Born Mary Vanessa Toulmin (1867-1949), Carbery was an English author who was born and raised in Childwickbury Manor, Hertfordshire. She lived in Frankfield House, Co. Cork.  Following her husband’s death in 1898, Carbery was left to the run the estate at Castle Freke, County Cork by herself, while raising her family. Amongst her books are The Children of the Dawn, The Farm by Loch Gur, The Light in the Window, Hertfordshire Heritage, The Germans in Cork, Happy World, and West Cork Journal (edited by her grandson, Jeremy Sandford). She is the subject of the second half of the book Happy Memories (Faith Press, 1960), by her sister, Constance Toulmin. She died in 1949.