Nicholas Carew was the son of Sir Richard Carew, Captain of Calais (1469 - May 23, 1520) and Malyn Oxenbridge, the daughter of Sir Robert Oxenbridge (1414 - 1486) of Brede, Sussex. When he was six years of age, he was placed in the household of the young King Henry VIII of England, and shared the King's education. In the early years of King Henry's reign, he came to prominence at court through his skill at jousting, and was renowned for his fearlessness. By 1515, Carew's fame in the lists was such that the King provided him with his own tiltyard at Greenwich. He was knighted some time before 1517. He was a prominent member of the Court and held the position of Master of the Horse, as well as other prominent offices such as Master of the Forests, Lieutenant of Ruysbank (guarding Calais harbour), and Chief Esquire of the King. He was a close friend of the King and was made a Knight of the Garter in 1536.