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I have a completed grid but the parse for 17a eludes me.
The definition is clear, as is “one”, and there some words for the “falconer’s charge” which are close to the rest but they need other letters… I think…
hmm

I should post the clue for those that don’t have the puzzle…

17a. Falconer’s charge, one held in three lines (7)

The clue is defective It's one of the many variants of a word for "hawk" with the last letter changed from "l" to "t" but the clue doesn't explain why.
Does anybody know why the answer to 19 across has anything to do with "Carmen" (possibly " car men"?)?

Thanks barretter, not just me then.
19 was going to be my next question.

It refers to the origins of the opera's ill-fated main character ('heroine' would be putting it a bit strongly).

Thanks Jacknatter. A somewhat tenuous connection, I feel "Hombre" is in the dictionary but it doesn't mean "Spaniard".

I'm not sure I understand your point - Chambers gives the solution as the feminine form of a term for a Romany, and Carmen is a feminine Romany, probably the only one that I could confidently name.