Caveys in Channel Islands

For those who are not familiar with European countries, here are The Channel Islands.

Dear Jean-Luc,

I am afraid I have not been in touch for ages as I seemed not to be able to find anything more on Francois Cavey (my g.g.grandfather) and his wife Prudence. I have now found that Prudences maiden name was Sanson, they married somewhere in Normandy,possibly Pirou before coming to Jersey in about 1840/41, perhaps someone in France may now have either family in their Family Tree, I still enjoy reading all the mail you receive

Ann

Thank you Jean-Luc, 

I will email Lorraine and send her my Channel Island Cavey info.  As you know, there are 3 branches of Cavey's from the Isle of Jersey (2 french and 1 english).  I am descended from 1 french line and Ann Shreer (also on the Cavey List) is descended from the other french line.

Haven't found a connection to the English line yet.  If she can connect to my line, I will let you know.

Hi there!

My greatgrandfather was Frank Phillips and he married Jane Elizabeth Langlois they had 3 daughters Violet, Hilda and Florence, I would like to know if their are any relations left in Jersey or in St Peter's Port Guernsey.

My grandmother was Hilda Phillips.

I am trying to trace my grandfather Edward N F Cavey who I believe came from the Channel Islands.  He went out to South Africa where he had a trading store in Redoubt, Bizana. He had a daughter Ethel Isabel Cavey who was born in 1902 so I imagine he must have been born 1860/70.

Hello Barry,

I also have Cavey's from the Channel Islands in my family history.  From what I've learned there were actually 3 different branches of Cavey's.  I am descended from one of two French lines and fellow list member Ann Shreer is from the other French line.  We haven't been able to connect the two.  There is a third line from England.  I have a record of a Catherine Cavey listed in the 1851 Census of the Isle of Jersey.  She is listed as being age 75 and living in St. Helier in District 16, Folio 357, Page 12.  Perhaps this is your Edward's mother/grandmother.  I suggest you contact the the Societe Jersiaise at www.societe-jersiaise.org.  They may be able to help you piece the gap between Edward and Catherine.

Good luck.

Melissa Buckley,

USA

Hi

My name is Barry Short and I am researching my family tree.  I have very little information about the Cavey side of my family and was hoping that you or another subscriber may be of some help.  My great grandfather was Edward Cavey and he immigrated to South Africa in the late 1800's and operated a number of trading stores in what was known as Pondoland and in particular in the Bizana area.  Oral family tradition has it that he was English but from on of the Channel Islands.  I have  no way of confirming this.

Can anyone help?

Barry P. Short

Toronto, Canada

My paternal grandmother was a Cavey from the eastern Cape, South Africa.  I am looking for more info on the Cavey's from South Africa.

Hi Melanie!

Another Cavey researcher (Ann Shreer - I've cc'd her - Hi Ann!!) and I have been able to determine that there were 2 french Cavey families on Jersey in the 1800's - I'm descended from one and she's descended from the other. They most likely are from the same part of France but we can't tie either line together. Who are your grandfather's parents?

Do you have a date of Birth for your grandfather?

Hi Jean-Luc

I was facinated by your site and i believe my family may be of some interest to you.

My grandfather was John Brian Cavey of St Helier Jersey unfortunatley he died in 2002. His sons are Gary Kevin Cavey (my father) born on the Island 1953, Nigel Cavey born on the Island date unknown and Jeremy Cavey i'm not sure if he was born in England or on the island.

On my fathers side he has had 2 sons and 2 daughters
Melanie Clare Cavey (myself) Born in Hereford, England 1973
Anthea Jane Cavey born in Hereford, England 1975
Samuel Cavey born in Redditch, England 1984 (apprx)
Daniel Cavey born in Redditch, England 1986 (apprx)

Anthea has a son Zacariah Cavey born in Redditch, England 1999

We are the third oldest family in Jersey and it is my understanding (although i will check this with my Father later) is that our family held title on the Island, although we no longer use it. Our family has always believed that we were "given" part of the Island by a King of France and we are from France and have become Jersey Cavey's as a result. An interesting twist to this part of the family is that my grandfather married a daughter of the 2nd oldest family in Jersesy.

Please let me know how i can get invloved in your work, we would love to know more of our history.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Thank you I have been in contact with Melissa who, too, is looking into the French/Jersey Caveys. Again I don't think it is the same branch as mine. She has sent me a Family Tree which had been done for her by the Societe Jersaise a few years ago.As soon as I have time I will take it to the Archives and see what I can find out for her, it may not be for a month or so as I will be out of the Island on and off this month and next, but it is nice for us both to be in touch and try to find out where the original Island Caveys hailed from. I will let you know if anything interesting turns up, Kindest

Regards Ann.

Dear Jean Luc,

Thank you for going to so much trouble for me. It does not surprise me particularly that my Cavey's are not directly connected with yours, it was not such an uncommon name in that part of France. The name Francis was passed down in the family for a couple of generations and was probably the name of Francis' father. I could not be sure anyhow if he did come from Pirou, he was French, that is for sure, but he may have been from around that district. As he was not the only French CAVEY in Jersey at that time, he may have come over to the Island with other relations. I cannot find their marriage taking place in Jersey but that does not mean that it did not. In England more and more Parish information is being put on the Internet, is the same thing happening in France? and if so where would one look, the area of Orne was mentioned as a Cavey area I believe. I don't expect that I will ever be successful but it is nice to think that although not directly connected there is always a liklihood that all were related at some time.I would so much have liked to have found out Prudence's maiden name. Anyhow I continue to find great pleasure from your very interesting and informative website. I will carry on observing and looking for anything interesting from this end.

Kindest regards Ann

I visited my parents the last week-end and asked my father if he had something about Françis and Prudence Cavey in his records.

Unfortunately there is no Françis nor Prudence in our roots. There is no way to go further.

This does not implies that they didn't came from the Pirou area but that they have no close link with us.

I'm sorry for that.

I must apoligize for not replying before to your suggestion that I get in touch with Quiroga Vasselin in my quest to find any information on Prudence and Francis Cavey, my g.g.grandparents who were living in Jersey by 1841. I had been in touch with her a long time before, I believe her name is Agnes, is it not? and she often took interest in the Channel Islands Message Board, unfortunately she could not, at the time, find anything for me, partly because, I feel, that I myself, know nothing about either of them before they came to the Island, except that they came from the Pirou region. I think she would have liked me to be more specific as to exactly where. I do know, though, that she is a fountain of knowledge in French research and goes from area to area collecting information.

Regards Ann Schreer

Dear Jean-Luc,

Sarah McGowen has been in touch with me, and as I am not sure if her reply to me will be on the Cavey Web Page, it was to say that she had found an e-mail address for Vernon William Cavey and it turns out they are second cousins. The family had not been in touch for about 100 years.

Good news isn't it?

I have seen the message from Sarah McGowan asking if anyone knows of a Vernan CAVEY whom she thinks comes from Jersey, Channel Islands.

There is a Vernan CAVEY on the Channel Islands Mailing List, he could well be a relative, I see that in our local telephone book he is a Wing Commander with a wife named Ruth. I know he is on either our Channel Islands or John Fuller's page looking for information on Cavey's. I have Jersey, Cavey connections but have always been told that we were not related to Vernan so have never been in touch with him.

[Note of the editor] From my understanding and from the mails below, there is two branchs of Caveys in Jersey. One comes from England (the name should be prounounced "cavee") and the second one comes from France and sounds "cavay". Thus, Ann seems to be linked to the French branch while Sarah will be linked to the English one.

After having rebuild and moved the site (http://family.cavey.org/), I'm in the process to look at the questions that goes unreplied.

Among them are yours.

I've found the informations that I have attached about several Caveys from Pirou.

There is no Francis nor Prudence in this list but you can try to ask to QUIROGA VASSELIN (aquiroga @ fr.packardbell.org) if she can help.

Please let me know.

[Note of the editor] Attachments (downloadable) are :

cavey_normandie_1.pdf (size : 62 KB)
cavey_normandie_2.pdf (size : 66 KB)

Dear Jean-Luc,

Thank you for your interest and I appreciate your help, I think many people from the same region came to Jersey C.I. to work and most made their homes here. I do understand that your father might find it difficult to research at his age, I often wish I had asked more questions to my grandparents when they were alive, even if it was just to point me in the right direction,

Kindest regards

I've received two new mails from Ann.

Of course I'm the first concerned by her request.

I'll try to ask my father about Francis and Prudence CAVEY. As they were born abt in 1820, there is a possibility that my father has some information about them.

Nevertheless, my father is 80 years old now, and, even if he is in a very good health, it becomes more and more difficult to obtain a precise and brief summary of what you need (whatever is the subject you are speaking of).

;:-)

All the best.

My grandmother was a Charlotte CAVEY born in Jersey, Channel Islands,her father was Francis CAVEY also born in Jersey, my g.g.grandparents were Francis and Prudence CAVEY born in France, I believe Pirou , and came to the Island and were living here by 1841.

Francis and Prudence were aged about 29 and 21 in 1841. I presume they came over to Jersey to find work and were married before they left Pirou. I would be pleased ifanyone could tell me if there is any way to check any French records tofind Francis and indeed Prudence's ancestors.

I look at this site regularly, my g.g.grandparents Francis and Prudence CAVEY came to Jersey from Pirou, I would dearly like to find more out about them.

In the Jersey Census of 1841 they were married living inGrouville, Jersey, I cannot find their marriage, I believe it must have been in Jersey, but the records for the Parish of Grouville got burned, they were in their early 20's in the 1841 Census, so even if not married in Pirou were born there, any ideas how I can find anything further backon them?

Re the Jersey Caveys.

My g.g.grandfather, Francis Cavey and his wife Prudence, came from Pirou to Jersey, Channel Islands, and are named in the 1841 Census, as living at Grouville in the Island, They were both young, I haven't been able to go further back as I don't know how to go about looking for records in Pirou. The family remained in Jersey, although my g.grandfather Francis did have a brother Pierre aged 16 in 1861 and working as a Shipwright Apprentice. He may have left the Island as I can't find him in 1871.

There were other Cavey's in the Island also from France but I do not know if they were related.

I have just come across the Cavey genealogy site. So very interesting.

My grandmother was a Charlotte Marie CAVEY born 28.1.1869 in Jersey, Channel Islands. I am not sure but I believe her father was a Francois CAVEY who married an Ann Le Riche, also in the Island, Francois' father came from Pirou, France. I believe they were only Ag.Labs.. no Nobles in our family. As far as I know they were Prostestant. A great many French people came from France to Jersey, most of my relations in fact. Whether it was because there was work here or because of persecution.

There is another family of Caveys on the Island but I have always understood we were not related, maybe we are. Having found this site I will try to see what I can find from our Archives. My grandmother Charlotte had a sister Annie who married an Englishman and lived in England, I have always understood that the CAVEYs came from France to Jersey/England not the other way around.

I believe the name can be spelt CAVET and CAVE with an accent egout on the E.

Hello Jean-Luc,

I left a message on your message board earlier.  

My great-grandmother was Isabella Alexandra Albertha Cavey from St. Saviour, Jersey.  I have some information going back a few more generations. 

 Is this something you would be interested in knowing?

Hi, I just joined your mailing list. Does anyone have information other than the 1851 Jersey Census?

I have a copy of the 1851 Jersey Census index and there are Cavey's shown as follows:

Catherine 75 years old born England living St Helier, Jersey
Francis 39 years born France living Grouville, Jersey
Francis 11 years born Grouville living Grouville, Jersey
Francis 47 years born St Helier, Jersey living St Helier, Jersey
Francis 25 years born St Helier, Jersey living St Helier, Jersey
James 34 years born France living Trinity, Jersey
John 23 years born St Helier, Jersey living St Helier, Jersey
Mary 17 years born St Helier, Jersey living St Helier, Jersey
Matthew 14 years born Grouville, Jersey living Grouville, Jersey
Peter 7 years born Grouville, Jersey living Grouville, Jersey
Prudence 32 years born France living Grouville, Jersey

Looking at this especially Francis aged 47, it does look like they had been in the Island some time, my suggestion is to look at my attachement and join the Channel Island mailing list, as you believe they were members of the Clergy I am sure someone will have lots of information for you, there are some experts on the list who I am sure will be able to help you more than myself!

Good luck, let me know how you get on,very kind regards,

Attachement :

Take a look at the following for information on research in the Channel Islands:

http://user.itl.net/~glen/AbouttheChannelIslandsFHS.html
and
http://user.itl.net/~glen/CIintro.html

Also I would suggest putting surnames of families who lived in the Channel Islands on John Fuller's Channel Island surname list :

ftp://members.aol.com/johnf14246/ci/surnames.txt

And take a look at John Fuller's home page :

http://www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/ci.html

There is also a new Channel Island mailing list that has just started and is of great help with research.

To subscribe send the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) as the only text in the body of the message to
Channel-islands-l-request@rootsweb.com.