He was educated at Exeter Grammar School and in 1628 entered Queens College, Oxford but later moved to Exeter College, Oxford, much frequented by Devonians. His first clerical appointment was by his father as Rector of Clovelly. Following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, he was appointed Chaplain in Ordinary to King Charles II, after which he received the honour of a Doctorate in Divinity from Oxford University. At the bequest of the Lord Chamberlain he preached a Lent sermon before the king, for which was much thanked by the Archbishop of Canterbury. During most of his career he lived about 44 miles south-east of Clovelly, at Exeter, and at Shobrooke, near Crediton, 9 miles to the north-west of Exeter. Indeed it appears that until about 1702 Clovelly was occupied by his second cousins, the three brothers John Cary, George Cary and Anthony Cary, sons of Robert Cary of Yeo Vale, Alwington, near Clovelly. He rebuilt the rectory house at Shobrooke, which he found in a dilapidated state and made it "a commodious and gentile dwelling". He also rebuilt the "ruinous,...filthy and loathsome" Dean's House in Exeter, which during the Civil War had been let to negligent tenants by the See of Exeter, and "in a short time so well repaired, so thoroughly cleansed and so richly furnished this house that it became a fit receptacle for princes". As the Emperor Augustus with the City of Rome, so did Dean Cary with the Dean's House in Exeter "found it ruines but he left it a palace", as Prince suggests. Indeed King Charles II stayed there on the night of 23 July 1670, having visited the newly built Citadel in Plymouth. It was also the chosen abode of Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle, Lord Lieutenant of Devon, for three weeks in 1675 and again during the Monmouth Rebellion. He was a liberal benefactor in assisting the Corporation of Exeter in the completion in 1699 of the cutting of a leat between Exeter Quay and Topsham, which fed into a pool which could shelter 100 ships. He twice refused offers of the Bishopric of Exeter made by King Charles II, on vacancies arising in 1666 and 1676. The reason for his first refusal, or profession of Nolo Episcopari, is unknown, but he refused the second time due to age and infirmity which would prevent him attending Parliament as would be required. In 1675 he succeeded to the paternal estates, including Clovelly, of his elder brother Sir Robert Cary, a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Charles II who died unmarried and without children. He erected in his memory the surviving mural monument in Clovelly Church.
Marriage and issue
He married Anne Hancock, a daughter of William Hancock, lord of the manor of Combe Martin, Devon, by whom he had numerous children including:
Sir George Cary, eldest son and heir. He was knighted by King Charles II during his father's lifetime and served as a Member of Parliament for Okehampton in 1681 and occupied the honourable position of Recorder of Okehampton, Devon. His mural monument survives in Clovelly Church. He married twice, but left no children.
William Cary, 2nd son, twice a Member of Parliament for Okehampton in Devon 1685-1687 and 1689-1695 and also for Launceston in Cornwall 1695-1710. His mural monument survives in Clovelly Church.
Judith Cary, wife of Rev. Richard Hele of Hele in the parish of Cornwood in Devon, Rector of Helland in Cornwall, and mother of Richard Hele of Fleet House, Holbeton, Devon, MP for West Looe in Cornwall.
Death
He died at Shobrooke on 2 February 1680, but was buried in Clovelly Church, where his mural monument survives, erected by his eldest son Sir George Cary, the armorials of the latter's two wives appearing on the top of the monument as follows: dexter: Azure, a chevron between three mullets pierced or ; sinister: Or, a lion reguardant sable langued gules. The Latin inscription is as follows: Which may be translated as:
