Hi Abiam
Susan's age is quite consistent on 1851 census and from then onwards and it is consistent with her age on death. She is too young to be the mother of the eldest two children on the 1851 census. From their baptisms on the IGI it is apparent their mother was also called Susan/nah in fact consistently Susannah, so it would seem John Cave (no evidence of a middle name) married twice and both women were named Susan/nah with the second wife usually Susan. For John to have known children whose baptisms begin in 1829 he would have to have been born no later than around circa 1809.
1851 census HO107 1547 folio 523
5 Wellsely Square St George in the East Middlesex
Susan Cave 26 Head Married Mariner's wife Aldgate Middlesex
Thos Cave 1 Son Bermondsey Surrey
Elizth Cave 2 Daughter Bermondsey Surrey
Alfred Cave 11 Son Bermondsey Surrey
Mary A Cave 16 Daughter Bermondsey Surrey
From the IGI
JOHN EDWD. CAVE
Christening: 12 APR 1829 Saint Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, London
Father: JOHN CAVE
Mother: SUSANNA
JOSEPH EDWARD CAVE
Christening: 23 DEC 1832 Saint Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, London
Father: JOHN CAVE
Mother: SUSANNA
SUSANNA CAVE
Christening: 07 DEC 1834 Saint Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, London
Father: JOHN CAVE Family
Mother: SUSANNA
MARY ANN CAVE
Christening: 03 JUN 1836 Saint Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, London
Father: JOHN CAVE
Mother: SUSANNA
ALFRED ROGERS CAVE
Christening: 28 JAN 1838 Saint Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, London
Father: JOHN CAVE
Mother: SUSANNA
ELIZTH. HANNINGTON CAVE
Christening: 23 MAY 1841 Saint Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, London
Father: JOHN CAVE
Mother: SUSANNA
The possible death registration of the first wife of John Cave
Deaths Mar 1846
Cave Susannah Bermondsey 4 1
1841 census HO107 1087/4 folio 9
Three Oak Lane St John Horsley Down Southwark Surrey
John Cave 37 Navy born Surrey
Susannah Cave 42 born Surrey
John Cave 13 not born Surrey
Joseph Cave 10 not born Surrey
Susannah Cave 8 not born Surrey
Mary Cave 5 not born Surrey
Alfred Cave 3 not born Surrey
Elizabeth Cave 6 Months born Surrey
Ann Hill 20 Fem. S. born Surrey
John senior therefore has a date of birth of circa 1804 from this census with the first Susannah slightly older. The yes to born in or out of county can often be unreliable on the 1841 census.
Difficult to know when and where John Cave senior died. If he died at sea there maybe no death registration for him. What you do know is the death was probably between the 1851 census - 30th March and Susan's second marriage to John Thomas Farrah in the September quarter (July, August or September) of 1856. On the 1861 census there is Isabella aged 8 and the next child Susan aged 4 who would be the first child (or the first surviving child) of the second marriage. So Isabella would be the last known child of John Cave. Her birth was registered in Whitechapel.
Births Jun 1852
Cave Isabella Whitechapel 1c 371
Cave Isabella Whitechapel 1c 373
There is a death registration for a John Cave in the same district which might be her father.
Deaths Jun 1852
Cave John Whitechapel 1c 252
Since the death registration index doesn't have ages this early it is of course difficult to know whether this is John Cave senior.
If Isabella's older half brothers survived childhood and became mariners, John Edward, Joseph Edward and Alfred Rogers, it will always be difficult to spot them on censuses or follow them through the civil registration particularly if they didn't use their second name and/or died at sea or didn't return to England. Her only known full brother may have died relatively young.
Births Dec 1849
CAVE Thomas James Bermondsey 4 14
Deaths Mar 1870
Cave Thomas James 20 London C. 1c 26
Regards
Valda
