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Much of the information below is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website which includes the Debt of Honour Register listing those who fought and died during the two world wars.
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Arthur Archibald Caffyn 1894-1917
Youngest son of Alfred and Martha Caffyn, born in Stepney in 1894. He had an older sister Martha born 1884; a brother William Canon born 1892 and a younger sister, Ivy Lilian, born 1897. The 1901 census shows the family living in ?, Alfred is working as an upolsterer.He was a rifleman with the 14th Battalion of Royal Irish Rifles but died on the 29th August 1917 in France. He is buried at the Wimereux Communal Cemetary.His family can be traced back to Peter, born 1770. |
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Chalenor McCrae Humphrey Mannington Caffyn 1891-1917
Youngest son of Stephen Mannington and Kathleen Caffyn; Stephen was a surgeon and inventor whilst Kathleen wrote novels under the pseudonym of Iota. They spend many years in Australia during which time their five children were born. Stephen and Winifred were born in 1881 (presumably twins) but they died young. In 1882 Harold Hunt Caffyn was born, followed by Jack Mannington in 1884 and Chalenor in 1891. Chalenor used various different versions of his name at different times (When he joined up he signed himself as H M Caffyn) and Winifred is sometimes refered to as Winifred Zelma or Selina. The family moved back to England and the three boys had a good education. Chalenor attended the University of Zurich. Later on however Stephen was declared bankrupt, in his statement he declared that all the income they had earnt from his work and his wifes books had been spent on their childrens education and there was nothing left.On the 22nd August 1914 he applied for a commission in the Special Reserve of Officers. He was part of the Officer Training Corps when he was at college and became a sergeant. He then trained as a civil engineer at the University of Zurich and Engineering College and was currently working for the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Ltd in Birmingham. He was accepted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th East Surrey Regiment on the 5th September 1914.At the time he joined up he was recorded as being 23yrs old, 5ft 9” tall,with good teeth, good vision and hearing.Chalenor was killed in action on the 28th March 1917 and is buried(?) at the Avesnes-le-Comte Communal Cemetery in France. His army records include a letter dated 1922 from his mother, now living in Italy, who has still not received the medals that her son had been awarded.His family can be traced back to Matthew Caffyn, born 1628. |
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Edward Hedley Caffyn 1899-1918
Edward was one of two boys born to George Robert and Deborah Caffyn. The 1901 census shows the family living in Leominster; George had been born in Reigate but had moved to Hereford were Edward was born and then on to Leominster. George was a merchant tailor and the census notes that he had been deaf from childhood. In addition to his wife, his sister was also with the family, Laura, a mission worker. The eldest of the two boys, George William Caffyn, was 5 years old whilst Edward was just 2yrs.He joined the Grenadier Guards and was killed on the 3rd April 1918. He was 19 years old. He is buried at the Gezaincourt Communal Cemetary in the Somme region of France.His family can also be traced back to Matthew Caffyn, born 1628. His grandfather was Robert Caffyn, brother to William George, father of William Caffyn the cricketer. |
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Ernest Horace Caffyn 1896-1916
There are a few puzzles about Ernest. His birth certificate lists him as Ernest George Caffyn whilst his army records refer to him as Ernest Horace. He was probably one of five children born to Walter James and Charlotte Caffyn in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire. Ernest was born in 1896. He enlisted in the York and Lancaster Regiment in August 1914 where it is recorded that he stood just over 5ft and weighed 103lbs. His trade at the time of enlisted is not clear - it could read miner.According to his service record he was in Gallipolli before being evacuated in December 1915, he was still apparently in Egypt when he was reported wounded and missing on the 29th September 1916. However he is buried at the Regina Trench Cemetery in the Somme region of France. Presumably he transferred back to France prior to his death.He is listed on the memorial in the village of Burwell, Cambridgeshire.His family line can be traced back to Matthew Caffyn born 1809. |
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George James Caffyn 1889-1916
Another sad story; George was the middle child of Thomas William and Mary Caffyn. He had an older brother Thomas Frederick born 1886 in Marylebone and a younger sister Edith Harriet born in 1892 in Paddington. The 1901 census shows the family living in Paddington, Thomas is working as a railway carman and Thomas as a railway porter. George is just 11 years old.George did national service 1906-07; he was 18 years old and working as a news vendor. He is recorded as being 5ft 5” tall, 111lbs with sallow complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. (After six months service he has gained 1/4” on his height!) His religion is recorded as Weslayan.He married Gertrude in 1910 in Plymouth and their daughter, also Gertrude, was born there later that year.With the outbreak of the Great War George joined the crew of the HMS Orion as a Petty Officer Stoker but died in Edinburgh as a result of pneumonia on the 29th January 1916. His body was returned to Plymouth and he is buried in Ford Park Cemetery. His wife Gertrude remarried in 1917 and in 1920 she took Gertrude and emigrated to America to be with her new husband.His family line can be traced back to Thomas Caffyn born in 1844. |
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Harold Hunt Caffyn 1882-1915
 Harold was the oldest surviving son of Stephen Mannington and Kathleen Caffyn, his siblings were Jack Mannington and Chalenor McCrae. Theirs was not the most lucky of families. In 1904 Jack went to America to explore and visit friends but a year later he vanished and was never heard from again. Harold was educated at Rugby and Sandhurst and served in the South African Campaign. By the time of the Great War he was a Captain in the North Staffordshire Regiment.His death is recorded on the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium, it records members of the forces who died in the area but have no known grave.His family can be traced to Matthew Caffyn born 1628. |
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Joseph Mannington Caffyn 1880-1918
Joseph was the eldest of eight children born to Joseph and Sarah Caffyn. Joseph was born in Robertsbridge in in 1855 and married Sarah in April 1880. Joseph jnr was followed by Harry, Hellen, Elizabeth, Jeanie, Wilfred, Gertrude and lastly with an age difference of 17 years came Daisy. Joseph married Florence Minchin at the Baptist Chapel in Newbury in 1910; they had two sons, Harold Mannington Caffyn (1912) and John Espinet Caffyn (1916) and Joseph earnt his living as an insurance agent.He signed up in 1916 at the age of 35 years as a corporal in the Royal Garrison Artillery but died on the 15th July 1918 at the Military Hospital in Great Yarmouth as a result of Pneumonia. He was buried at the Caversham Cemetery near Reading.His branch of the Caffyn family can be traced back to Matthew Caffyn born 1628. |
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Murray Cameron Caffyn 1913-1943
As a result of his grandfather emigrating to Australia Murray was born in Victoria Australia to Murray Cameron Gordon and Edith Caffyn. Being so far away did not stop him from joining the Royal Australian Air Force and coming to England to fight in the Second World War. He was part of a crew who were captured in Germany and taken prisoner on the 8th October 1943; Murray died a few weeks later as a result of his injuries.He is buried at the Berlin War Cemetery.His family goes back to his great grandfather John who was born in 1821. |
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William Gregory Caffyn 1878-1917
William was another Australian Caffyn but I know very little about him. His parents were William and Lilian Caffyn of Rockhampton, Queensland.He joined the Australian Infantry as a private but died in November 1917 and is buried at the Potijze Chateau Cemetery in Belgium. |
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There were also two civilian deaths as a result of the second world war. Lawrence Caffyn who died on the 7th January 1941 just a few months after he married and Olive Mary Caffyn, daughter of Archibald and Nellie Caffyn who died aged 30 years old.
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Of course many Caffyns/Caffins fought and lived to tell the tale. Below are some of the ones I know of. If you know of anyone else please tell me about them and I’ll be glad to add them below.
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Charles Caffin 1896-
Charles was discharged from the service in 1917 as a result of a gun shot wound to his head. He had joined up in 1915 at the age 19yrs. His mother Sarah Hamilton was listed as next of kin, presumably his father had died and his mother remarried. To date I have not been able to trace his family at all. |
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Archibald Charles Caffyn 1879-1956
A brother of my great great grandfather; Archibald was one of eleven children born to William Morris and Harriet Caffyn. He married Nellie Towner in 1907 at the Congregational Church in Battle, Sussex. They had three children when Archibald was called up to fight at the age of 36yrs in 1917. He was discharged from the Army Pay Corps in 1919. |
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Frank Roy Caffyn 1896-1935
Another member of the Caffyns that I don’t know a great deal about. He was born in 1896 in Chichester and enlisted in September 1914 after finishing an apprenticeship as a tailor in Bishops Waltham. He joined the Royal Garrison Artillery. His medical records show that he had to have his appendicitus removed and had developed some heart problems which were improving.He was eventually discharged in 1919 after serving in Mesopotamia and India. He was awarded the India General Service Medal with Afganistan clasp.After the war he lived in for a while in Hollywood but may have married in England in 1930. |
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