William Frederick Cavaye

Who was William Frederick Cavaye?

Major-General William Frederick Cavaye was a British military officer and Municipal Reform Party politician.

He was the eldest son of General William Cavaye and his wife Isabella née Hutchinson, and was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Following schooling at Edinburgh Academy and in Charlton he entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

In 1865 Cavaye was commissioned as an ensign into the 107th Regiment of Foot. He rose through the officer ranks to become a major in 1881, having served with distinction in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. The 107th Foot became the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment under the Childers reforms of 1881: Cavaye became the battalion's commanding officer with the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1883.

Cavaye was further promoted, becoming Assistant Adjutant General and Chief of Staff of the Southern District with the rank of Colonel. He served in the Second Boer War of 1899 – 1902, and was mentioned in dispatches.

In 1906 he began his involvement in local government, when he was elected to Kensington Borough Council, in the County of London. He was one of nine councillors for the Brompton ward of the royal borough, all members of the Conservative-backed Municipal Reform Party. He was mayor of the borough for two consecutive terms in 1907 – 1909. He remained a member of the borough council until his death, latterly as an alderman.