Major Carew - who was he

[corisande]

I just cannot fathom out who he was. He was on the IRA hit list for Bloody Sunday, but had moved house and was not in his old address so missed getting murdered

1. He is just named as "Major Carew"

2. A Major Carew in intelligence was involved in the shooting of Sean Treacy the month before. Again I can find no Christian name nor initial for him

3. My current take on him including MIC is here The only MIC seems to be "Hallowell Carew" . H Carew did get an "special appointment " in June 1920, which would fit with intelligence work in Ireland.

4. It is impossible to find a man with name Hallowell Carew in Birth Registers. He claims in a later ship passenger list to have been born circa 1873/74 at Newton Abbot, and the only man to fit that is a Gerald Dudley W Carew born there in 1874. One can follow this man in 1881, 1891 and 1901 census but is not in 1911 census. There is a strong possibility that this is him and he changed his name but I cannot prove that

5. As far as I can see Hallowell Carew appears with a commission in 1914, resigns it in 1921 and is spotted twice on ships after that, but no death record.

If anyone has any other or more definitive references to him I would be very grateful.

Edited 6 June , 2020 by corisande
corrected URL of my page on him

[IPT]

The above suspect's brother is this man (the W likely being Warrington);

http://www.blundells.org/archive/in-memoriam/carew_cgw.html

There is some genealogy about the Warrington Carews here;

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ig...g&id=I18567

I was hoping that there would be some link to the "Hallowell Carew" family which would have provided a tantalising clue.

It's interesting that Coventry Warrington Carew was in the West Indies on business when war broke out. Could this provide a reason for Gerald's absence in 1911?

[Carmania]

Hallowell Carew was back in the UK on the 14th August 1927 when he arrived in Plymouth from New York on the Pennland. He gave his age as 51, born c1876. Not very illuminating but another little bit of info.

Aled

[corisande]

Thank you IPT and Carmania,

It all helps with these puzzles,

It must be the same man going back and forth on ships, and he is inconsistent with his age, but all within a couple of years of 1874

I was hoping that there would be some link to the "Hallowell Carew" family which would have provided a tantalising clue. Thanks for that bit of digging, as you say there ought to be something in the family to see why he should change his name to "Hallowell" (if indeed this is the right man)

The connection with Hallowell I looked at was with Admiral Sir Benjamen Hallowell Carew but turns out he changed his name from Hallowell to Carew!. And there seemed little return in digging further into him

The place where Major Carew turns up in reports is in the shooting of Sean Treacy. Problem is for obvious reasons the British reports do not identify him, and all one seems to get is the generic "Major Carew"

[headgardener]

Am following your Cairo Gang stuff with interest.

Just a thought; what steps have you taken to ascertain how many 'Major Carew's there actually were, and who they might be serving with?

Bearing in mind issues such as temporary/acting ranks, etc, I'd have assumed there's a reasonable, though not excessively large, number of possible candidates, not all of whom would be represented in the MIC's. They also had Majors in the RFC and possibly in the early days of the RAF. Is it 'just' the 'special appointment' reference that's leading you Hallowell Carew?

A quick check on Google shows me that there's a whole Hallowell-Carew family, so maybe your Hallowell Carew might have had another first name?

Also, it's impossible to be certain that your 'Major Carew' would still be a serving officer at that point. Or do you think that all these Cairo Gang men were still on the active list?

Did they have the rank of Major in the Black and Tans or other police-type units? Or am I getting my chronology in a twist?

And what about Major Robert John Henry Carew of the RDF? (had been a staff officer - surely a reasonable candidate?)

[corisande]

I accept that "Major Carew" could be anybody with the name Carew and some vague connection to being a major in Dublin at that time, therefore I have to narrow the field. This exercise with "Hallowell Carew" is trying to narrow the field

Most (probably all) of the intelligence men in Ireland were "Special Appointments", and "Major H Carew MC" is such a special appointment. So he is in with a shout (I have gone through all Special Appointments over the appropriate period and cannot unearth any other Carews to look at). Next I try to find out more about the man, which is where this thread comes in. The only MIC that fits is the said Hallowell Carew but he appears from nowhere, yet claims to have been born in Newton Abbot in about 1874. But I can find no birth, marriage or death for a Hallowell Carew

I seem to have reached a dead end on that.

So now looking at the Sean Treacy shooting, the chances are virtually certain that the "Major Carew" involved in that and the man who was on the hit list on Bloody Sunday are the same. So can I find more about the Treacy shooting and see if there is a record that gives at least an initial to Major Carew there.

Basically my policy here is to put the probably candidate in the frame, then see if I can either substantiate him or eliminate him. I have tried and failed to find any living Carews who might have him as an ancestor, which is another approach.

[headgardener]

Hmmm......... Interesting.

I can see how he looks 'suspicious', particularly with regards to the difficulty you've had in finding his name amongst the various archives. The only thing that I'd say is that his name already appears in 1914, presumably long before the need for any subterfuge on his part.

I was just wondering about the RDF man who was a staff officer (IO's would have been staff appts).

Good luck with your project. I'll follow with interest.

[SteveE]

WO338 Index to Officer's Services Long Number Papers shows..

Carew, Halliwell. RFA & Tank Corps. 32798. T/Capt. (A/Major)

The 32798 means his file is this one at NA, Kew...

WO 339/15867 CAREW H, Major 1914-1921; 1939

Hope it helps.

Steve

[corisande]

Thanks Steve,

It all helps - I think!

I'll add it to my list for Kew next month.

[corisande]

For what it is worth (not a lot) there were two British Intelligence men involved in the shooting of Sean Treacy. Lt Gilbert Arthur Price and Major Carew (who I postulate to have been the man on Special Appointment and who was in the Tank Corps).

Lt G A Price was also on a Special Appointment, and had also been in the Tank Corps (promoted from the ranks). Price's Christian names can be found because he was killed in the shoot out.

[mhifle]

Hi,

These are from the 28 Nov 1920 Army List

Regards Mark

Reserve of Officers

4th Dragoon Guards

Major Carew B L 7Sept04

---------------------------

Commands and Staff

Class GG

Carew Temp Capt H, MC, Tank Corps 1June20

Tank Corps

Captain

Temporary Carew H, MC, 12Apr17 (S ec appt)?

Acting Major 22Oct18.

-------------------------------

The Suffolk Regiment

Major

t Carew P F 11Dec14

bt maj 1Jan19

t: Officer of the Regular Forces or Special Reserve of Officers serving with the Territorial Force.

5th Battalion The Suffolk Regiment

Adjutant

Carew.Capt.(Bt Maj.)P.F.,Suff.R. 24Mar.20

-------------------------------------------------

Yeomanry, Territorial Force.

Royal 1st Devon, Hussars.

Captain

Carew P G 3Dec17

-----------------------------------------

Reserve of Officers

Royal Dublin Fusiliers

Captain

Carew R J H, MC, (bt maj) 14Sept14

----------------------------------------------

Royal Garrison Artillery

Captain

Carew R L O, i, 8Aug16

i: Holding an extra regimental appointment In India.

[corisande]

Thanks Mark

That is a useful list

The only ones that could be the medal card "Hallowell Carew" is the man I fingered with the MC from the Tanks Corps. And I know that the Tanks Corps MC is a Special Appointment Man

The RDF man is H for Henry, and none of the others have an H

I will now go through your list to see if any have Special Appointments at the right time.

[janecavell]

How about Major F. Hallowell Carew, OBE, MC, eldest son of the late Francis Hallowell Carew of Beddington Park, Surrey, who died 28 January 1943 according to The Times, 2 Feb 1943.

Perhaps his father is the Benjamin Francis Hallowell Carew who married in the St George Hanover Square district in 1855. One of this same name died aged 48 in 1879 . . . wait for it . . . in the Newton Abbott district.

I don't have all the usual genealogy databases at my fingertips this evening so can't see how old Major F. Hallowell Carew was when he died: I can check tomorrow if no-one else has provided the info by then.

P.S.: I probably got excited over nothing. Looks like he is the Frank H. Carew born in Ferryside, Caernarvon, in about 1865, who was a 16 year old pupil at boarding school in Titchfield, Hants, in 1881. His widowed mother Mary and numerous sisters were in London. (This is all from the transcript on FamilySearch; I will check details in the census enumerators' books tomorrow.)

[corisande]

poppy3

Thank you very much for that input

I have spent time today checking him out. He seems to be the "Major Hollowell Carew". I have followed him through the censuses as you have, and there is another more remote clue that carmania sent me this afternoon. on one of the ships manifests he lists his next of kin as his sister, and one can use that to show he is Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew

Man was an entrepreneur and developed Northwood and fell out with his wife

'Northern wood', being to the north of Ruislip. ‘Northwode’ 1435 and there was a small Tudor village in the area.. This was the northern part of the rural parish of Ruislip where firewood gathering was an economic activity for locals and it was a pre-1914 Metroland development . David Carnegie JP put his Eastbury estate on the market on 25th March 1887 when the railway was announced. It was bought by Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew, son of one of Nelson’s captains, Carew sold the land of as building plots with a condition that houses should cost at least £750 except for cheaper cottages in the High Street. Roads were named after him and members of his family. From 1887 on, the modern Northwood developed. One of the first promoters was Mr Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew (1866-1943) and his sons Reginald and Roy. But for a difference this gentleman had with his wife, Dene Road would still be named Edith Road.

This appears to be the man that goes on to be "Major Hallowell Carew MC". His stated DOB does wander a bit, but nothing too much. The "Newton Abbot" and "Carmarthenshire" are at odds, but Newton Abbott could have been a ships mistake. But I am uneasy about him being the Intelligence man aged 55 involved in gun battles on the streets of Dublin in 1920. Mind you he dos appear to be a tank company commander a few years before winning the MC. I should be able to get his service record next month at Kew to ascertain that it is this man.

I think now the only way I can nail him is by trying to get him from the Irish end- in other words trying to find someone on Rootschat who has the necessary knowledge of Sean Treacy's shooting in Talbot St Dublin in October 1920 which "Major Carew" was involved in.

I still have to finish checking the other Carew officers in LG to see if any were "special appointments" other than "H Carew, MC, Tank Corps"

[mhifle]

Hi,

On the 'Regina' Manifest 7 May 1927

Occupation as Army,

Destination: Cheateu Frontenac, Quebec,

NOK: Sister Lady Jeningham, Queens Terr, Windsor, Eng.

Carrying £150

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Mark

It is his trip on that ship on that date that gave me "Newton Abbot" as his place of birth, I suspect we have seen two different manifests - one for leaving UK and one for arriving Canada.

Can I ask you to cross check on the one you have seen to see if it gives a place of birth - if I could eliminate Newton abbot, my life would be easier with this man

One can trace Lady Jeningham back to their parents and to him being Frank M M Hallowell Carew born in Carmarthenshire.

[mhifle]

Hi,

The manifest is a double page

It gives place of Birth as Newton Abbot, Gt Britain

Canadian Passenger Lists

Name: Hallowell Carew

Gender: Male

Age: 54

Estimated birth year: abt 1873

Birth Country: England

Date of Arrival: 7 May 1927

Vessel: Regina

Port of Arrival: Quebec

Port of Departure: Liverpool, England

Roll: T-14732

[mhifle]

Passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960

Name: Major Hellowell CAREW

Date of departure: 1 May 1926

Port of departure: Liverpool

Destination port: New York

Destination country: USA

Date of Birth: 1872 (calculated from age)

Age: 54

Marital Status:

Sex: Male

Occupation: Army

Notes:

Passenger recorded on: Page 11 of 20

Ship: ADRIATIC

Official Number: 124061

Master's name: F E Beadnell

Steamship Line: White Star

Where bound: Montreal, Canada

Square feet: 7307

Registered tonnage: 24540

Passengers on voyage: 226

Address: Wellington Club, Grosvenor Place, London

Passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960

Name: Major Hellowell CAREW

Date of departure: 23 April 1927

Port of departure: Liverpool

Destination port: Montreal

Destination country: Canada

Date of Birth: 1873 (calculated from age)

Age: 54

Marital Status:

Sex: Male

Occupation: Nil

Notes:

Passenger recorded on: Page 24 of 31

Ship: REGINA

Official Number: 104596

Master's name: E Davies

Steamship Line: White Star

Where bound: Montreal, Canada

Square feet: 22024

Registered tonnage: 16499

Passengers on voyage: 686

Address: C/O En Route Service, London, SW1

[corisande]

Thanks Mark

It would appear that the Newton Abbot is a mistake (by the ship, perhaps) It is the same Hallowell Carew, on the same ship who gives his sister as NOK, and from that can trace him back to being born in Carmarthenshire. There appears to be enough evidence from this one voyage where both Newton Abbot and sister are given to make that conclusion

I am beginning to suspect that Hallowell Carew ran into some financial problems after his speculating in Northwood, which is probably why he changed to "Hallowell Carew" from "Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew" and was a bit cavalier with his exact DOB

[corisande]

Does not prove that he went bust, but something happened. From LG

NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership which has for some time past been carried on by Reginald Francis St. Fere Vaile and Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew, under the firm of Vaile and Carew, at 71, Cornhill, in the City of London, in the ,trade or business of Bill Brokers, Bill Discounters, and Money Dealers, was this day dissolved, "by mutual consent, as from the 29th day of February, 1892.; the said

Reginald Francis St. Fere Vaile assuming the liabilities and assets of the firm.—As witness our hands this 28th day'of March, 1892. FRANK M. M. H. 'CAREW.' REGINALD F. ST: F. VAILE.

An observation made at the time on Northwood was

Northwood Station. 1st September 1887, Between Moor Park and Northwood Hills on the Metropolitan Line. . So few passengers arrived in the early weeks that it was said that the line was doomed to failure. The station was the enterprise of Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew.

[mhifle]

Hi,

Thses are from The Times.

29 Dec 1914

2 Feb 1943

21 Mar 1949

Regards Mark

[corisande]

Thanks Mark

The death of Major F Hallowell Carew shows it is the right man all through, rather than his brother.

In case anyone comes across this thread in the future Frank M M Hallowell Carew had one brother Guy Hallowell Carew who was 3 years younger. But does not seem to have been in the WW1 and died 1921

Guy Hallowell Carew, his brother (I do not need anything more on Guy)

• 1869 born Carmarthenshire 1869
• 1889 Feb 11. 4th Battalion, the Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment),
• 1890 married Cecile Emma Martin in Chelsea in the December Qtr of 1890.
• 1921 Died 1921

[mhifle]

Hi,

From the 1915 Army List

Mark

[corisande]

Thanks to everyone's inputs, I have now got here with Major Hallowell Carew (I still do not know if it is the right man, but never the less a man worthy of investigation)

http://www.cairogang.com/escaped/carew/carew.html

Students of the minutiae will observe that his life is "colourful"

It is difficult to see what happened to his married life. He appears to have married twice, divorced his first wife, was living in a hotel with a third woman in 1901. Made and probably lost a fortune on broking and land speculation. Joined the army in his youth but "removed" in 1887 for being absent without leave. Joined the army again at nearly 50 years old, commanded a Tank company, won MC, joined intelligence in Ireland and was active on the streets of Dublin in that role. Spent much of his time post war in America. Died 1943

1892 Feb 8 decree nisi for the dissolution of the marriage on the grounds of creulty and his adultery with Mrs A Seymour. His wife described him as a man "of loose pursuits, who favoured the companionshp of prizefighters, frequenters of racecourses and loose ladies who indulged in the midnight amusements of dancing saloons".

[mhifle]

Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900

Name: Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell. Carew

College: MAGDALENE

Entered: Michs. 1883

More Information: Adm. pens. (age 18) at MAGDALENE, July 24, 1883. S. of Francis Hallowell, deceased. Matric. Michs. 1883.