Thomas Carte


Thomas or John Carte was an English historian with Jacobite sympathies, who served as a Church of England clergyman.

Life

Carte was born near Clifton upon Dunsmore to Samuel Carte. He matriculated at University College, Oxford in 1698, and took his degree from Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1702, and an MA from King's College, Cambridge in 1706.
He first became well known for his controversy with Dr Henry Chandler regarding the Irish massacre of 1641, during the English Civil War, in which he defended the late King Charles I. His attachment to the Stuarts also caused him to remain a non-juror. He was ordained around 1714, and in that year refused to take the Oath of Allegiance. On the discovery of the plot of Francis Atterbury, whose secretary he was, he was accused of high treason in 1722 and was forced to flee to France adopting the name of Philips.
There he collected materials for an English edition of the works of Jacques August de Thou and Nicolas Rigault, which were purchased and published by Dr Mead. He was recalled to England in 1728 through the influence of Queen Caroline.
Carte held the rectory in Yattendon during the later part of his life, working on part of his "General History of England" while living there. He was buried in the church at Yattendon.

Works

He collected a large quantity of historical papers during his life. They became the property of the University of Oxford, and were deposited in the Bodleian Library, where they are known as the Carte Manuscripts.

Citations