Background
He was born at Desborough, Northamptonshire, the eldest son of William Cave, a local landowner, and his wife, Elizabeth.
He was born at Desborough, Northamptonshire, the eldest son of William Cave, a local landowner, and his wife, Elizabeth.
After attending Rugby School, he went to Lincoln College, Oxford, from where he graduated in 1855 with a degree in humanities.
Cave was called to the bar on 10 June 1859 and built up a large general practice in the English Midlands. In 1873, he was appointed recorder of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, and two years later became a Queen"s Counsel. He edited several legal texts, including Stone"s Practice of Petty Sessions (1861), Reports of the Court for the Consideration of Crown Cases Reserved, Addison"s Treatise on the Law of Contracts (1869.
1875) and Addison"s Law of Torts (1879).
Despite being well known in the Midlands, Cave was not well known in London. His appointment as a Justice of the Queen"s Bench in 1881, and his coincident knighthood, came as something of a surprise.
As a judge, he gained a reputation as bluff and concise, often cutting short arguments which he considered too lengthy.
