The New Murrey and Blue blog

The above image is of the Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey, Torquay where George Cary and Sir Edward Seymour:

“…..jointly took 400 prisoners during the Spanish Armada and some residents today know the men were imprisoned in what we still call ‘The Spanish Barn’. Torre Abbey estates were then purchased by the Cary family in 1662….”

The extract is from this article by Ian Handford, chairman of Torbay Civic Society, which concerns the blue plaques (or lack of them) in Torquay. The Cary family possessed numerous branches and have been associated with the area since Saxon times, but their name ”….can only be viewed on headstones, memorials, tombs and granite plaques of Cockington, Chelston and Torre Abbey plus Cary Green in St Marychurch and at the Cary Park in Torquay, as no blue plaque has yet been requested to honour any specific member of the family….”

This is shocking when one considers the contribution the Carys have made to the area history. Their main family homes were at Cockington Court and Torre Abbey (where the Spanish Barn mentioned above is to be found) and Cockington was acquired by a Sir John Cary in 1375. Unfortunately he supported Richard II against the Merciless Parliament in 1388 and had his lands confiscated before he was sent off to Ireland. Well, I suppose he could have lost his head as well as his property!

Robert Cary, son of the above Sir John, served under Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V.

The property was restored, then lost again when William Carey fought on the wrong side at the Battle of Tewkesbury. He was executed today in 1471. The estates were forfeited, but restored again.

In the time of Queen Elizabeth I, one of the family, George Cary, was knighted “in recognition of helping defend South Devon against the Spanish with supporter Sir Edward Seymour”.

Given the history of Torquay and the Carys as further described in the above article, I have to agree that they deserve a blue plaque or two.