Draft New Post

If you click on "New Post" or "Sign In" on the blue bar above and then on NEW POST on the left you will be taken to a page where you can type whatever you want to post.  If you click on one of the listed posts you will be tken to a page where you can amend it.

I am typing this to remind myself how to do so. as it is more than a year since I last posted anything and I need to make an update.  Anyone can create an entry in this way and they are are most welcome to do so.

Arthur

Update re Katherine Parr's child.

Katherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII, failed to have a child by him. After his death she soon married Admiral Thomas Seymour and they had a daughter Mary on August 30 1548 at Sudeley Castle, but Katherine died in childbirth. Less than a year later Thomas Seymour was executed

The 2007 blog post below refers to a claim that someone called Cawarden from Northumberland took the child back with him, raised her and married her off to a squire.

Following a visit to Sudeley Castle in June 2021, the archivist there, Derek Maddock, wrote:

Thanks for your enquiry, but unfortunately I do not think I am able to help you.  Documents that we do have are Victorian in date onwards along with acquisitions made, in particular by Emma Dent. She bought anything that was relevant to the castle, to Katherine Parr etc. and commissioned researchers to look at the national and royal archives and make relevant copies. … I can find no reference to Carden or Cawarden. …   I … have a number of items referring to the Johnson family who claimed descent through a Silas Johnson who claimed to have married KP’s granddaughter, I have a poor quality image of a family tree claiming descent through a marriage of baby Mary to Edward Bushel, but I have not found a link with your surname.   … in the 1920's there was a nationwide appeal looking for evidence to support the [Bushel] claim. Unfortunately for them, this came to naught!

Subsequently I found a Wikipedia reference to an article by Porter, Linda (2011). "Lady Mary Seymour: An unfit traveller". History Today Magazine. Vol. 61 no. 7.  I am trying to obtain a copy.

John Carden the haberdasher, 1630

 

John Carden the haberdasher, 1630

 Some readers may have purchased a copy of my CARDEN IN AMERICA SUPPLEMENT in which I have tried to record for posterity some of the research on the family carried out by earlier generations, including such people as Nils Haag, Branch Jackson, Dr Thom Carden and others. Their research seldom quotes sources, which are sometimes mentioned in other documents.

Dr Thom stated:

[In one form of the story] The John Carden is documented as marrying M. Hedger in 1578 at Hillington Parish, Middlesex, England, had two children we know of.  John’s son John II was a haberdasher of hats and caps in the area known as “The roll of tobacco.” We know that he paid rent to Giles De Butt until 1631 when he moved his family to County Chester, Ireland

The following appears in the records of the Society of Genealogists in London.

Hillingdon Middx Marriages, Trsc T Gurney 1809

John Carden & Elyzabeth Hedger   13 July 1578

Peter Fletcher & Elysebeth Carden    11 April 1597

This was clearly Dr Thom’s source, though he spelled Hillingdon incorrectly.

 

Going through old papers I have just found the following 2002 message from Chuck Carden, which is clearly the source of most of Dr Thom’s other information quoted above.  But he is quite wrong about Ireland.  Chester is in England, and my own research shows that the Cardens of Tipperary emigrated from Cheshire.  Oddly enough Chester is a town in Cheshire, not a County in Ireland.

 

Well, I guess there really was a JOHN CARDEN, Haberdasher in London (proved by the attached will of Giles DeButt). But, is this our John who supposedly came on the "Speedwell" in 1635???   Chuck.

 

>From "Genealogical Gleanings in England" Vol. #1, by Henry F. Waters. Published by Genealogical Pubiishing Company, 1969. (Orange County California Genealogical Society call number G942.Rec26.13-1)

 

GILES DE BUTT of Hackney, Middlesex gent 8 February 1631, proved 14 March 1632. To my brother in law Mr.  Peter Bonny  ten  pounds and unto my kinsman Enoch  Lynde  likewise  ten  pounds,  with  mourning  apparel  to  them and their wives and children.  To Mathew  Lynd  son  unto  Enoch  Lynd if in  case he continues his study and shall follow it so long till he proceeds Master of Arts, then at his going out Master I do give him twenty pounds. To my brother Josse de Quester I give ten pounds for mourning. To my two cousins Jean and Clays Velinges to either of them I give forty shillings to make either of them a ring for a remembrance of me. To my cousin Susan Terray now  the wife of Maruschall and to Susan Dangnow now the wife of Cooper I give to either of them, five pounds. To the minister of the parish where it shall please God that I shall be buried forty shillings. To my maid servant Susan who now bath dwelt with me about ten years I give ten pounds to be paid her at her day of marriage. To Margaret our maid servant if she dwell with me when I die four pounds. To the poor of St. Andrew Hubbard in East Cheape five pounds. To the poor of Hackney five pounds. To the poor of the French congregation five pounds. To the poor of the Dutch congregation forty ponnds. Other bequests to the poor in various hospitals and prisons. To John Hoult my son in law five ponnds for monrning. To my wife Anna de Butt my capital messuage in Thames Street called the three Tuns now or late in the occnpation of Mrs. Mary Hearewyn widow and her son in law Timothy van Vlettend, Dutch minister, and Jeremy Loveland, merchant, and others, so long  as she shall live sole and unmarried. But if she choose to marry my son James shall have and enjoy one half the rents and profits &c. during my wife's life time, and at her death I give all my capital messuage and tenements, houses &c. to my son. To my said son James my two houses in Tower Street which I have bought of William Perkins, called the Roll of Tobacco, and now in the occupation of John Carden, haberdasher of hats and caps and William Hyde a tailor. "And whereas I hold by lease from the parishioners of the, parish of St. Andrew Hubart in East cheape a Messuage or Tenement with the appurtenances and beinge in Bottellane in London and now in the occupation of my kinsman Mr Enoch Lynde" I do will and appoint that my wife shall have hold and enjoy the said messuage and the ciear yearly rent thereof during so long of the term to come in the said lease as she shall be living. My wife and son James to be the executors of this my last will, and for overseers I name and appoint Mr. Matthew de Quester Esq. and Air. Robert Cudnor and my kinsman Enoch Lynde praying them to assist my said executors with their good counsel and advice. Reference to a gift my son was to have

(Next page missing)

 

 

I will enter a copy of this blog post in the above SUPPLEMENT.  I hope someone is studying the origins in England of the early Carden immigrants to Virginia.

 

Arthur's books

Those wishing to see the current list of books about the Carden family available for purchase from Lulu should visit  http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/carden

My nephew Matthew has kindly agreed to maintain the books available from Lulu after I am unable to do so, and I am hoping that in due course he might also keep the blog going and maybe add to the books available.  He can be contacted at matthew@cwman.co.uk.

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ARTHUR’S NINETIETH BIRTHDAY

I will be 90 on 28th June 2019.  Apologies for not inviting you to a party.    I will be having tea 3pm – 5pm in the Great Court Restaurant on the third floor at the British Museum on Sunday June 30th.  If anyone decides to join me I would be delighted, but please do not feel any pressure to come.

Please let me know if you are likely to come, to help with planning, but you are welcome just to turn up!                

                     Arthur Carden (carden@one-name.org)

Carden Gathering 2018

The third Gathering in England was held at Lewes and Cheshire in September 2018, previous ones having been in 1998 and 2008.  Immensely successful, attended by 95 Cardens from all over the world. There will be another Carden Gathering in Knoxville USA in 2013. 

An 81-page full colour Report is available from www.lulu.com, compiled by Arthur Carden from contributions by many of those who attended. Includes summaries of presentations on Carden DNA and many other subjects, and at least 150 photographs. The final edition was issued in April 2019, but comments are welcome so that minor amendments can be made in the future. 

Ted's Carden Car

Ted wrote in 2018: 
     Sorry about the get together. I’m due to be shooting pheasants in Scotland at that  time.  Back from South Africa 2 months ago having harvested a very large Cape buffalo and a Nyala to add to my collection of 2 elephants, 4 bears, 3 lions, one leopard and multiple plains game animals.  The cycle car is in the Peterson museum in Los  Angeles. It was a real pile of rubbish. Leaking oil all over so I unloaded it!!!  I'm still racing cars and will be at Monterey racing in May. I have a very rare race car, a Chevron B 2.. Look it up  on Google .My car is the blue car with an orange nose. There are only 4: 3 are in England. Yes that’s me in the car.
     Ted

Not bad for a 78 year old (born 1939).

The post below will be found among 'Older Posts' and was dated 14 July 2008.  

Edward Carden (Ted) is a distinguished Anaesthologist - see Google for his many qualifications and publications. He is a member of the Rigsby, Lincolnshire branch of our family. He emigrated when young and now lives in Los Angeles. He is a flamboyant character who loves motor racing, big game hunting, and in November 2008 was in England shooting pheasants.

The illustration is a 1921 Carden Cyclecar which he has just purchased from a museum in Germany. He hopes to drive it on the road to exhibitions in California. A chapter in the book CARDEN OF TEMPLEMORE gives details of the car and its designer Sir John Valentine Carden.
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CARDEN ALE

This beer mat (among many other Carden items) was displayed by Brian Woodford at the recent Carden Gathering in Lewes, England.

The DWAN BREWERY in Thurles, Tipperary, has now closed.


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Extraordinary 1618 Carden Chair

[I will soon delete this post as a google search revealed that in my post in March 2007 below I said that the chair was A gift from Mr Thomas Cawarden 4th June 1618. Master's Chair of the Framework Knitters Company, late 17th century.]

 I have just found these two pictures which I took in 2007, when I gave it the caption Carwardine Chair. I am almost certain the chair was on display at the Museum of London, but it is not currently on display there. I cannot discover to what the date 4 June 1618 refers. Sir Thomas Cawarden/Carden died in 1559, so it has nothing to do with him. The coat of arms was in use at that time by both the Carden and Cawardine families and I think proves they were related.  Any suggestions?

John Carden of Montreal and Quebec

The John Carden who died in Montreal in 1775 was a successful soldier who is mentioned in many records, but whose origins are not yet known.  I have been interested in him for many years and so has Mark Robinson who is hoping to publish a book about military Cardens.

I found this among  Sir Lionel Carden's papers at the library of the Society of Genealogists in London –

Frank Moore's Diary of the American Revolution.

An action with a party of rebels commanded by Colonel Ethan Allen in the
neighbourhood of Montreal.  The latter had formed a design to surprise and
take possession of that city in which a party of Royalists and some Indians
(commanded by Major Carden) went out and attacked them.  In the engagement
Major John Carden, a brave veteran late of the 60th Regt was mortally
wounded by Allen.  Presently after an encounter happened between him and Mr
Johnston.  Allen fired at him without effect and subsequently surrendered.
The Indians finding Mr Johnston had taken this famous leader proposed
sacrificing him to the memory of Major Carden and Mr Johnston had great
difficulty in saving his life.

Ethan Allen is of course an American folk hero, and Google has many references to him, though none mentions that he was nearly put to death for killing Major Carden.

Carden was apparently Assistant Quarter Master General at Montreal and a member of the Quebec Legislative Council.

He was praised in 1758 by General Wolfe (often a harsh judge) in the following words. Carden the American has a great deal of merit, but wants bread to eat.  He is an excellent fellow for the woods; I am sure of my intelligence and therefore wish the field mareschal [sic] would give him leave to serve the campaign with us, as he himself desired – five or six shillings a day for the campaign... He is bold, circumspect and more artful than his appearance bespeaks – has experience in the method of the American war beyond anybody that I can hear of; I hope we shan't lose such a subject so particularly adapted to this sort of work.  In the words of Mark Robinson he almost seems a prototype of James Fenimore Cooper’s literary creation, the backwoodsman Hawkeye, stories of whose adventures were set in these same Adirondack forests, during these same wars.

Mark has discovered that Carden was the father of two sons, John Carden and Hans Carden, both of whom also served as officers in the 60th and appear in, for instance Fortescue’s major work on the history of the British Army. I hear that Mark has managed to trace descendants of John Carden of Montreal living in the present-day USA.

 He must not be confused with Major Carden of Hanging Rock – see my 2009 post below, Admiral John Surman Carden and his father which includes a photograph of Mark.

NEW EDITIONS

The following announcements will be found at www.lulu.com (put CARDEN in the search box), where the books may be purchased.

Jon Varnedoe of the Barnane branch

Jon Varnedoe of the Barnane branch

A few days ago I was amazed to hear from Jon.  He is descended from Lionel Gillette Carden of California 1899-1971 who inherited the ‘Carden fortune’ after a lengthy legal process in Dublin in 1946. This was the sum held by the Public Trustee ever since the Barnane estate was sold to the Irish Land Commission in 1908, though Andrew Murray Carden continued to live there until he died in 1932.  His heir, Lionel Berkeley Carden, went to USA as a young man and disappeared there.  The full story is told in my book ‘Carden of Barnane.’

Lionel Gillette Carden was an enthusiastic correspondent with various family members and after his death his widow Mabel met some of us in England. But we lost touch with his children, one of whom, Jane, had a child in 1962 who was given to adoptive parents.  That child was Jon Varnedoe!

Jon is a very successful real estate agent in New York. See https://www.compass.com/agents/nyc/jon-varnedoe/  It is probable that he will come to the Carden Gathering in September to meet us all.

Mayo and Sligo

I have sent this message to all Mayo & Sligo family members for whom I have an email ID

If you visit www.lulu.com and put CARDEN in the search box you will find that a ‘final’ version of CARDEN IN MAYO & SLIGO is now available.  It is unlikely that I will ever issue a completely new edition, but I may make a few additions and corrections to the present edition (such as a revised back cover) from time to time, so please let me have your comments.

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Carden name used by Agatha Christie

Lynn Bateman wrote in 2011: Agatha Christie seemed quite fond of the name Carden.  She used it in two of her books for minor characters, and I came across it again as part of an address whilst playing a computer game of one of her stories - Evil Under the Sun.  Can't wait to get back and find out whodunit!

Lynn has carried out some wonderful research into the many Cardens from Ballina in Co Mayo, which I am hoping to publish soon in a book on branches originating from there and Co Sligo.  I will include a brilliant essay she has written on the Irish in Liverpool, including the current MP, Dan Carden, and his father Mike Carden a leader of the dock strikers in the 1990s.

SUPPLEMENT to CARDEN OF BARNANE

A new edition of the above Supplement is now available from www.lulu.com, with about 50 additional pages, mostly about the attempted abduction of Eleanor Arbuthnot by John Rutter Carden.

The pictures on the front and back covers are of his father John Carden (1772 - 1822) who was known as 'Killing Jack.'

Father Robert ("Bob") Carden OFM

Those who attended the 2008 Gathering will be sad to hear of the death of Father Robert ("Bob") Carden OFM, on August 1st 2017.

This picture of Bob is taken from a YouTube lecture in 2015.

I wrote the following in 2008:

I greatly enjoyed meeting 80 year-old Father Bob Carden, OFM, of Australia.  The school of which he is chaplain in Perth kindly paid for him to come to the Gathering as a thank-you for 17 years' service.  He would not otherwise have been able to come because of his vow of poverty as a Franciscan brother.  He is a member of my own, Barnane, branch of the family, descended from a Nicholas Carden, born about 1737 at Barnane, who married a Catholic and was therefore omitted from all the family records from then onwards.  Later research showed that most of his descendants emigrated to Australia, all remaining Catholic to this day.

Planning Bob's trip led to the exchange of a great many emails between us, culminating in a telephone call from him on the evening of his first full day in Henfield.  "I am at the bed-and-breakfast you booked for me, it is late at night, the whole place seems deserted!"  What to do?  Fortunately my brother, booked at the same place, soon arrived with keys!

All of those who attended the church service in Henfield will remember him leading the intercessions, in his Franciscan 'habit.' But it was when we arrived in Ireland that he showed his true nature, witty, leprechaun-like and responding vigourously to my irreverent taunts. He immediately struck up friendships with several Catholic priests in Templemore (one aged 95, who came to our major event in the ballroom, and who, we were told, goes dancing every week!).

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Perhaps now the story can be told of his half-brother Norman Carden Haylock, born out of wedlock in 1899, 28 years older than Bob. Bob never knew of his existence but Elizabeth Haylock, Norman's daughter, has all the necessary evidence.

Next Carden Gathering

For information about the Carden Gathering planned to take place in England in September 2018 visit http://cardengathering2018.blogspot.co.uk/

POSSIBLE FRENCH ORIGIN OF THE CARDEN NAME

The cardoon flower. Photograph courtesy of  Shihmei Barger
The cardoon (French: "cardon") is a thistle-like vegetable cultivated in the Geneva region. It tastes of artichoke and is popular especially during colder months baked in a gratin sauce (gratin de cardon).

POSSIBLE FRENCH ORIGIN OF THE CARDEN NAME

Though it is clear that most Carden branches have their origin in an ancient family which existed in Cheshire long before the Norman invasion, the East Kent branches appear from DNA evidence to have a separate origin.  The late Joan Carden of Spain speculated that they descended from a Cardon mentioned in the Domesday Book.

Domesday Book.

In about 1086 William the Conqueror instructed that the ownership of all land in England be established and recorded in what came to be known as the Domesday Book.  This mentions William Cardon several times as follows, in the Essex volume (Phillimore, London and Chichester, 1983, ISBN 0 85033 484 5):-

Page 10.  Hundred of Uttlesford.  From this manor William Cardon, a man of G(eoffrey) de Mandeville’s, wrongfully received 24 acres of woodland when Swein was Sheriff, as the Hundred testifies.

Page 20.  Hundred of Uttlesford.  To this manor was attached 1 Freeman with 3 virgates before 1066, whom William Cardon holds for G(eoffrey) de Mandeville’s Holding.  He paid 2p per year.

Page 90.  (WILLIAM CARDON’S ANNEXATION).  In the Hundred of Uttlesford.  William Cardon appropriated 1 Freeman with 8 acres.  He belongs to (Great) Chishill, of Geoffrey de Mandeville’s Holding.  Value 2s.

Thus it appears that at the time of the survey, 1086, William Cardon was working for Geoffrey de Mandeville, one of the many followers of William given confiscated land.

The late Joan Carden suggested that William Cardon was brought from Normandy by de Mandeville, so the French origin for the name, claimed by various books, may have some foundation.  But he equally well might have been on the land before the conquest.

French origin of the name

Cardon means thistle in French. It is possible that Geoffrey de Mandeville distinguished himself from other knights when fully disguised in armour, by wearing a thistle on his helmet.  This sort of thing was very common, the most famous example being the Plantagenets.  Geoffrey, Count of Anjou (1113–1151), father of Henry II, often wore in his hat a sprig of broom, planta genista.  De Mandeville’s retainers may have been known by the name Cardon accordingly.

Companions of the Conqueror.

It is believed that in 1066 William the Conqueror set sail for England from Dives-sur-Mer near Caen in Normandy.  In the church there is a plaque, occupying an area of over 200 square feet, listing the supposed companions of the conqueror.  It was erected in 1862.  The list was drawn up by the French Society of Archaeology, with the approval of the Bishop of Bayeux and others.  There are about 500 names including Geoffroi de Mandeville and Guillaume Cardon.

Most such lists are rather suspect but the inclusion of de Mandeville and Carden in this list is significant.

Modern Cardins in France

Many Cardens in England and USA spell their name Cardin, which is believed to be a variant of the original Carden name.  The question is often raised as to whether there is any connection with the famous Pierre Cardin brand name.

In 2004 Christian Cardin of Gravelines, France, submitted a sample for DNA analysis.  The result did not show anything in common with Cardens belonging to either the Cheshire or East Kent branches of the family.  It would have been remarkable and truly exciting if it had done so, and the failure to match our English haplotypes proves little.

Christian Cardin wrote:

About my family name and ancestors, what I know is that the roots of my family is from Normandy, specially on the west coast of the Cotentin (at least until the 16th century, corresponding of the period during which I found documentation).

Some years ago, I tried to know by telephone number (by statistics) what was the repartition of the Cardin name in France. When you report the number of the Cardin family name on a French map, you see that this name is current in three areas as follows:
in Normandy on the west coast of the Cotentin (where I come from) around
the town of Coutances (about 70 kilometers in the south of Cherbourg); in north Brittany around the town of St Brieuc; and in south Brittany around the town of Nantes.

It is amazing and strange to remark that we find these three groups on the west coast of France where it is believed that the Norman and Anglo-Saxon invaders came in the old time. It is why until now I think that the Cardin name was from Anglo-Norman origin (may be from Cari-den, which could mean Cari, a Viking name, the strong) and had a similar origin with the Carden name in England and not with a Germanic word (Richard : Ric Hard which means the strong King) as it is related in the traditional French genealogy books.

CARDEN OF TEMPLEMORE

Those who visit www.lulu.com and put CARDEN in the search box will find that a new edition of Carden of Templemore has been issued.  It contains many additions such as a full biography of Sir Henry Carden and his participation in the Peninsular War.

SIR HENRY ROBERT CARDEN’s SWORD

SIR HENRY ROBERT CARDEN’s SWORD

It is not certain that this is Sir Henry’s Sword, though it is a fairly typical sword of a Dragoon officer during the Peninsula War, and is engraved with the initials HRC.

A full biography appears in the new edition of ‘Carden of Templemore’ to be issued early in 2017.  Henry was commissioned as a Cornet with the 1^st (or Royal) Regiment of Dragoons in September 1807, aged 18.  The regiment arrived in Portugal in April 1809.  In October Henry ‘not only headed a charge with conspicuous gallantry but, following up his advantage too far, had his horse shot under him & was wounded and taken.’  A planned exchange failed and he was held as a POW in France until repatriated in 1814 in time to participate in the battle of Waterloo.

The sword was offered on ebay in August 2016 by a seller in USA, and was bought by Mark Carden.  It had been drawn to Arthur Carden’s attention by Richard Schenk of USA who had discussed it on the forum at http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.php?118093-What-s-this&highlight=carden  where someone suggested that the initials HRC engraved upon it might be those of Sir Henry.

Schenk wrote:

This is certainly a genuine Pattern 1796 Heavy Cavalry dress sword of the type worn up to 1821 when it was replaced by the M1821 cavalry sword.  It is mounted with an earlier blade which appears to be from a Scottish broad sword.  It is marked with the name "Andrea Ferrara" (as is traditional with Scottish broad swords), a crowned "GR", and the owner's initials "HRC" in an ornate, hard to decipher style.  From the style, it would appear the initials were etched on the blade at a later time than the other markings, probably when it was rehilted. 

It probably wasn't the blade which was replaced but rather the hilt.  In cases like this when we see an old blade on a newer model sword, it is usually because an officer wanted to use an old family sword when he joined the military, so he would have the blade mounted in a current model hilt and scabbard.  This was a not at all uncommon practice at the time.  This blade could possibly date back to the 17th century;  if so, the Crown/GR etching would have been added sometime in the mid-1700s, and the "HRC" monogram at an even later date.

As to whether Sir Henry wore this sword at Waterloo on other engagements is uncertain.  This was a dress sword.  He probably also had an undress sword which was in a plainer style which was the one usually carried on informal occasions (such as a battle).  This might explain how it survived his capture on the Peninsula - when he was captured he was likely wearing his undress sword while his dress sword was with his fancy full-dress uniform back in camp.  After his release he was probably able to recover his old belongings.

(No other expert opinion is available at present.)

It seems almost certain that this was Sir Henry Robert Carden’s sword. He inherited the baronetcy in 1822 and renamed many of the Templemore streets after Peninsula War battles. Perhaps at that time he had his Waterloo Medal refurbished. It seems likely that he also either obtained this sword and adopted it as his own or had his own genuine sword refurbished.

The sword probably remained with the family in Templemore until the contents of Templemore Abbey were sold at auction in 1921.

Joan Carden AO, opera singer

Joan has been a friend and regular correspondent since we first met at Covent Garden in March 1974, when she sang the top role of Gilda in Rigoletto.   See

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/city-east/opera-australia-to-mark-60th-anniversary-with-a-performance-to-raise-the-roof/news-story/815bdf57b8c221f050d2b16ac5d0444a where a picture of Joan meeting the Queen in 1973 also appears.

 (Scroll down a long way in this blog to see the posting Joan at Covent Garden 1990 )

Opera Australia to mark 60th anniversary with a performance to raise the roof

Ex-principal soprano Joan Carden celebrates the 2016 season of Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House, marking 60 years of the iconic company.

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Albertine ("Atty") Carden

As many of you already know, my beloved wife Atty died on Saturday January 23^rd. She had been discharged from hospital at the end of November to a nursing home specialising in end-of-life care where she was superbly looked after and remained her usual feisty self until the last few days of her life when she faded gently away and then died peacefully and painlessly in her sleep.

A non-religious funeral took place at Worthing Crematorium on February 8th. We held a celebration of her life in London on May 7th. 

 

I have written a brief biography of her fascinating life, mentioning her childhood in Holland during the war and how she became an orphan there before making her way to England. A copy is available from me.
  

 

Portrait made in Indonesia in 1972

 

 

The Tank Museum

Readers may be amused at this picture recently taken by the staff photographer at the Tank Museum, Bovington, of myself with a 1927 fore-runner of the Bren Gun Carrier, designed by 'Peter' Carden, later Sir John Valentine Carden. A full biography of the latter appears in my book Carden of Templemore.
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Portrait of the 1st Baronet

This portrait of Sir John was sold by Adams in Dublin on October 13th 2015 for €2,700.00, below the estimate of €3,000.00 - €5,000.00. The catalogue description was as follows:

ROBERT HUNTER (1745-1803). Portrait of Sir John Craven Carden, 1st Baronet, half-length, wearing uniform. Oil on canvas, 74 x 62cm.
This portrait of John Craven Carden is in the uniform of the Templemore Light Dragoons, a volunteer regiment raised in response to the withdrawal of regular troops required for the American War but which rapidly acquired political leverage. Carden had inherited large estates in Tipperary acquired in the Cromwellian settlement of the 17th Century. Although without parliamentary influence, Carden represented landed interests which the Castle administration were keen to control. Bribes were measured and Carden was made a baronet in 1787. He proved to be a sound man in the 1798 rebellion and by fortifying the Market House in Templemore denied the town to the rebels. He also leased the land for a barracks (now the Garda Training College) and donated the site of the Catholic Church in 1810.

(The above description is not taken directly from any source of which I am aware, and I do not understand the reference to bribes.)

I saw a very similar portrait in the 7^th Baronet’s flat in London, when I visited him shortly before his death in 2008.  His daughter Isabel sold that portrait, but believes the one sold in 2015 was a copy. The frame is totally different, but otherwise they are similar, as will be seen from the reproduction in Carden of Templemore.

I have written a letter to the purchaser, c/o the auctioneers, but have not yet received a reply.

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Dr Thom Carden - USA branches

Many of you will have seen Dr Thom Carden’s chart at http://www.tntcarden.com/tree/Carden/CardenChartDrThom.pdf

It is an amazing diagram showing how twelve or more of the USA branches are connected.

I was put in touch with Dr Thom in about 2007 by Chuck (see item about him below). He sent me a copy of his chart, and he also sent me a massive document listing 1,400 Cardens and Cardins in USA. He said he “found this on a disk in my New Year clean up time.“  He must have carried out a huge amount of research and corresponded with a great many people. If anyone would like me to search the document for a specific Carden ancestor, I will be glad to do that for them.

Dr Thom appears in Chuck’s book as Thomas Ray Carden , born 19 May 1931 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  He married (1) Shirley Ann Towles ; (2) Anita Van Natter.  I think he must have died in about 2010.  Does anyone have more information and perhaps a photograph of him?

 

Della Ford Nash writes:  after reading your blog I wanted to send you this picture of Thom Carden and his wife Anita from a letter received in 1990.  …  Anita died in February 2014 but I believe Dr Thom may still be alive as he commented on the Mormon History blog in April 2014.

 

For more of Della’s letter please contact me.

 

  

Carden’s Wild Domain

A splendid video of someone singing “Carden’s Wild Domain” was posted on August 15 2015 by Joe Coughlan to the facebook page related to his site http://roscreathroughtheages.org.  You can view it at https://www.facebook.com/arthur.carden.3  

Joe writes:  The song was recorded in 1985 as part of a project to record the songs and stories of the local people before they all disappeared.  The man in the video is Paddy Nolan from near Templemore.  I am not sure if he is still alive.

According to a book The Spirit of Tipperary, Anon, Guardian 1930, the ballad was written between 1870 and 1880 “when Woodcock Carden of Barnane was at the height of his tyrannical power,”  but may refer to Templemore rather than Barnane.  It was written by Rev. Timothy Corcoran (1857-1928) and appears in full in my book Carden of Barnane, almost exactly as sung by Paddy Nolan.

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