Sir Nicholas Carew

Sir Nicholas Carew was a scion of a powerful English family. His father, Nicholas Carew Senior, was an important marcher lord living at Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire from which the family took its name. The main residence of the family in England was Moulsford Manor in Berkshire, where they lived when attending the Royal Court,

Sir Nicholas made a distinguished military career under King Edward I (r. 1272-1307). He fought in many of King Edward's Scottish, Welsh and French campaigns. His reputation and importance was such that he attended the Parliament called at Lincoln, in January 1301, to consider the letter from Pope Boniface VIII claiming his position as feudal overlord of Scotland.

Between 1280 and 1310, Sir Nicholas was responsible for much of the medieval construction of Carew Castle. He married twice, first to Amicia Peverel by whom he had four sons, and secondly to Avice Martin by whom he had a further four son and a daughter. Sir Nicholas Carew died in 1311 and was buried at the parish church of Carew Cheriton, where an effigy of a knight, believed to be his, remains to this day.