Reginald Pole Carew

For the British general, see Reginald Pole-Carew (British Army officer).

Reginald Pole Carew (28 July 1753 – 3 January 1835) was a British politician.

1773 portrait by Melchior Wyrsch

He was born the son of Reginald Pole and Anne Buller of Stoke Damerel, Plymouth, Devon. He was educated at Winchester College and University College, Oxford and entered the Middle Temple in 1770. He lived at Antony House, Cornwall.

Career

In 1782 Carew became MP for Penryn, in 1787 he became MP for Reigate, and in 1790 he became MP for Lostwithiel. Then in 1796 he became MP for Fowey, giving up the seat in 1799 on taking Crown office as an Auditor of Public Accounts, but resuming his seat in 1802. In August 1803, he became Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department and in January 1805 was made a Privy Counsellor. In 1812 he became MP for Lostwithiel.^[1]

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1788.^[2]

Art collection

Carew was a personal friend of Sir Joshua Reynolds who painted his portrait. He formed a substantial collection of etchings by Rembrandt, which were sold after his death by Benjamin Wheatley in London, 13–15 May 1835. Among the buyers was the British Museum who bought several examples.

Marriages and issue

Portrait of Jemima Yorke painted by George Romney

Carew married Jemima Yorke, the daughter of Hon. John Yorke and Elizabeth Lygon, on 18 November 1784. Their children were:^[3]

• Harriet Carew (died 4 March 1877), married John Eliot, 1st Earl of St Germans
• Caroline Pole-Carew, married James Bucknall Bucknall Estcourt^[4]

He married, secondly, Caroline Anne Lyttelton, daughter of William Henry Lyttelton, 1st Lord Lyttelton, Baron of Frankley and Caroline Bristow, on 4 May 1808. Their children were:

• Frances Antonia Pole-Carew (died 27 February 1889)
• William Henry Pole-Carew (30 July 1811 – 20 January 1888)

He died on 3 January 1835 at age 81.