Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 09.djvu/213

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his death, and has been often repeated by his biographers.

Most of the accounts of his life which have appeared are full of extraordinary blunders, principally caused by there having been another Thomas Carter, also a musician, who was his contemporary. This individual died of liver complaint on 8 Nov. 1800, aged 32. The ‘Dictionary of Musicians’ (1827) and ‘Georgian Era’ (iv. 526) have transferred the younger Carter's age, liver, widow, and children, to the elder musician, thus creating a remarkable confusion. Another error is the statement that in Italy Carter attracted the attention of Sir William and Lady Hamilton. Sir William Hamilton went as envoy to Naples in 1764, but was not made a K.B. until 1772, and was unmarried until long after Carter had left Italy. To add to this confusion, a third Thomas Carter, also a musician, was living in Dublin at the beginning of the century. This individual can be traced to 1809, but there can be no doubt that the author of ‘O Nanny’ died in London at the date given above. In 1847 a claim was made by a grandson of Joseph Baildon on behalf of his grandfather as the composer of ‘O Nanny,’ but this has been completely disposed of (Musical Times, 1878, p. 502), as it has been proved that Baildon's setting is totally different from Carter's.

Thomas Carter had a younger brother named Sampson, who was a chorister in St. Patrick's Cathedral until 1766. He subsequently settled in Dublin as a music-master, took the degree of Mus. Doc. at the Dublin University, and in 1797 was appointed a vicar choral of St. Patrick's. He probably died about 1814.

[Information from Major G. A. Crawford and Sir R. P. Stewart; Genest's Hist. of the Stage; Grove's Dict. of Music, i. 317; Gent. Mag. 1800, 1117; 1804, 986, 1165; 1847, 376, 481, 604; Nichols's Illustr. of Lit. vii. 594; Cotton's Fasti Eccles. Hib. ii. 210; Townsend's Calendar of Knights; Quarterly Musical Mag. v. 127.]

CARTER, THOMAS (d. 1867), military writer, entered in 1839 as a temporary clerk at the Horse Guards, and subsequently rose to the position of first clerk in the adjutant-general's office. He assisted Mr. Cannon in the preparation of the historical records of the British army, and after that gentleman's retirement edited the published records of the 26th (Cameronians) and 44th regiments, and a new edition of the records of the 13th light infantry. These works, however, were not treated as official publications. Carter was author of ‘Curiosities of War,’ London, 1860, and ‘Medals of the British Army,’ London, 1861–2, and was a constant contributor to ‘Notes and Queries.’ He died on 9 Aug. 1867.

[War Office Lists; Brit. Mus. Cat.]

CARTER, WILLIAM (d. 1584), printer, son of John Carter, a draper of London, was put apprentice to John Cawood [q. v.] for ten years from the feast of the Purification, 1562–3, as appears from the register of the Stationers' Company, which, however, makes no further mention of him. For some time he acted as amanuensis to Dr. Nicholas Harpsfield, the catholic divine, and he was concerned in printing and publishing several of their books. His secret press was at last discovered by the vigilance of Aylmer, bishop of London, who wrote thus to Lord Burghley on 30 Dec. 1579: ‘I have founde out a presse of pryntynge with one Carter, a verye lewed fellowe, who hath byne dyvers tymes before in prison for printinge of lewde pamphelets. But nowe in searche of his Howse amongest other nawghtye papystycall Books, wee have founde one wrytten in Frenche intyled the innocencey of the Scotyshe Quene, a very dangerous Book. Wherein he calleth her the heire apparant of this Crowne. He enveyth agaynst the execucion of the Duck of Norfolke, defendeth the rebellion in the north, and dyscourseth against you and the late L. keper’ (Lansd. MS. 28, f. 177). On this occasion Carter escaped prosecution, but three years later he was apprehended on a charge of printing a book entitled ‘A Treatise of Schism,’ which was alleged to contain a passage inciting the women at court to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. The obnoxious work was seized in his house on Tower Hill, and he confessed that 1,250 copies of it had been struck off. Conflicting statements have been made concerning the authorship of this book. Camden says suspicion fell on Gregory Martin, but Wood assigns the authorship to the jesuit, Robert Parsons, and says the full title of the treatise is, ‘A Brief Discours contayning certayne Reasons why Catholiques refuse to goe to Church,’ 1580. Dodd (Church History, ii. 122) indignantly denies that the alleged treasonable passage is to be found in any of Gregory Martin's writings, but in point of fact it occurs in sheet D ii of that author's ‘Treatise of Schisme. Shewing that al Catholikes ought in any wise to abstaine altogether from heretical Conuenticles, to witt, their prayers, sermons, etc.,’ Douay, 1578, 8vo; and it is in the following terms:—‘Judith foloweth, whose godlye and constant wisedome if our Catholike gentlewomen