William Cave 1637-1713

William CAVE 1637-1713

Biographical Note

Born at Pickwell, Leicestershire, son of John Cave, rector there. BA St John's College, Cambridge 1656, MA 1660, DD 1672. Vicar of Islington 1662, rector of All Hallows the Great, London 1679, canon of Windsor ca.1681, vicar of Isleworth 1690. He published sermons and doctrinal works, but is best known for his substantial and influential books on ecclesiastical history, including Primitive Christianity (1673), Apostolici (1677) and Scriptorum ecclesiasticorum historia literaria (1688).

Books

In his will, Cave specified that his Bible in quarto, ruled and bound in blue turkey leather, be given to his daughter Elizabeth Cory, along with various other mementoes like a case of knives and forks, and a repeating night clock. He directed that his books be sold by his executors, for the fulfilment of his various monetary bequests. His library was purchased after his death by St George’s Chapel, Windsor, for £645. Some of his books came from the library of his father John (d.1657). A sale of duplicates from St George’s Chapel Library, “some of which were the late Dr Cave’s”, was held in London, 10.1.1715 (no catalogue survives).

Sources

• Will of William Cave, The National Archives PROB 11/535/48.
• Alston, R. C. Inventory of sale catalogues 1676-1800. St Philip, 2010.
• Minton, Gretchen E. "Cave, William (1637–1713), Church of England clergyman and patristic scholar." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.