Laurence Hyde (died 1590) and his second wife Anne (nee Sibell), and was born at Wardour Castle, Wiltshire. As well as a lawyer and politician he became a director of the Virginia Company. He was appointed chief justice of the King's bench in 1627. His wife was Mary (Swayne). They have a monument at Catherington church, Hampshire. Anne and three sons, Arthur, Edward and Lawrence, survived him.

The stone makes mention of the Restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660. Anne's husband Ross had been knighted for his services during the memorable expedition to the Isle of Rhe in France, led by George Villiers, duke of Buckingham. Sir Ross died on 28th February 1641 (New Style dating), and was buried at St Andrew's church, Holborn in London, where the parish register entry calls him an Irish gentleman.

Further reading for Sir Nicholas Hyde

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004

History of Parliament online