List of pedigrees Bland of Northern Neck Va. Nicholas Hester of Fleming Co Ky Thruston

Visitors since 22nd March 2009: It is really something to sing and dance about. Dig up those old bones and get them dancing! Send contributions, additions and corrections and report faulty links!

Find your roots! Get DNA tested too!

promote your website on 200 European search engines!

Sources: BP1934 Falkland, BLG1952 Cary of Torre Abbey, BE1883 Carey of Hunsdon, Dover, BE1883 Carey of Monmouth, TSP Falkland, TCP Hunsdon, TCP Monmouth

In it is the record of the manor of Kari, in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Heath, Devonshire, near Launceston, close by the border of Cornwall. The small river Kari, or Karibrook, from which the manor took its name, runs on one side of it. It still retains its name of eight hundred years ago.

There is also the record of the barony of Castle Cari, in the central-eastern part of Somersetshire, some seventy-five or eighty miles east of that in Devon.

Prince wrote three centuries ago: "St. Giles was the antient seat of the family, and we are told that they possessed an antient dwelling there bearing their name. Some say that the name is from Castle Cari, but I think the name seems antienter than the place."

R. N. Worth, Fellow of the Royal Genealogical Society, says: "St. Giles-in-the-Heath was the principal home of the Carys till the time of Richard the Second, only, but one branch remained there as late as the reign of Elizabeth."

It will be notice that most of the men mentioned in this English pedigree were knights, and most of their wives were daughters of knights. That shows how prominent the family was.

As regards the name it is doubtful if it was first applied to a person or a location. Some say it was first used in Karibrook before mentioned. As the conqueror found it in England when he came, it must be as old as the time of the Saxons.

Prince says: "I will not set bounds to this noble name. If any shall derive it from the son of the Roman Emperior Carus who was general here in Britain A. D. 285, I shall have nothing to oppose." He says later that the family "is one of the most noted in England, there being at the same time two earls, viz., Monmouth and Dover; one Viscount Falkland; and one Baron Hunsdon, which is an honor very few families in England can pretend."

The Domesday record was made in 1086 and in it the name of the Devonshire manor is spelled Kari and that of Somersetshire manor Cari.

The first person of whom any record is made, in this family, was Adam a good name for a starter who lived at Castle Cari in Somersetshire about one hundred years later than the Domesday record, and it is a suggestive fact that he spelled both his own name and that of the manor, Kari. That may indicate that he came from Devon and brought the spelling with him. Another consideration is the fact that de means "of", i.e., Adam of Keri; therefore it is no doubt true that the family started in St. Giles-in-the-Heath.

Notwithstanding these statements the fact remains, there is a complete record of the family from Castle Cari and not a single name from St. Giles-in-the-Heath.

The Domesday record states that the St. Giles manor was given with one hundred and six other manors, by William the Conqueror, to one of his barons named Juhdel de Totensis. It is needless to state that he was a Norman. It was customary in those days, and for many years after, for persons to have but one name. This man was Juhdel, or Joel; his family seat was Totensis, or Totness, one of his one hundred and seven manors. This town is one the river Dart, some ten miles above Dartmouth. A branch of the Cary family lives there now 1906 the head of the house being Stanley Edward Cary.

Nothing farther can be learned of the St. Giles parish from the book or member of the family.

There being no possible doubt of the connection of Castle Cari with the family, I will give a few interesting figures relating to that name, which I copied from Domesday.

Walter de Douay was the Norman baron who held the manor of Cari in Somerset along with thirty-eight other manors given him by the Conqueror. He was probably from Douai in France, and followed the Conqueror from that country when he invaded England. Several of his manors were united, constituting the barony of Castle Cari, with the family seat at Cari. The name of the Saxon owner was Elfi. The owner was obliged to pay fees, or dues, to the lord, and the lord in turn to the kind.

The first authentic record of the family is as follows:

For centuries the castle has existed only in history, but the town where was located is known to-day as Castle Cary and may be thus found on the maps. It is in Somersetshire and twelve miles south east from Wells. As stated, Castle Cari was the family seat of the baron. It is known that it was a fortified place in the time of the Saxons. About the year 1125 the Lord William Percival, named "Lovel the Wolf," asked strong fortifications at Cari. Much of the time during the reign of Stephen 1136-1154, the barons were divided into two parties, the Lord of Cari being opposed to the king. He made so much trouble that Stephen turned his whole attention to Castle Cari and took it. In 1153 it was besieged again and nearly ruined. Very little is known of it after that.