CARMINOWE, Nicholas (c.1519-69), of Respryn, Cornw.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1559

Family and Education

b. c.1519, 2nd s. of Thomas Carminowe of Respryn, and bro. of John. m. Elizabeth, da. of Christopher Tredeneck of Tredinnick in St. Breock, Cornw., 1da.2

Offices Held

Biography

Nicholas Carminowe inherited his family’s ancestral home probably not upon the death of his father in 1529 but when his elder brother succeeded to the estates of the main line on the death of their uncle John in 1547. Evidently he was his uncle’s favourite nephew as John Carminowe mentioned in his will ‘the great zeal, love, and favour always of me to him reserved and shewed from his infancy’ and gave proof of his continued favour when, in addition to the land already settled on him, he bequeathed to Nicholas Carminowe all his purchased property, his tinworks and his interest in the inheritance of William Keyle. A dispute over part of this bequest with Sir Thomas Pomeroy led to Carminowe and his elder brother seizing 900 acres belonging to Pomeroy, and a suit in Chancery. In 1544 he had been accused of wrongfully dispossessing Alexander Killigrew of land in St. Erme: his neighbour in St. Winnow, Thomas Treffry I, and his brother-in-law, William Tredeneck, were ordered to investigate the charge, but the evidence of the witnesses summoned before them was inconclusive. At the same time Carminowe was involved in a similar case with another member of the Killigrew family. Later in the mid 1550s his part in the abduction of Philippa Shaw by his brother was referred to the Star Chamber. Nothwithstanding these complaints against him Carminowe was considered in 1564 meet to be a justice of the peace in Cornwall.3

Six months after his standing in the county had been assured through the generosity of his uncle, Carminowe was elected to the first Parliament of Edward VI’s reign as the junior Member for Dunheved: since his partner was his neighbour and the coroner for the county, William Cavell, and he had no known links with this constituency, he may have been indebted to Cavell for his place in the House. Possibly Carminowe also enjoyed the support of the steward of the duchy, Sir John Russell, Baron Russell, since he and Henry Chiverton were paid £16 0s.4d. in 1549 on the Privy Council’s order ‘for coming up from the west parts and discharging certain money for his majesty’s service’ at the outbreak of the prayer book rebellion which Russell was charged to suppress. Carminowe died in 1569, being buried at Lanhydrock.4

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: J. J. Goring

Notes

  • 1. Hatfield 207.
  • 2. Carminowe’s elder brother was ‘28 or thereabouts’ and his younger brother 23 in 1544, Req.2/3/205. Vis. Cornw. ed. Vivian, 457; J. Maclean, Trigg Minor, iii. 160-1; Mdx. Peds. (Harl. Soc. lxv), 47.
  • 3. Maclean, iii. 156, 160-1; PCC 19 More; Req.2/3/205; C1/1110/5-6, 1254/45-49; 3/45/69; St.Ch.4/4/20; E179/87/218, m. 12; Cam. Misc. ix(3), 69.
  • 4. APC, ii. 302-3; Duchy Cornw. RO, 226/6; E101/273/20, m. 10, 274/1, m. 4; Maclean, iii. 162.