Individual Details

Birth

According to George H.S. King in a report to Mrs D. B. Thompson dated 18 April 1967, the deposition which establishes the birth year of Benjamin the Burgess is filed in the suit papers Crosthwait vs Crosthwait, Orange Co. VA Judgement File #17, Papers of June Court 1759. According to the report the deposition reads in part as follows: "Benjamin Cave Gent. Sworn & Examined in the suit Depending in the County Court of Orange between Abraham Crosthwait Plaintiff and William Crosthwait Defendant, in the presense and by Consent of the partis _ Deposeth and Saith, That he is about 55 years or thereabouts... That about the time of Timothy Crosthwait purchasing the land in question from Hezekiah Rhodes...&c: Benja, Cave

Marriage

Wm. Bledsoe, Will, 27 Dec 1769,; Mary; children were; Geo., Aaron, Mille, m. Geo Wetherall, Mary, m. Ambrose Powell, Jno., Wm., Jas., Hannah, m Cave, and Moses. Apr. 19, 1770

Religion

The first day of January they choose their vestry men, ... Benjamen Cave.
Order that Benja. Cave Gent. Church warden be paid one hundred pounds of tobacco for finding Bread and wine for the Sacrament one time. (1733).
Order that Benja. Cave Gent be paid one hundred nineteen pounds of tobacco for Shirf. fees.
Order that Benja. Cave Gent be paid five hundred sixty pounds of tobacco for Delingquints.
Order that Captn. Benja. Cave be paid one hundred and twenty one pds. of tobacco for that he paid up for the Parish.

Military

Hannah Bledsoe married about 1725 Benjamin Cave a Lieutenant in the Virginia Colonial Militia, under Captain John Scott, taking his oath Oath February 12, 1730/1, later being promoted to Captain.

Tax

Benjamin Cave 5 Tithes
Robert Cave 2 tithes
David Cav line 14, 3 tithes
Abraham Mayfield line 17, 2 tithes
David and Abraham on the same page. David had a daughter named Elizabeth. In David's will he names Abraham Mayfield as his loving son. Theory is that Elizabeth married Abraham.

Note

Benjamin Cave (d 1762) came to Orange Co. Va 1725 and with his brother-in-law held patent to 1000 acres. Married Hannah Bledsoe. Burgess; pme pf the first vestryman of St Mark's Parish;

Occupation

Commission of Peace
Among many was Benjamin Cave who was qualified as Sheriff.

Land

Know all men by these presents that we Robert Cave, Benjamin Cave and William Phillips are held and firmly found unto Augustine Smith the first justice in the Commission of the peace of Orange County, for in in behalf and to the Sale Use and behoof of the Friskies of the said County and their ... part in the sum of two hundred pounds to be paid to the said Augustine Smith his Executors and Assignees to the which payment will and truly to be made. We bind ourselves and every of us our and every of our heirs Executors and Administrators joynlly and severally firmly by these presences. Sealed with our seals dated this fifteenth day of July 1735.
Robert Cave
Benja Cave
Wm Phillips

Religion

Two men living in the area, appointed vestry men for the new parish of Saint Thomas, James Barber and Benja. Cave.

Benjamin Cave was vestryman of St Mark's until 1740, when St Thomas Parish was cut off from St Mark'; and he and David Cave, who was the Lay reader at the old Orange church near Ruckersville, become members of the new parish.(St, Thomas) in Orange County, where they lived. The records of St Thomas is lost.

Occupation

In 1756 Benjamin Cave was a member of the Virginia house of Burgess from Orange County.

Death

WILL OF BENJAMIN CAVE OF ORANGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA
In the name of God, Amen. The 26th day of June and in the year of our Lord God, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Two, I Benjamin Cave, of the County of Orange, being of good and perfect memory, thanks be to God, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form folowing. That is to say, first I bequeath my soul and spirit into the hands of Almighty God, my Heavanly Father, by whom of his mercy and only grace, I trust to be saved and received into eternal rest through the death of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, in whose precious blood, I set the whole and only hope of my salvation, my wrteched body, in hope of a joyful ressurection, I commit to the earth to be buried and touching the dustribution of my mortal goods, I dispose of the same as followeth:
First, I lend all my houses and plantation whereon I now live, to my dear and loving wife, Hannah Cave, during her life and after her decease, to my son William Cave and his heirs.
Item - I giv eunto my son, John Cave, in Culpeper County, 125 acres of land, in the said county to be laid of f from the river to the back of an equal width to him and his.
Item - I give also unto my son, Benjamin Cave, 200 acres of land, of the said tract, in Culpeper County, to be laid off at the upper end to him and heirs.
Item - I give also unto my son, David Cave, the remaining part of my land, in the said county, 128 acres of land, more or less, to him and his heirs.
Item - I give untomy son, William Cave, my right of a lease in this county, during ______?] term. I lend unto my wife, Hannah Cave, five negroes vix. Jack, Moll, Cate, Dinah & Preston, during her life and after her decease, to be equally divided among my four sons, Benjamin, William, David & Richard Cave, and my four daughters, Elizbaeth Johnson, Ann Cavender [Kavanaugh] , Sarah & Hannah Cave, and their heirs & assignees.
Item. I give unto my son, Benjamin Cave, one negro fellow named Parker, to him & his heirs & assignees. I give unto my son William Cave, two negroes named Joby & Sam, to him & his heirs and assignees. I give unto my son David Cave, two negroes named Tom & Milley, a wench, to him his heirs & assignees. I give unto my son Richard Cave, three negroes named Phillis, a wench, one boy named Harry & boy named Bob, to him & his heirs & assignees. I give unto my daughter Sarah Cave, three negroes, a wench named Lucy, a boy named Sam, and a girl named Jenny, to her & her heirs & assignees. I give unto my daughter Hannah Cave, four negroes named Juda, Pompy, James & George to her and her heirs & assignees. I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Johnson, two negroes a wench named Juda and a boy named Jack,. to her & her heirs & assignees. Lastly, I give unto my daughter, Ann Cavender, one negro wench named Violet, to her and her heirs & assignees. As to my other estate, I give unto my son David Cave, one feather bed & furniture & I give to my daughter, Sarah Cave, one bed & furniture. I give also unto my son David Cave, one young horse named Prince. I give unto my son John Cave, one large square table. I give unto my daughter, Hannah Cave, one feather bed & furniture. And as to the other part of my estate, I lend it to my loving wife to dispose of as she shall think proper & necessary, during her widowhood and I do hereby appoint my loving wife, Hannah Cave & my two sons, John Cave & Benjamin Cave, Executor & Executors of this my last will and testament. In witness wherof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day and year above mentioned.
Benjamin Cave (Seal)
John Crittendon Webb*John Bledsoe*Anthony Colson

Birth: 1703, England
Death: 1762, Culpeper County, Virginia, USA
Capt. in Virginia Militia, Sheriff of Orange County, Va., Represented Orange in the House of Burgess in 1756. husband of Hannah Bledsoe 1711-1769, dau of William Bledsoe 1676-1770.
Spouse:
Hannah Bledsoe Cave (1711 - 1769)
Burial: Pine Stake Church Cemetery, Culpeper County, Virginia, USA