Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Carr, Nicholas
CARR, NICHOLAS, M.D. (1524–1568), classical scholar, descended from a good family, was born at Newcastle in 1524. At an early age he was sent to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied under Cuthbert Scot, afterwards bishop of Chester. He subsequently migrated to Pembroke Hall, where his tutor was Nicholas Ridley, and proceeded B.A. in 1540-1, being soon afterwards elected a fellow of Pembroke Hall, and commencing M.A. in 1544. On the foundation of Trinity College in 1546 he was nominated one of the original fellows, and the following year he was appointed regius professor of Greek. His lectures on Demosthenes, Plato, Sophocles, and other writers gained for him a high reputation for scholarship. Although he bad formerly composed a panegyric on Martin Bucer, which was sent by him to John (afterwards Sir John) Cheke, he subscribed the catholic articles in 1556, and two years later he was one of those who bore witness on oath against the heresies and doctrine of Bucer and Fagius (Foxe, Acts and Monuments, ed. Townsend, viii. 274). From this period he seems to have been attached to the ancient faith. He took the degree of M.D. in 1558, and began to practise at Cambridge as a physician, though for four years he continued to read the Greek lecture, at the end of which period he appointed Blithe of Trinity College to lecture for him. He was obliged to resort to the study of medicine in order to maintain his wife and family, the stipend of the Greek professor being insufficient for that purpose. He occupied the house in which Bucer died, and there Carr also died on 3 Nov. 1568. He was buried in St. Michael's Church, but as the congregation was very large, consisting of the whole university, the funeral sermon was preached at St. Mary's by Dr. Chaderton [q. v.], after which the congregation returned to St. Michael's. A handsome mural monument of stone, with inscriptions in Latin and English, was erected to his memory in St. Giles's Church.
His works are; 1. 'Epistola de morte Buceri ad Johannem Checum,' London, 1561, 1681, 4to, i reprinted in Bucer's 'Scripta Anglicana,' Basle, 1677, fol. p. 867, and in Conrad Hubert's 'Historia vera de vita M. Buceri,' Strasburg,1 562, 8to. 2. 'Duae epistolae Latinae doctori Chadertono,' 1566. MS. Cai. Coll. Cantab. 197, art. 52. 3. 'Eusebii Pamphili de vita Constantini,' Louvain, 1570, 8vo; Cologne, 1570, fol.; ex recensione Suffridi Petri, Cologne, 1681, fol.; ex recensione Benii, Cologne, 1612, fol. The fourth book only was translated by Carr; the others were translated by John Christopherson, bishop of Chichester. 4. 'Demosthenis Graecorum Oratorum Principis Olynthiacae orationes tres, et Philippicae quatuor, e Greco in Latinum conversae. Addita est etiam epistola de vita et obitu eiusdem Nicolai Carri, et carmina, cum Graeca, tum Latina in eundem scripta,' London, 1571, 4to. Carr's autograph manuscript of this translation is in the Cambridge University Library, Dd. 4, 56. 5. 'De scriptorum Britannicorum paucitate, et studiorum impedimentis oratio; nunc primum aedita. Eiusdem fere argument aliorum centones adjiciuntur,' London, 1576, 12mo; edited by Thomas Hatcher. Carr left some other works in manuscript.
[Life, by Bartholomew Dodington, prefixed to the translation of Demosthenes, and the brief memoir, by Thomas Preston, at p. 68 of the same work; Addit. MSS. 5803, f. 49, 5865. f. 63 b; Foxe's Acts and Monuments (Townsend), viii. 262, 271, 274, 288; Blomefield's Collect. Cantab. 64; Cooper's Athenae Cantab, i. 262, 555; Strype's Memorials (fol.), ii. 244, 282, 302, 316; Strype's Smith (8vo), 14; Strype's Cheke (fol.), 63, 74, 112; Smith's Cat. of Caius Coll. MSS. 114; Tanner's Bibl. Brit. 165.]