Although he married a first cousin of Anne Boleyn, in the last years of the reign of Henry VIII he was rarely at court, perhaps embittered by the execution of his uncle Sir Nicholas Carew for treason in 1538.
In 1551, when Northumberland finally moved to destroy Somerset, Pelham and Arundel were charged with conspiracy, and imprisoned in the Tower of London.
That Pelham expected to die is indicated by the fact that he made his will,[3] a curious document which he ruefully admitted might not be valid due to his lack of legal learning.
Under Mary I, since the Earl of Arundel was in high favour, Pelham no doubt hoped for further advancement, but his career under the devoutly Roman Catholic Queen was hampered by the fact that he was a staunch Protestant.
His refusal to supply troops for the war with France led to a severe reprimand and a short spell in the Fleet Prison.
[3] He had a keen interest in the local wool trade, especially in the town of Lewes, where he bought a house called "The White Hart".