William Frederick Cavaye

Major-General William Frederick Cavaye, (15 February 1845 – 30 January 1926) was a British Army officer and Municipal Reform Party politician.

Early life Cavaye was the eldest son of General William Cavaye (died 1896) and his wife Isabella (née Hutchinson), and was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father retired to 12 Royal Circus in the Stockbridge district around 1860. Following schooling at Edinburgh Academy and in Charlton, he entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Military career In 1865 Cavaye was commissioned as an ensign into the 107th Regiment of Foot. He rose through the officer ranks to become a lieutenant on 9 March 1867, a captain on 13 December 1874, and a major on 1 July 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 on 15 August 1883.

Cavaye was further promoted, becoming Assistant Adjutant General and chief of staff of the Southern District with the rank of colonel. He served "on special service" in the Second Boer War of 1899–1902, and was mentioned in despatches. and retired from the army on 15 December 1902.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Cavaye returned to active service. He was appointed commanding officer of the 2nd East Anglian Division in November 1914 with the rank of brigadier-general. The division did not serve abroad, but Cavaye subsequently served on "special service" with the British Expeditionary Force in France from 1917 to 1919, and was raised to the rank of major-general. 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. He held the seat for fifteen years before retiring from the LCC at the 1925 election due to ill-health. In 1937 two Kensington streets, Chelsea Grove and Clifton Place, were combined into a single thoroughfare named "Cavaye Place" in honour of the general.