Matthew Caffyn's will 1714

Matthew Caffyn wrote his will (transcript below) on the 26th April 1714 and was buried in Itchingfield on the 10th June.

Matthew and Elizabeth Caffyn had a large family, given their Baptist beliefs the children were not baptised so we cannot be sure when they were born or in what order.  Those not mentioned in his will include:
Son Joseph who had died in 1689 and is also buried in Itchingfield churchyard (he may be the father of another Joseph but Matthew does not mention him in his will).
Daniel (whose wife Kath was mentioned in the will) died shortly before Matthew wrote his will and was buried in Horsham on the 20th April.  Katherine Gaston was his second wife as he'd been previously married to Anna Caverley. 
Son Benjamin had moved to Chichester and predeceased his father.  From Matthew's will we know Benjamin had a son and two daughters who did benefit from Matthews will. 
Stephen was not mentioned in his fathers will and as his own will was dated 1699 was probably long dead.  His will does not mention and wife and/or children so it is unlikely he had either.

Four of Matthew's children received bequests from his will:
Son Jacob was left 2s 6d.  
Thomas was left 20 shillings and his daughter Rachel got another 20 shillings.
His only daughter Sarah, wife of Ralph Constable, was left £5 
His son Matthew, most likely to have been his eldest son, was the main beneficiary, being left all goods, chattels and personal estate once all the expenses and legacies were paid out.  He was also named executor of the will.

Other beneficiaries were:
Daughter in law Katherine - the widow of Daniel who was left £50 although £30 was deducted (to repay the money Daniel had borrowed) and the remaining £20 was to be used to bring up Daniel and Katherines five children.
Son in law Thomas Borer was also left £11 to be used to pay off his debts.  I have not as yet identified Thomas or his relationship to Matthew, Matthew only had one daughter so Thomas is not a son in law in the modern use of the relationship.
Elizabeth Rice, his kinswoman, is left 20 shillings.  She also, has not been identified with any confidence although I am quite sure she is not a sister or another daughter.

Dorothy Caffyn, Matthews sister in law, is also mentioned.  It appears that Matthew was already paying her an annual sum from a legacy (presumably from his brother William, her husband) and he makes it clear that his beneficiaries are to continue to make the £9 a year payment to Dorothy.

Wills are very useful when researching families, even more so with nonconformist families where other records are missing.  Matthew's will and those of his children help to build up better picture of the family.  

In the name of God Amen I Matthew Caffyn Sen[ior] of Broadbridge

in the parish of Sillington[1] in the county of Sussex beeing aged and weak in body but

through the goodness of God of a sound mind &  good understanding Doe

 therefore write and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner &

forme following revokeing all former Wills by me at any time made I

 give & bequeath as follows Impris unto my son Jacob Caffyn the sum of Two

Shillings & Six pence to be paid him by my executors hereafternamed Item

I give & bequeath unto my son Thomas Caffyn the sum of Twenty Shillings

to be paid him within Twelve months next after my decease Item I give &

bequeath unto my Daughter Kath: Caffyn Widow late wife of my son

Daniel Caffyn dead the sum of ffifty pounds & my will & meaning further is that

there shall be Thirty pounds deducted out of the said ffifty pounds which said

Thirty pounds I lent to my Son Daniel Caffyn in his lifetime & the remainder

 of the said ffifty pounds to be paid out after the best manner for and towards

the bringing up of the ffive Children of my dead Son aforesaid Item I give &

bequeath unto my Son in law Thomas Borer the sum of Eleven pounds

towards the paying of his debts  It[em] I give & bequeath unto my Kinswoman 

Elizabeth Rice Twenty Shillings It[em] I give & bequeath unto my Daughter

Sarah the wife of Ralph Constable of Warnham the sum of ffive pounds

to be paid to herself or her heires or assignes within Twelve months next

after my decease  It[em] I give & bequeath unto Rachell Caffyn the Daughter of

my Son Thomas Caffyn the sum of Twenty shillings to be paid her within

the space of 12 months next after my decease It[em] I give and bequeath unto

my Three Grandchildren the Son & Daughters of my Son Benj: Caffyn deceast[2] 

of Chichester the sum of Six pounds & which said Six pounds shall lodge &

remain in the hands of my Executor & to be layd out towards the bringing

up of my said Three Grandchildren as my Executor aforesaid shall think fitt

& my Will & meaning further is that whereas I am engaged to pay Dor:[3]

Caffyn widow formerly the wife of my brother William Caffyn deceast [2]

the sum of Nine pounds p[er] anum during her naturall life that whatsoever mony 

appears to be due to her the said Dor: Caffyn of the yearly payment at my

decease shall be taken out of the Legacies by me given to p[er]sons] aforesaid

& out of the money or benefit that my Executor may have by virtue of this my

Will & that each p[er]son shall pay to the said Dor: Caffyn during her na[tur]all life

according & in proporcion to what I have given them It[em] all the rest of my 

goods ch[at]ells & p[er]sonall Estate whatsoever my funerall charges Debts Legacies

first paid & discharged I give & bequeath to my son Matt: Caffyn of Horsham

whom I doe appoint to be the sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament And 

lastly I doe hereby appoint my loving friends Edward Stanley, John Herriott and Rich^d  

Dendy of Horsham to be Overseers of this my last Will & Testament where unto

I have sett my hand & seal this Twenty Sixth  Day of April in the year of our

Lord God 1714:- Matthew Caffyn
[Transcribed by Allison Caffyn]

---

[1] Sullington

[2] deceased

[3] Abbreviation for Dorothy

Ancestry have added a number of non conformist and non parochial registers to their collection (with access to the original images).  This includes the Horsham Baptist chapel records such as the entry below recording the life of Matthew Caffyn.

One of my 'claims to fame' is that when I started my research I visited the Matthew Caffyn's chapel in Horsham and was able to use the original register books.  Of course now they are safely locked away at the National Archives and we only get to see the digital or microfilm image.  Much more sensible but it does give you an idea of how long I have been researching the Caffyn family!

Odd however that Ancestry have indexed the entry under Caffin not Caffyn.

In the news....Caffyns Field

http://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/news/local/littlehampton-tree-planting-drive-springs-into-action-1-4906571

As part of the Big Tree Plant initiative (which aims to see one million trees planted nationally) sixty trees have been planted in Caffyns Field in Littlehampton.

10th March

Some Caffyns connected to the 10th March:

Walter Caffin 1844-1907

Walter was christened on the 10^th March 1844 at St Peter the Great in Chichester.  He was the youngest child of Benjamin Charles Caffin and his wife Mary Ann Gilbert (nee Swan).  Benjamin was a successful tailor living in East Street but he died in 1855 when Walter was nearly 11 years old leaving Mary to earn a living renting out part of their property whilst Walter began working as a clerk for a brewer.  Later Walter moved to Lewisham with his mother where he was soon working for a bank, working his way up to manager for the London County and Westminster Bank.  Walter never married, his mother died in 1876 and he continued to live on his own although he employed Emily Richards as a servent and cook - she remained with him until he died in 1907.

Thomas Caffyn 1859-1923

Thomas was christened in Send and Ripley in Surrey on the 10^th March 1859, the fourth child of Thomas Caffyn and Sarah (nee Mitchell).  He remained with his parents until his mid 20s, working as an errand boy when he was younger and a gardener when he was a little older.  Thomas moved to London and was lodging in Croydon where he was working as a general labourer, he remained in Croydon but never married and by 1911 was resident in the workhouse.  He died in 1923 at the age of 60 years.

Peter Caffyn c1824-1842

Peter Caffyn died of TB at Guys Hospital on the 10^th March 1842 at the age of 18 years.  A year earlier he was living with John Caffyn in Southwark, possibly his brother but little else is known about him.

Lawrence Caffyn 1883-1976

Lawrence Albert Caffyn was born in 1883 in Eastbourne, youngest son of William Morris Caffyn and Harriet (nee Williams).  He followed his father into the ironmongery business but soon became a draper.  He married Emily Florence Duke in 1911 in Eastbourne and they had two children; Donald Duke born in 1915 and Edwina Joy in 1928.  Lawrence lived to 1976 and was buried on the 10^th March in Eastbourne.

Crawford Caffin 1844-1891

Crawford Caffin

Of all the Caffyns I have found, Crawford Caffin is my least favourite because in 1889 he changed his name by deed poll from Crawford Caffin to Crawford Crawford-Caffin.

Crawford is the son of James Crawford Caffin and Frances nee Atfield who married in 1843 in Widley, Hampshire.  Crawford was their eldest child born in 1844 and baptised in Portsea on the 18th August; he had six younger sisters.

The Crawford name comes from Crawford Caffin's paternal grandmother - Bethia Crawford.  Bethia married William Caffyn in Plumstead on the 18th December 1801.  They had six children including James Crawford Caffin who was their fourth child, he was baptised in Woolwich in 1812.   William worked at the Royal Laboratory where weapons and ammunition were designed and produced, he did well for himself and was considered a gentleman by the time he died in 1869 (he was worth the equivalent of £6-£13 million).

William and Bethia's son James joined the Royal Navy in 1824, making the rank of commander in 1842 just before his marriage to Frances Atfield.  He eventually became the director of stores in the war department until retirement in 1868 when he was made a civil KCB and in 1877 was made Admiral.  Frances died in 1871 and James in 1883.

The Times - 25th April 1889

Crawford Caffin also joined the Royal Navy, by 1879 he had reached the rank of commander, he was involved in the Zulu campaign and served in Alexandria during the Egyptian war.  He married Josephine Mary Rose in 1883 at St Judes in Southsea but they had no children.  As mentioned Crawford changed his name in 1889 but he died in Nice on the 9th March 1891 aged just 46 years.  His wife remarried in 1896 to Lauritz Holst, an artist from Denmark.

Sheepdogs, grocers and the zulu war

Findmypast in partnership with the British Library is digitizing historic newspapers.  Over the next 10 years they plan to scan 40 million pages covering 1710 to 1950 including many local newspapers from England, Wales and Scotland.

A browse of some Sussex newspapers found the following entries:

On the 24th May 1879 the Hastings and St Leonards Observer reported the death of Peter William Caffyn in South Africa.  Peter was a son of James Caffyn; until I found this notice I had had no idea what had happened to Peter.  He was born in Robertsbridge in 1853 and followed his father into trade, in 1871 he was working as a drapery assistant in Gravesend.    Between then and his death in 1879 he joined the Frontier Light Horse and had gone out as part of the Zulu campaign.

On the 23rd May 1837 the Brighton Patriot included a notice requesting anyone with a claim on the estate of Benjamin Caffyn, a grocer of Preston Street, to make themselves known.  Benjamin had died on the 31st March aged 37 years.

Alfred Caffyn of Ticehurst was fined 5 shillings and 6d for keeping a sheep dog without a licence.  It was reported in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer on the 10th April 1909 that Alfred was entitled to an exemption to paying for a licence but had forgotten to apply.  This is another son of James Caffyn; he was farming at Cottenden Farm in Ticehurst.

Remembrance Sunday

Harold Hunt Caffyn 1882-1915

Harold was born in Australia in 1882, the eldest surviving son of Stephen and Kathleen (nee Hunt).  The family returned to England in 1892 and Harold went to school at Rugby followed by Sandhurst.  He served in the South African campaign and by the time the First World War began he was a captain in the North Staffordshire Regiment.   He died on the 22nd March 1915 in Belgium.  He is remembered on the memorial at Ploegsteert.

His younger brother Chalenor died in 1917 and his cousin Joseph died in 1918.

Ernest Horace Caffyn 1896-1916

Ernest was born in 1896 in Newmarket, his father was Walter Caffyn, a stableman who married Lottie Moss in 1893.  He was one of five children but three of them had died in infancy leaving just Ernest and his brother Frederick.  Ernest joined the York and Lancaster Regiment aged 18 years and was part of the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey.  He was one of the last to be evacuated on the 20th December 1915 and then saw action in Egypt before he arrived in France  Later in 1916 he was wounded during fighting and was not seen again, he was reported as missing on the 29th September and was believed killed.  He is remembered at the Regina Trench Cemetary in Grandcourt in the Somme.

George James Caffyn  1889-1916

George was the youngest son of Thomas William and Mary Ann (nee Whicker), he was born in 1889 in Marylebone in London.  He did national service in 1906 and then worked selling newspapers.  He married Gertrude Lewis in 1910 in Plymouth and their daughter Gertrude was born soon afterwards.  George joined the Royal Navy as a Petty Officer Stoker on the HMS Orion, he died of pneumonia on the 29th January 1916 in Edinburgh.  His body was returned to Plymouth and he is buried in Ford Park Cemetery.

Arthur Archibald Caffyn 1894-1917

Arthur was born in 1894, he was baptised in Stepney on the 2nd December 1894.  His father was Alfred Caffyn, an upholsterer and his mother was Martha nee Canon, he was the youngest son in a family of seven children.  He joined a London regiment but transferred to the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles. It was whilst he was in France that he was injured, dying of his wounds on the 29th August 1917.   He is buried in the Wimereux Communal Cemetery in Pas de Calais.

Chalenor McCrae Humphrey Mannington Caffyn  1891-1917

Chalenor was born in Australia in 1891 whilst his parents Stephen and Kathleen (nee Hunt) were living there, the family returned to England when he was a year old.  On the 22nd August 1914 he applied for a commission in the Special Reserve of Officers and was part of the Officer Training Corps when he was at college and became a sergeant.  He was accepted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th East Surrey Regiment on the 5th September 1914.  Chalenor was killed in action on the 28th March 1917 and is buried at the Avesnes-le-Comte Communal Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France.  

His older brother Harold had died in 1915 and his cousin Joseph in 1918.

William Gregory Caffyn 1878-1917

William  joined the 11th Battalion of the Australian Infantry as a private and died in November 1917 in Belgium and is buried at the Potijze Chateau Cemetery in Belgium.

Edward Hedley Caffyn  1899-1918

Edward was born in 1899 in Hereford, the second child of George Caffyn and his wife Deborah nee Tydeman.  Edward joined the Grenadier Guards but died of wounds on the 3rd April 1918. 

Joseph Mannington Caffyn  1880-1918

Joseph was the first of eight children born to Joseph and Sarah nee Ballard, he was born in 1880 in Northiam, Sussex.  He worked as a shopkeeper and married Florence Minchin in 1910.  They had two children Harold and John born in 1912 and 1916 respectively.    Joseph joined up in 1916 at the age of 35 years as a corporal in the Royal Garrison Artillery.  He died on the 15th July 1918 at the Military Hospital in Great Yarmouth from pneumonia.  He is buried at Caversham Cemetery near Reading.

His cousins Harold and Chalenor both died in the First World War.

Murray Cameron Caffyn  1913-1943

Murray was born in Maryborough, Victoria in Australia in 1913 just before the start of the First World War.  He became a Flying Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and came to England during the Second World War.  He died aged 29 years on the 27th October 1943 and is buried in the Berlin War Cemetery.

James Caffyn 1818-1894

James Caffyn moved to Robertsbridge in 1840, it was in Robertsbridge that he ran his busy drapery and grocery shop, where he married Elizabeth Mannington on the 12th April 1842 and where they raised their large family. 

His first wife died there in 1864 and was buried on the 29th April, she was only 44 years old.  Their youngest surviving son was about 4 years old at the time.  James remarried on the 28th December 1865 in Mountfield to his second wife, Elizabeth Parsons. 

James Caffyn, not surprisingly, was a Baptist.  He purchased a house on the High Street in Robertsbridge for his friend James Weller to run as a chapel for the Baptists; it became the Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel and continued to operate until 1996 but it is now a private house again.

James and Elizabeth (nee Mannington)'s large family included:

James, born in 1843.  James initially worked with his father before becoming an auctioneer in Salehurst.  He married Martha Booth in Gloucestershire in 1865; their only child, Minnie Elizabeth, was born in 1871 in Robertsbridge but sadly she died the following year.  Martha died in 1884 aged 46 years and James remarried later the same year,  but his new wife, Delta (nee Kirby) was left a widow  when James died the following year.  Delta Caffyn never remarried, she died in 1918.

Martha, born in 1845.  Martha married Augustus Mannington, a farmer in nearby Ewhurst, in 1868 (probably a first cousin once removed from Martha's mother).  Five of their children (sadly 3 died young) were Isaac (1869), Kate (1870), Edith (1872), Frank (1874) and Mary Ann (1875).  Martha died in 1912 aged 67 years, Augustus in 1924 aged 79 years.

Elizabeth was born in 1846.  She never married and continued to live with her parents, after their deaths she moved to St Leonards on Sea for a while.  She died aged 80 years in 1927.

Mary, born in 1848.  She married George Ballard, a farmer, in 1872, their eldest son, George Caffyn Ballard was born in 1874, Horace (1875), Jane (1876), Emily (1878), Grace (1880), Winifred (1881), Elizabeth Caffyn Ballard (1883), James (1885) and Helen (1887).  Mary died in 1887 (apparently of scarlet fever) aged 38 years.  George never remarried and died in Kent in 1920 aged 74 years.

Stephen Mannington was born  on the 15th May 1850, he trained as a surgeon but was also an author and inventor.  He married Kathleen Hunt in February 1879 and they moved to Australia where their children were born, Stephen (jnr) and Winifred Zelma Mannington twins were born in 1881 and both died the same year, Harold Hunt (1882), Jack (1884) and Chalenor (1891).  The family returned to England in 1892 and were financially very well off, sending their children to schools in Europe.  Sadly things did not go well for them; Stephen was made bankrupt and then died of tb in 1896.  His widow wrote novels and was able to support her family but then their son Jack left to explore America in 1903 and was never heard from again (he was declared dead in 1919) and their sons Harold and Chalenor were both killed fighting in the First World War.  Kathleen died in Italy in 1926.

Daughter Sarah was born in 1852 and died the same year.

Peter William was born in 1853 and was an apprentice draper at the time of the 1871 census.  I have not found any record of him after this date and he wasn't mentioned in his father will (written 1893) suggesting he had died.

Joseph was born in 1855 and he married Sarah Ballard (probably a cousin of Mary's husband George Ballard) on the 8th April 1880.  They also had a large family including their eldest son Joseph Mannington Caffyn (1880) who was killed in the First World War, Harry (1882), Helen (1883), Elizabeth (1885), Jeannie (1887), Wilfred (1889), Gertrude (1893) and Daisy (1897).  Joseph was a miller, farmer and ran a post office and later on was a political agent.  Joseph died in 1922.

Jane was born in 1856 and went away to school in Hackney.  She died aged 24 years and was buried in Salehurst on the 4th December 1880.

Ellen was born in 1857 and like her sister she went away to school, in her case only as far as Uckfield.  She died in 1887 aged 29 years and was buried in Salehurst on the 14th March.

Alfred was born in 1860 and was a boarder at school in Lewes before he became a farmer in Burwash and then in Ticehurst.  He married Mary Florence Smith in 1984 and they had two daughters, Margaret (1885) and Norah (1891).  He was another well off member of this family as he was able to employ a governess for his children.  Alfred died in 1943.

The youngest child Charles was born in 1861 and died the following year.

James Caffyn lived to be 76 years, he was buried on the 27th October 1894 in Salehurst, seven of his children had predeceased him and many of them were buried in the same graveyard along with his first wife.  Elizabeth, James's second wife was also buried in Salehurst on the 27th January 1900 aged 89 years.

Edward Caffyn

The last will and testament of Edward Caffyn - written 1707 and proved in 1715.
West Sussex Record Office MF976
Unfortunately not an easy document to read with lots of bleed through.

In the Name of God Amen the Second Day of June

in the sixth year of the reign of our sovereign Lady Anne by the grace of

God of Great Britain France & Ireland Queen Defender of the faith Anno

Domino 1707.  I Edward Caffyn of the parish of Horsham in the county of

Sussex weaver being weak in body yet of sound and perfect memory thanks

be given to Almighty God for the same and knowing the uncertainty of this

life here on earth and being desirous to sett things in order doo make this

my last will and testament in manner and form following (that is to say) first

and principally I commend and commit my soul  to Almighty God my creator

assuredly believing that I shall receive full pardon and full remission of my

sins and be saved by…….means of my blessed Saviour and

redeemer Christ Jesus and my body to the earth from whence it was

taken to be decently buried in such Christian manner as to my Executrix

hereafter named shall be thought meet and convenient out of my goods and

stores hereby and hereafter to her Trust remitted and as  touching such

worldly estate as the Lord in mercy hath bless me my will and meaning is that

the same shall be employed and bestowed as this my last Will and Testament

hereafter is expressed.  And first I do revoke ……. and make void all

former Wills made by me and declare and appoint this my last Will and

Testament Impris I give and bequeath unto Sarah Caffyn my daughter

the sum of £10 of good and lawful money of England to be paid

unto her within 2 years after my decease by my executrix hereafter

named.  Item I give and bequeath unto James Caffyn my son my two

looms and of the other materials which belong to the weaving trade

or calling and all my wearing apparel to be delivered unto him within

one month after my decease by my executrix hereafter named  All which

said several legacies given as aforesaid my Will and meaning is shall be

paid by my executrix as aforesaid All the rest of my goods cattle chattels

and house and shop  and ……side whatsoever belonging thereunto in the parish

and county above said called by the name of Swaines after my debts legacies

and funeral expenses are paid and discharged I give and bequeath unto Jane my

loving and well deserving Wife and for her dispose  to sell or give whom I name

whole and sole executrix of this my last Will and Testament   In witness

whereof the said Edward Caffyn the testator have hereunto sett my

hand and seal the day and year first above written 1707.  Edward

Caffyn his marke.  Signed sealed and declared as his last Will and Testament

in the presence of the …………before the………  hereof

John Herriott, Richard Dendy and John Knight.

Caffyn's Field

Caffyn's Field in Littlehampton.
So far as I can tell it is between St Catherines Road and Beach Road, the church in the background is St Catherine of Alexandria RC.  It is still known as Caffyn's Field.

How it got its name I don't know but it may be connected to Frederick James Caffyn who lived at 1 Beach Road.  Frederick was born in 1863, the son of John and Mary Caffyn, he married Ann Elizabeth Isaac in Wokingham in 1895 (she was born in Devon).  The couple moved to Sussex and eventually to Littlehampton where Frederick was a butcher.  Their children were Mary Elizabeth (1897), Frederick Charles (1899), Frank (1901), Emily Gwynneth (1903) and Margaret Doris (1905).  Frederick died in 1942 and his wife two years later.

James Caffyn (1772-1835) - part two

In part one I showed that James Caffyn was nonconformist, and that he was a cousin of Richard Caffyn and brother to Thomas Caffyn.

I am not likely to find a baptism record for him - Baptist churches (the Caffyn family had a strong Baptist tendency) did tend to record their congregations new arrivals but I have all the surviving records for Sussex and James is not included.

So identifying his parents is not straightforward but I have the will of a Jacob Caffyn "of West Grinstead in the County of Sussex farmer" dated 1799, he is married to Elizabeth and lists his children as Jacob, Thomas, Elizabeth, Sarah, Matthew, James and Jane.  He also mentions his son in law Benjamin Browne of Cowfold.  He does not specify his daughters surnames which suggests they are not married but the reference to his son in law contradicts this.

A search of marriages finds that Benjamin Browne of Cowfold married Elizabeth Caffyn on the 26th May 1787 in West Grinstead.

Returning to the will of Richard Caffyn (written 1810) I found that in addition to a bequest to his cousin James Caffyn of Rusper he also left a bequest "to my cousin Elizabeth Brown wife of Benjamin Brown of Cowfold".  So we now know that Elizabeth Brown nee Caffyn is another cousin of Richard Caffyn.  She could also be a sister of James Caffyn.

I checked the will of Richard Caffyn for the other daughters of Jacob Caffyn; Jane Caffyn is referred to as "Jane Terroll wife of Joseph Terroll of Cowfold" - Jane Caffyn married Joseph Terrell on the 28th May 1799 at the age of 21 years.  Sarah Caffyn is "my cousin Sarah Wells wife of William Wells of Slaugham" - Sarah Caffyn married William Wells on the 23rd October 1786 in Slaugham.  There is also reference to cousins Matthew Caffyn of West Grinstead and Jacob Caffyn of West Grinstead.

I believe therefore that James Caffyn was born c1772 to Jacob and Elizabeth Caffyn of West Grinstead and his siblings include Thomas, Jacob, Elizabeth, Sarah, Matthew and Jane.

Sources
Will of Richard Caffyn of Goudhurst, Kent - written 1810, proved 1820

Sussex Marriage Index

Will of Jacob Caffyn of West Grinstead - written 1799, proved 1801

James Caffyn (1772-1835) - part one

Fortunately for us James Caffyn lived in Rusper in Sussex.  Fortunate because Rusper is one of the few places which recorded its residents in more detail at the time of the 1821 census.  James Caffyn is recorded as a miller living with his wife Elizabeth and his children Thomas, Harriet, Jacob, Eliza, Peter, Charlotte, Matthew and John.  The priest who recorded this information noted other details including dates of birth of the older children and that the older children were baptised sometime after their birth. It was also recorded that James wife Elizabeth died on the 19th January 1825 (confirmed in the burial register of St Marys Rusper).

Elizabeth and James married in 1794 in West Grinstead: 

James Caffyn of this Parish of West Grinstead Batchelor and Eliz:th March of the same Parish Spinster were married in this Church by Licence this Tenth Day of December in the Year One Thousand seven hundred and ninety four

As James and Elizabeth's children were baptised some years after they were born it  suggests that James Caffyn was nonconformist but converted back to the mainstream church around 1811.  This is fairly typical of the period - many Caffyns returned to the Church of England in the early 19th century.  His eldest son Thomas may not have been so keen to convert, he was about 15 years old in 1811 and wasn't baptised with his siblings but was baptised with his younger brother Matthew on the 28th March 1813.

James Caffyn died in 1835 and was buried on the 3rd August 1835 in Rusper but he had been living in Withyham; possibly with his son Thomas who was working as a miller in Withyham.  James's age was given as 63 years which puts his birth around 1772.  I have searched for his baptism without success but that is not surprising if he comes from a nonconformist - probably Baptist - family.  

There is a clue to James's ancestry as he is mentioned in the 1810 will of Richard Caffyn:

to my cousin James Caffyn of Rusper in the said county of Sussex the like sum of one hundred and fifty pounds

This is an informative will which gives lots of family connections including naming another cousin, Thomas Caffyn of Newhouse in West Grinstead.  Thomas Caffyn died around 1836 and his wife Ann can be found in the 1851 census with her daughters Ann and Elizabeth as well as her niece Eliza Caffyn.  The 1821 Rusper census noted that James and Elizabeth's daughter Eliza was living in West Grinstead with an uncle - this must have been her uncle Thomas which makes Thomas a brother to James.

More to come on James Caffyn 

Sources

West Sussex Record Office: West Grinstead PAR95 1/1/5 Marriage Register 1754-1812

1821 Rusper Census fiche (Sussex Family History Group)

Will of Richard Caffyn of Goudhurst, Kent - written 1810, proved 1820

Will of Thomas Caffyn of New House in West Grinstead - written 1829, proved 1836

1851 Census - HO107 73 3 1648

Whats in a name?

The surname Caffyn is thought to have orginated from the time of the Norman Conquest.  In simple terms the Normans who invaded could not speak English and the locals could not speak French so a combination of the two languages evolved and effected things such as surnames which were developing at around this time.

Caffyn is a derivation of the French word ‘chave’ which means bald.  It comes under the category of surnames which have developed from nicknames - descriptive terms which were used in a complimentary or derisive manner.  So we can guess that the earliest Caffyn was either bald or very hairy!

In the UK there are two forms of Caffyn which predominate, Caffyn with a Y or Caffin with an I.  Early records show that families used different versions of their surname themselves, unlike nowadays, they were not too particular.  A similar surname Kaffin is not thought to have any connection, the Kaffins are from Wales and Devon although there is an overlap sometimes such as the vicar of Horsham who was thought for a long time by many people to have a connection to the Caffyns of Horsham.  As surnames became fixed some branches of a family took to using an I whilst other branches stuck with a Y.

There are a lot of Caffins in France.  At present I have no idea if they connect to the UK Caffyns although I do have a wonderful theory as to have they may be part of the same family and it all goes back to the Tower of London.  To get any further  I will have to learn to speak French so this aspect of my research is long term to say the least.

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my new blog for my own personal family history research on the Caffyn/Caffin family.
I have been involved with family history research since I was 12 years old when a curiosity and nosiness that I didn't know I had got the better of me.  I soon found I couldn't trace my own line back further than six generations so I quickly expanded out into a one name study.
About 7 years ago I moved to Sussex which made research much easier but a few years ago I began work as a professional genealogist and since then it has been very hard to find time for my own research.
Having discovered the world of blogs I am hoping to revitalise my own research and just maybe make a few new connections.


The photo on the right is of England cricketer William Caffyn - the first Caffyn I heard of outside my immediate family.