General Peter Carey (1774-1852)
‘Nantes on the Seine’
Watercolour
GMAG 1998.179

About the Artist

Peter Carey was the son of Jurat Jean Carey (1739-1810) and Marie Le Ray. In 1806 Peter Carey married Julia Hewitt, daughter of General the Rt Hon. Sir George Hewitt, Bt. G.C.B, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces of India. They had six children, one of which was Marianne who instigated the building of St Matthew's Church “built for the poor fisher folk living around Cobo Bay.”

Carey entered the army in the 17th Light Dragoons on 9th December 1795 and was made Major-General in 1820. He became well known as an instructor of a new sword-exercise for British Cavalry, which was introduced by his brother-in-law Major John Gaspard Le Marchant - founder of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and the Army Staff College.