Allison Caffyn

First generation: I am the eldest of three sisters and was born in Bedfordshire in 1964.  I married in 1990 although I kept my own surname (I have grown very attached to it!).  We have two children, both have been given Caffyn as a middle name and my youngest was named for Matthew Caffyn.  They have grown up with my obsession and have  spent many hours traipsing about graveyards and sitting in record offices around the country.  Sadly they don't share my passion!






Second generation: My father, Brian Richard Thomas Caffyn,was born in 1938 in Ashford, Kent; he had an older brother Anthony who was born in 1933 and a younger brother, Stuart, born in 1952 and who now lives in Spain. My father married Celia Parker in Harlington, Middlesex on 8th April 1961. He trained as an engineer and worked for many years in the automotive industry before leaving to be his own boss.
My father was very interested in my research into his family however he died in 1989 after a short illness.

Third generation: My grandfather was Cecil Thomas Walter Caffyn, born 1905 in Woking.  He had two younger brothers, Maurice William Frank Caffyn born 1907 (died 1993) and Lawrence Albert George Caffyn (known as Laurie) born 1913.  Laurie married Elsa in 1940 but was killed by a Second World War bomb a few months later.  As I understand it the bomb landed at the other end of his road but he had thrown himself on the floor and the vibrations killed him.

Cecil married Gladys and worked as a Magistrates Clerk and Enquiry Agent.  He died in 1954.

Fourth generation: Their father was Thomas Walter Caffyn who was born in 1880 in Horsham, Sussex. He worked as a pastry cook and married Mary Louisa Mewett in 1903. He was the only son but had lots of sisters. For a while he ran a bakery in Brighton.

Fifth generation: His father was Walter Thomas Caffyn who was born in West Hoathly in 1844 and died in 1899 in Eastbourne. He worked as a grocer and draper at various times. Walter married Amelia Jane Borer in 1868 in Dorking, Sussex.
Walter had two brothers, an older brother William Morris who was born in 1842 and died in 1917. It was his descendents who founded Caffyns Garages which is still a family run business today, operating in the south of England. His younger brother Charles was born in 1846 but the family then lost their father in 1847 and Charles in 1848.

Sixth generation: William, Walter and Charles’s father was Thomas Caffyn and it is here that the line runs cold. Thomas married Matilda Morris on the 15th April 1841 in Eastbourne, Sussex. He was a 28 year old bachelor of Shoreham who worked as a draper. His fathers details are given as Peter Caffyn, farmer. His age at the time of his marriage puts his date of birth around 1813.
Thomas appears in the 1841 census; he and Matilda are living in New Shoreham, Sussex and are both listed as born in county.
Unfortunately Thomas did not live long enough to have an entry in the more informative 1851 census; he died of consumption in 1847 and his death certificate lists him as still working as a draper but he’d moved to East Grinstead. He is listed as being 37 years old at the time of death which puts his date of birth around 1810.

I have never been able to find any record of Thomas’s birth (nor has any one else who has been researching this branch of the family) - so far. I have a theory as to where we connect to the main Caffyn family but to date can’t prove or disprove it.