By Peter Healy
Cecil Cave-Browne-Cave (1871 -1953) was born in Galgate, Lancaster, Lancashire where his father, Reverend Fitzherbert Astley Cave-Browne-Cave was the vicar at Longridge. His grandfather was also a clergyman, but his great grandfather was William Cave-Browne-Cave, 9th Baronet Cave of Stamford, Northampton. It was William who added the additional Cave to the family name around 1811 by Royal License! Cecil was educated at Eton and Brasnose College, Oxford which he left with a B.A.
Click on this link for images of Cecil Cave-Browne-Cave at the National Portrait Gallery
He married his first wife, Sara Eleanor Nicholson on 4th February 1896 in London and by the time of the 1901 Census they were at Chesham Bois Place, “living on own means” with three servants and a gardener, Frederick Birch and his family living at The Lodge.
It would appear that he had Chesham Bois Place built around 1900 as the house does not appear in Kelly’s in 1899. A child, Fitzherbert Cecil was born to Cecil and Sara at Chesham Bois Place in early 1901 sadly dying within a few days on August 31st of that year. Cecil and Sara do not appear to have had any more children and Sara dies in 16th March 1928 aged 55.
In 1929, Cecil marries for a second time. His wife is Edith Beatrice Evans, daughter of Alfred Evans of Bois farm. Their marriage takes place on 1st June in the Holy Trinity Church in Kensington. They have two daughters; Penelope Margaret Cecil Cave-Browne-Cave (born on 5th December 1931) and Catherine Priscilla Asteley Cave-Browne-Cave (born on 27th February 1937). Just before his wedding, Cecil applies for unspecified alterations to Chesham Bois Place.
World War II finds Cecil and Edith living in Witney (their daughters names are redacted on the 1939 Registry, presumably because they are both still alive). Edith died in 1948 in Worthing and Cecil died in 1953. At the time he was living in a rather grand manor house, Newnham Hall in Daventry Northamptonshire, set in 120 acres of parkland.