Was john Carey a freemason

The only way to tell if someone is or is not a Freemason is if there is a public record of their membership. Some members keep their membership quiet and their lodges respect their confidentiality. That is their right. But in most cases Masons are proud of their membership and are quite prepared to tell you which Lodge they joined and when.

It is impossible to know anything about anyone's Masonic membership by looking for secret hand signs in a person's public appearances, or watching their handshakes.