CAVILL

This site has been created and is maintained with the kind support of Peter Cavill of Byford, Western Australia, the prime source of CAVILL information, and CAVILL CONNECTIONS, a mailing list of other researchers into CAVILL/CAVELL families

Page first created June 1999 by Richard Caville.
Updated August 15, 2004

The origins of the CAVILL name

The name has two possible origins: CAFELD - CA meaning " jackdaw " and FELD meaning " field " . The " Cafeld " of King Eadgar's charter dated 959, is the tiny hamlet called CAVIL in East Yorkshire - the " field " was changed to " ville " (place) by the Normans. In the Domesday Book it is known as " Cheuede " , the Norman scribe substituting " u " for " f " , and omitting the " l " , and was part of the lands of the Bishop of Durham. CAVIL is first recorded in English in 1548, with much the same meaning it has today - " to raise captious and frivolous objections " (to carp, criticise)
The Latin meaning of "calvus" is bald. (Oxford University Press)
In the old speech books of the North various meanings are given - casting or dividing by lots; a low, rough fellow; to refuse or carp. It is therefore difficult to be sure as to where the name is derived from.

The present day hamlet of CAVIL is in the Parish of Eastrington (In 1852 - 6910 acres, pop. 3,580)on the A614 road, 2 miles north-east of Howden in East Yorkshire, (just north of the Humber Estuary) and now consists of Caville Hall Farm. It is on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map series, on sheet SE 7630-7730; using this reference it can also be located on the tourist type 1:50,000 series maps;
The old O.S.County Series maps show it on Yorkshire Sheet 23-13, which is dated 1889. Extracts from this series should be available from the O.S., (see link from Personal Profile page) with prices on application.

The earliest time the surname occurs is Thomas de KAIVILL, named in the Pipe Rolls of Richard I; 1190. This Thomas, with Roger and Richard, his brothers, witnessed the charter of Hugh de Puiset, Bishop Of Durham (1153-95), evidently dated at Howden. His son William is also on another charter of the same Bishop. Later, a Sir John de Kayvile, Knight, witnessed deeds dated about 1265, 1268, and 1284. (Yorks Arch. Journal, xi 68) John de Kayvyle, lord of Kayvyle, who with John de Kayvyle of Howden, witnessed an agreement of Bishop Richard with Master John de Snaynton, dated at Howden 1314. In all probability it was this John to whom Sir John de Hotham gave, with his daughter Amye, all his lands in the vill and territory of Birsay.

A Robert de Cavilla is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273 in the County of Lincoln.

In 1353 John Cavel was Rector of Sizeland in Norfolk (source: History of Norfolk)

During the reign of Edward 111 a Walter Cavel is listed in Somerset. (Kirby's Quest, p.110)
In 1454 the grt-grt-granddaughter of Sir John Cavil, Knt, (who lived in the reign of Edward III) conveyed the manor in marriage to Robert Monckton, from whom the present Viscount Galway is descended. The lower part of the original hall was built of brick, while the upper part was of wood and plaster, and the roof made up of large flat tiles. In front there were two porches, one of 15 feet and the other of 6 feet square; it was defended by two moats and two drawbridges. Long the residence of the Cavils and the Moncktons, it was demolished towards the close of the 18th century. The second hall, named Cavil / Caville Hall, was built over part of the old inner moat, which later caused severe subsidence, and was demolished in the 1950s. The present farm is now owned by an insurance company.

1881 Census Statistics

Bedfordshire 13 Berkshire 9 Buckinghamshire 3 Cambridgeshire 10 Carmarthen 7 Channel Islands 7 [Chauvel] Cornwall 36 [all local except 1 from Devon] Cumberland 5 [1 from Essex] Derby 24 Devon 51 Dorset 4 Durham 4 Essex 71 Glamorgan 28 Gloucestershire 113 Hampshire 75 Hertfordshire 12 [2 from Essex] Isle of Wight 75 Kent 133 Lanarkshire 3 [2 from Ireland 1 local] Lancashire 44 Lincolnshire 61 London (Middx) 195 Monmouthshire 12 Montgomery 9 Norfolk 8 Northampton 6 Nottingham' 5 Oxfordshire 2 [man & wife from Suffolk] Shropshire 1 [from Somerset] Somerset 225 Hampshire 75 Staffordshire 18 Suffolk 12 [2 from Essex] Surrey 66 Sussex 8 Warwickshire 1 [from Glos.] Wiltshire 29 Worcestershire 10 Yorkshire 231(Where the surname originated) Royal Navy 2

Famous CAVs

The Cavill name is not without its famous individuals, though some are perhaps more famous than others, depending on what part of the world you live in.....

Nurse Edith Cavell is perhaps the most famous - shot by the Germans in Belgium during the First World War for helping British soldiers evade capture, her name is perpetuated in many countries - a Canadian mountain is named after her, as are many streets in towns and cities around the world.
James Freeman Cavill, better known as Jimmy Cavill, came to the area in 1923 as a visitor from Brisbane and decided to build the " Surfer's Paradise Hotel " - the land cost him $80, and before he died he was offered $370,000! It was eventually demolished sometime after World War 2.
Cavill Avenue is perhaps the best known memorial to his name, although other landmarks are named after him.
Six sons of Frederick John Cavill (1839-1927) were all world class or world champion swimmers - Ernest Charles; Charles Claude; Percy Frederick; Arthur Rowland; Sydney St Leonard and Richmond Theophilus. Between them they held just about every distance record in the world.
Fred himself swam the English Channel 10 hours faster than Captain Matthew Webb, and was a class long distance swimmer in his own right. All his sons were professional swimmers, swimming stuntmen, coaches, instructors and or circus divers. Most of them travelled the world, teaching the " Australian Crawl " - now the freestyle, and the butterfly stroke. Some of their feats were a first, and many were dangerous - two losing their lives in the USA. The family between them were awarded several Royal Humane Society medals for bravery at or in the sea.
Fred's father, John Cavill, was born in Hockerill, Essex in 1810. He was a coach builder in London, and is credited as being the co-builder, with a George Shillabear, of the very first horse-drawn omnibus in London/England.

NORFOLK

HENRY CARVILL (KERVILL)
(mid 1600s) of Wigenhale, Lyme, NFK married WINFREDE THOROLD of the BABINGTON family.
(Collectanea Topographia Genealogica, 1843, v8 p345)

PEMBROKESHIRE

Martin CAVELL
Apprentice in 1538 to a Bowyer for 7yrs
Penally parish - A Murder of Crows by Margaret Davies 2001. (500 years of Penally history)

Archie CAVIL
a Porter @ Tenby Station about WWII
Penally parish - A Murder of Crows by Margaret Davies 2001. (500 years of Penally history)

Cyril CAVIL
Home Guard No 2 Platoon Penally
Penally parish - A Murder of Crows by Margaret Davies 2001. (500 years of Penally history)

Petty Officer G. CAVIL
presented with silver cigarette case by R.N Old Comrades.1949
Penally parish - A Murder of Crows by Margaret Davies 2001. (500 years of Penally history)

SOMERSET

ANTHONY CAVELL
(1583-6)Casual receipts for his freedom (p67); Payments made for carriage of goods and letters etc to Bristol and London (p106, 131, 138, 147)
(Accounts of the Chamberlains of the City of Bath)

C.J.CAVELL
(1914-19) Private, Somerset Light Infantry; Mentioned in Despatches
(Somerset Libraries local collections

JAMES CAVILL
(1758) (Kenn Parish) 5th Co; 2nd Battalion; Somerset Militia,
(Somerset Militia; by Jones and Skeggs; Harry Galloway Publishing, 1993)

JOHN CAVILL
(1616) (presumably son of John Snr) " referred to Sir Nicholas Halswell, to order and appoint whether John CAVELL with his wife and children shall be sent to Dodington, where the family formerly lived for 3 years, and that his dwelling shall not be prejudiced to the parishioners of Spaxton, and that the order shall be certified at the next Taunton Sessions."
(Somerset Quarter Sessions, Bridgwater; James 1; p191)

JOHN CAVILL Snr
(1612) Miller, Dodington, SOM. Will. D/D/Ct
Wells Diocesan Registry, Somerset Records Office.
(Somerset Wills Index - Medleycott)

JOHN CAVELL
(1536) mentioned in will (Oct 31st) of Agnes PYRRY, widow, of Parish of Nynhed.
to 4, not yet married, children of my son, John CAVELL, 3 sheep each "
(Somerset Medieval Wills 1531-38)

MATTHEW CAVILL
(1846-65) Riding Master, 3 Worcester Place, Bath
(Bath Directories)

NICHOLAS CAVELL
(1579-1602)
various payments to Nicholas (p. 42,100,126,129,131,132,135,140,145,154. 161, 164, etc)
(Notes on p207 state he was a " Sergeant at Mace ")
(Accounts of the Chamberlains of the City of Bath, 1568-1602)

WILLIAM CAVELL, LLB.
(1554)
(d. January 25th, 1554?; Proved June 23rd, 1554)
Willyam Cavell, clarke & parson of Nettlecombe. My body to be buried within the chauncell of my parish church aforesaid.
....to my brother Robert Cavells two sons, Thomas and John the younger, £4, two of the best flockbedds, two paire of cowrs sheets, two payre of cowrs blankets, and two of the cowrs coverletts.
...To Mr John Trevilians (see also extract from Sir John Trevelyan's will) three daughters £6 13s 4d; ...to John Cavell son of John Cavell of Longforde £3...to Edward Cavell £3;
...to Johane dau. of my brother Robert £6 13s 4d at her marriage; ...to my cousin Philip Cavell 20s; to my brother Roberts two daughters my gold ringe and ten silver spones. To my brother Robert a furred gowne of fyches.
...and to John Cavell a dublet of worsted and a pair of hoseclothe.
Executors: my cousin Humfrey Cavell, John Baker of Huyshe, John Gage at Begeringe Huys and Conant Thorne.(Somerset Wills, 1500s, p162

WILLIAM CAVILL
(1640S) One of the first Aldermen of Bath
(Index to Collinson's History of Somerset, p54)

WILLIAM CAVILL
(1641) (Woolley Parish) Hundred of Andersfield
(Lay Subsidy Rolls, 1641; E179/172/398)

WILLIAM de CARVILLE
(1300S; 29 Henry 111) (Gannok) servientes ie squires, Copy of the Roll
(Calendar of the Register of John de Drokensford, Bishop of Bath and Wells, 1309-29;
Somerset Record Office)

SUSSEX

JOHN CAVYLL
(15 Oct 1534) Fletching
(Chichester Book C4, Lewes Wills, Folio 18)

THOMAS CAVELL
8 Feb 1576 Haresfield
(Chichester Book C4, Lewes Wills, Folio 18)

YORKSHIRE

THOMAS CAVELL
(d. 8 June 1854) Will proved 16 Aug 1859
Millwright, Sheffield. Effects under £3000; Beneficiaries - Rebecca CAVILL and THOMAS, son, millwright.
(PCC Wills)

GEORGE CAVILL
(July 1856) - no other details

(PCC Wills)

FREDERICK V. CAVELL
1879 - Chaplaincy of Henstead Workhouse; Vicar of Swardston, NFK, 1870s; Son of John CAVELL (see Misc/London)

HENRY THEODORE CAVELL
1879 - Vicar of Church Gressley, DBY

RICHARD CORRY CAVELL
1879 - Vicar of Binham, Holt, NFK

GEORGE CAVILL M.A.
1879 - Vicar of St Mary's, Funtington, Sussex
Rector of St Pancras, Chichester

ALEXANDER CAVELL
Barnham Broome, NFK, 1884-86
Northwold, NFK, 1895-98; Wereham with Wretton, NFK, 1898-1905

Crockford's Clerical Directories

EMIGRANTS

ALBERT CAVILL
married Cornwall 21 Feb 1847 to HARRIET OLIVER
Arrived New South Wales with wife and two daughters 21st Feb 1847 on board ship "Emily"
Daughters Cecilia born 1848 in Cornwall, Agnes J. born at sea 1850.
(Contact Peter Moore to share any info)

ESTHER CAVIL
born BRISTOL, c1830; Arr. Australia 1849 on ship PETREL.
Occupation: Farm Labourer; Parents: John & Mary Anne CAVIL
(Source: AONSW Reel 2459 Ass. Immigrants}

WILLIAM CAVILL
born c1843, place unknown.
Age 38 in 1871, born England; Religion - Anglican.
Census Details: York North District(043), Gwillimbury North sub-district(G2),42-70-Page 42.
(Source: Ontario Census, 1871}

HENRY CAVILL
born England c1833, place unknown.
Age 35 in 1868
(Source: Foreign born voters in California, 1872. Record no. 8275}

UK Citizen Foreign Burials

WILLIAM BENJAMIN CAVELL
Late foreman, Smith, BB and CI Railway, Parel, Bombay; formerly of Deptford, Kent, England; who departed this life 21st Sept, 1889, aged 51 yrs.
Buried in Sewree Christian Cemetery in Mumbai,(Bombay) India.
(Smith, Bombay, Baruda and Central India Railway - evidently the Parel District used to have a large engineering workshops and was the hub of the railway connections in the city.)

Court Records

HUGH CAVILL
Not the defendant, Hugh was the victim of a theft from him of 2 bullocks, worth £3.
A John Maundsley, a labourer of Ticehurst, stole them from him at a place called "le broyle" at Framfield, Sussex, on 26 September, 1589.
Maundsley was indicted for grand larceny at Lewes Sessions on 3 October, 1589. Found guilty, and "allowed clergy".
(Calendar of Assize Records, Sussex Indictments, Elizabeth 1., Ref. 1204, page 231.)
Ed. J.S.Cockburn, HMSO. 1975