Individual Details

Note

Tobacco was the dominant crop and played a significant role in shaping Virginia's economy and society. It was highly valued as a cash crop and was exported to England and other European countries. Tobacco exhausted the soil which ;ead to ever widening search for new lands.

Immigration

Mr John Foxhall, 640 acs. bet. the Rivers Potomack & Rappahannock, 31 Dec 1667, page 93. Beg. at land pattented by Rich Coleman called the Forrest, across branches of the E. most dams of Apomatickes Creek. to N. side of Westmoreland horse path, &c to Major Wm, Underwood, de'd &c. Trans of 13 pers; Andrew Hanson, James Colstreame, John Small, Capt. Tho. Allen, Henry Smith, John Brookes, Francis Harper, Wm. Falkner, John Cave, Gilbert Cooper, Charles Coggan, Mary Spensax, Sam boy Negro.

Marriage

Rev. John Waugh lived in that portion of Westmoreland made into Stafford County, in 1666. The law imposed upon a minister a fine of 10,000 pounds of tobacco for marrying persons without a license duly obtained. ... The will of Giles Travers "living in Stafford County" (of record in Prince William County) bears date June 1, 1717, and was proved September 11, 1717; names daughters Elizabeth, Ann and Million, brother Raleigh Travers: and son-in-law John Cave.
Elizabeth Travers, only child of Giles and Ann (Waugh) Travers, married first John ave (16 -1721). On Aug 5 1707 Sampson Carrell, Gentleman, of GLouchester County deeded to John Cave, carpenter, of King and Queen County 300 acres of land on the south side of Potomac reek and this deed recites that the said land is one half of 600 acres formerly sold by Captain William Heaberd to Captain John Norgrave by deed dated March 6, 1667. John Cave must have moved from King and Queen County to Stafford County about this time, settled upon his newly acquired land, and married Elizabeth Travers. John Cave's will was dated August 6, 1714 and proved in 1721 at Stafford County court; it was recorded in now lost Will Book "K", page 2. He devised 200 acres of land on Axton's Run and adjoining the property of John Gowry and Giles Travers to his son John Cave but he "died so that the above mentioned land fell and reverted to "David Cave of Orange County who was joined by his wife Sarah in conveying the said property to Keene Withers of Hamilton Parish, Prince William County, on September 12, 1748.

Residence

Headright:
Colonists who had already been living in Virginia were each given two headrights of 50 acres (200,000 m²); immigrant colonists who paid for their passage were given one headright, and individuals would subsequently receive one headright each time they paid for the passage of another individual. This last mechanism increased the division between the wealthy land-owners and the working poor. Headrights were given to heads-of-households and because 50 acres were accumulated for each member of the household, families had an incentive to make the passage to the colonies together.
According to records, there was a large discrepancy between the number of headrights issued and the number of new residents in the colonies. This gap may be explained by high mortality rates of people during their journey to the colonies. Landowners would receive headrights for the dead and thus, the gap would widen between population growth and amount of headrights issued. Another explanation suggests that the secretary’s office that issued the headrights grew more lax.
The headright system increased tensions between Native Americans and colonists. Indentured servants were granted land inland, which was near the natives. This migration produced conflict between the natives and the indentured servants. Later, Bacon's Rebellion was sparked by tensions between the natives, settlers, and indentured servants.

Land

This Indenture made 5th day August 1707 between Sampson Darrell of Glocester County Gentl. of the one part & John Cave of King and Queen County Carpenter .. Witnesseth for sum 60 pounds Sterl ... by deeds of lease and release ... has sold John Cave all that 3000 acres of land lying on South side Potomack Creek in Stafford County bounded .. Northerly with Potomak Creek Easterly with the lands of John Gowry, Tho. Gregg & Mr. Waugh southerly & westerly with the lands of Giles Traverse the 300 acre being the one half f 600 acres formerly sold by Capt. William Heabred to Capt. John Norgrove by deed dated 6th day March 1667 all which premises now are in the actual possession of John Cave by virtue of one Indenture of Bargain & Sale to him thereof made for the term of one year ... by virtue of the Statue of transferring ... Presence Ralph Crawforth, Eliza. Sample, John x Hains, Thos Henderson, Augustine Wright
1707/08/08 John Cave Stafford John Cave of King and Queen Co., a carpenter of King and Queen County, buys from Sampson Darrell, of Glocester Co., 300 acres of land in Stafford Co. lying and being on the south side of Potomack Creek and bounded as follows: Northerly in Potomack Creek, Easterly with the lands of John Gorvey, Thomas Gregg, Wm. Waught, Southerly and westerly with the lands of Giles Travers; the said 300 acres of land being the one half of 600 acres sold by Capt. Wm Heaberd to Capt. John Norgrove by deed dated the 6th day of March 1667. Stafford Co. Deed Book Z, p384 Darrell release to Cave recorded 8 Oct 1707.

Death

John Cave must have moved from King and Queen County to Stafford about this time settled upon his newly acquired property about this time and married Elizabeth Travers. John Caves will as written 6 August 1714 and proved in 1721 in Stafford about this time, and married Elizabeth Travers.
John Cave's will was dated August 6, 1714 and proved in 1721 at Stafford County court; it was recorded in now lost Will Book "K". page 2. He devised 200 acres of land on Axton's Run and adjoining the property of John Gowry and Giles Travers to his son John Cave but he "died so that the above mentioned land fell and reverted to "David Cave of Orange County who was joined by his wife Sarah in conveying the said property to Keene Withers of Hamilton Parish, Prince William County, on sept. 12 1748.
Record 3: The following from the papers of Mrs. Dorothy Brown Thompson: Deed of Lease and Release dated 12 & 13 Sept. 1748 from David Cave & Sarah, His wife of St. Thos. Parish, Orange, to Cain Withers of Hamilton Parish, Prince William Co.-...Whereas John Cave of Stafford Co. dec'd. did by his last will and testament dated 6 Aug. 1714 give and bequeath to his son John Cave 200 acres of land lying and being in Stafford County in Overwharton Parish bounding upon Axton's Run and upon the lands of John Gore and upon the lands of Giles Travers and the sd John Cave, son of the testator John, died so that the above mentioned land fell and reverted to the said David Cave party to these presents... Wit: John Hamilton, Charles Waller, Anthony Murray Recorded Stafford Court 13 Sept. 1748...

Land

John Cave. Meanwhile, he began large-scale acquisitions of lands elsewhere. By 1733 he had acquired an aggregate of 8096 acres in Prince William County. In addition, he obtained a “Lease for three Lives” on three large tracts belonging to William Brent, adjoining Marlborough, so that he controlled virtually all of Potomac Neck

Marriage-shared

After the death of Ann (Waugh) Travers, Giles Travers, Gentleman, (16 -1717) married a second wife whose name is unknown to e; she predeceased him leaving two daughters, viz:
Ann Travers who married as her first husband William Cave; he died testate in Stafford County in 1742 and she married secondly in 1747 Thomas Dent. Her only child to survive infancy was Elizabeth Cave's successively the wife of Keene Wither (1728-1756), ... Giles Travers, Gentleman, by will bequeathed to his daughter Anne Traver his dwelling plantation on The Landing Run which flows into Potomac Creek a short distance upstream from Belle Plain. Upon this property William Cave erected a tobacco warehouse and Cave's Warehouse became a very well known shipping point. By virtue of his arriage to Cave's only heir, Andrew Edwards held this property at the time of the Revolutionary War. On November 5, 1776 he petitioned the Virginia Legislature in regard to his warehouse on Potomac Creek, "called Cave's Warehouse being appointed a Navel Depot".

DNA test

21st May 2007
The Cave FHS DNA Project started off in November 2006. it now has 20 participants.
18 results have been received.
8 of these results have an exact 12/12 match. (2 more indicate close relationship to these 8). They are from 7 members who have family groups based in the South Leicester, Warwickshire and Northampton area. They are joined by the Cave from Canada who has ancestors in Belfast. Four of these have taken their tests to 37 markers and show very close signs of relationship between them.

The major breakthrough is with a member in the USA who has an oldest known ancestor. John Cave, born about 1745 in Virginia. With a 37/37 marker match he is related to a member who has an oldest known ancestor, Valentine, born in Northamptonshire in about 1581. This is the first proof that Cave's of Virginia and Cave's of England are of common ancestry.
November 2007 - Summary
13 of the participants indicate close links in family groups in the Leicestershire,
Northamptonshire and Warwickshire areas. Three of these have a common ancestor in Leicester whose origins may be close to Stanford-on-Avon, the home of the Cave Family. Others closely linked, genealogically, are from parishes about that area but have yet to find the links between the various families.
Of the group with oldest known ancestor as Valentine of East Haddon, we now have others in this group from America.
November 2007 - Summary
The Cave-Browne-Cave and Cave-Browne group has one additional member and links are starting to establish themselves. This new member, in linking direct to the C-B-C and C-B families proves the genealogical links through Stanford, Pickwell, London and Yateley. In this, the enigma mentioned in March 2009 can now start to look in these latter places to find his links identified through genetic results.
The Lancashire group also has an additional member. The common ancestor here is John Cave, born circa 1675. Unfortunately these do not link with any other groups so must be considered as another lineage that will find roots directly to South Cave.