Welcome to my website about Caffyn and Caffin family history. I am a keen family historian - some even say obsessed! - having begun my research when I was 12 years old. I would like to hear from any one else with an interest in the Caffyn/Caffin family and from members of the Caffyn/Caffin family.
My son has been a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital (pictured) so it was with interest that I heard they have made available lists of patients from 1852 (when they first opened) to 1914. The website can be found at www.smallandspecial.org.uk.
There are two Caffyns on the website. Firstly George Caffyns (sic) who was admitted on the 31st May 1864 suffering from starvation. This was just 12 years after the hospital opened and it was a very different place from what it is now. It had started in a town house with two doctors and a ten bed ward set up in the old library. By 1858 it had expanded to 75 beds following donations and fundraising by people such as Charles Dickens. George was 4 and a half at the time he was admitted and he stayed there for 64 days before he was discharged ‘cured’. George was living at 119 Old Town, Croydon (not far from modern day Croydon flyover), he was a son of David and Sarah Caffyn, but Sarah died either during George’s birth or shortly after, leaving David to bring up three young children. The 1861 census shows that David was living with his sister and had George and his daughter, Ann, with him whilst another son, Frank, was living with another of David’s sisters. That George was admitted to hospital suffering from starvation is a good indication of how difficult life must have been for them. However George must have made a good recovery as joined the family trade of china rivitting, married Isabella and eventually died in 1934 at the age of 73 years.
Dorothy Caffyn was not so lucky. I don’t at the moment know her parentage but she died at Great Ormond Street on the 8th July 1893 at the age of 6 months as a result of bronchopneumonia. Great Ormond Street had developed since George’s visit - it was now a purpose built hospital but the death rate for children in London was still very high.
That George was admitted to hospital suffering from starvation is a good indication of how difficult life must have been for them. However George must have made a good recovery as joined the family trade of china rivitting, married Isabella and eventually died in 1934 at the age of 73 years.