John Henry & Samuel R. Cave
Brothers from England

from the studies of Deanna Branson West


John Henry and Samuel R. Cave were the sons of Henry and Fanny Cave. They arrived together with their 42 year old (mother?), Fanny, on 21 April 1851 on the Conqueror
as it sailed into the city or New York, New York state. It should be noted that there are two brothers in a household in England in the 1841 census, in Dorset, England shown
living with a Charles Cave doe 6 May 1810 and and Anne doe about 1806. Also in this residence is Edith Cave dob abt 1838. Some family trees show these are their family.

John Henry Cave – (abt 1831 to 1872) in about 1856 in reference to the Van Buren County, MI marriage records, John wed Mary E. Graham. In the 1870 census, there is a Jennie Cave listed. This was possibly their daughter. Mary must have died as in 1864 John  weds Lucina Sheffield. John and Lucina were wed in McHenry County, Illinois 28 Aug 1864 per Illinois Marriage records.
Lucina went to Iowa sometime after the 1880 census and lived out her life in Lamoni twp, Decatur Co, Iowa. Lucina was the daughter of Justice Miner Sheffield (1806-1898) and Henrietta Bartell. 1808 to 1885 (died 21 May 1885 at 76 years 5 months and 19 days). Justus M Sheffield came from Ohio. He would live out most of his life in Cass County. They are both buried in Bly Cemetery, Cass Co., MI. After Henrietta, Justice sometime between 1890 and 1895, went to Iowa to be close to his daughter Lucina. 

Civil War: John Cave appears on the draft/registration listings of 1 July 1863 but it is not clear at this writing whether he surved. John died the 14th of March 1872 in Marcellus, Cass County, MI. Cause of death was congestion of the lungs.

According to family records; John and Lucina had several children –

Ada (1865 to 1955): Married Isaac Judson and moved to Decatur Co., Iowa where she lived out her life.

Fannie (1867 to 1918): married Franklin Osburn in Berrien Co, MI. buried in Bly Cemetery – Cass Co., MI.

Nettie (1869 to 1960):   also moved to Iowa and wed Aaron Allen. - wed 22 of January 1894 in Decatur Co.  Iowa. 

Jessie Mae (1871 to 1962). wed Fred Goodenough

Samuel R Cave – (1835 to abt 1863) on the 18 October 1856 – Samuel married Louisa Extance in Van Buren Co., MI.- Samuel also owned property in McHenry County, Illinois per the 1855 agriculatural census for that county and state.

They had one son which they named Henry,  born abt 1858 and daughter Jenny born 1861 after John and Samuel's mother and father. Jenny died - 26 Aug 1886 - Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo, MI – single.
In 1860 Samuel owned 30 acres of land (section 5 Marcellus Twp).
Samuel had enlisted in Company H 12th Reg. Michigan Infantry and died during the Civil War (spelled as Caves on some Civil War data bases) died of disease in Niles Michigan, 23 March 1862.
His widow, Louisa filed for his pension after his death on 15 March 1863.

After leaving Van Buren County, the brothers went to the county just south of Van Buren, which is Cass County, Michigan. I believe that mother Fanny remarried and her name was then Wilcox, where she is found widowed again and living next to her son Samuel Cave in Marcellous Township, Cass County, MI.

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