Description:An abridged version of his biography from the Handsworth Magazine. The full version is available as a download file.
The Rev. Thomas Smith Cave, vicar of St James’ Handsworth, and chairman of the Handsworth School Board, was born at Leeds in 1855.
The rev. gentleman’s first and only curacy was at the Parish Church of St Mary’s, Handsworth, in the time of the Rev. Dr Randall. Here he ministered from 1879 until 1883, when he accepted the vicariate of St James’. In 1891 he was appointed a surrogate for the diocese of Lichfield.
Reverend Cave entered upon his duties at St James’ with the light-heartedness and indomitable energy, characteristic of your typical Yorkshire man. He soon ascertained that the appointment was no sinecure but not being afraid of long odds as long as there was a fair field for the exercise of his talents, he made up his mind as to what was wanted and then speedily effected many changes of importance to the parish. The earliest of these comprised the introduction of a new system of lighting, a new east window, a chancel screen, additions to the organ and the re-decorating and painting of the church. Within a few months of his advent in the parish the vicar, ever an ardent educationalist, succeeded in getting the Church Schools enlarged; an additional room being added in 1888.
Following upon these parochial achievements came the restoration of the Church, an enterprise involving an amount of work and expenditure of money that Dominie Sampson would have pronounced as “Prodigious!” The old Church dated back to 1839 and was originally built as a chapel of ease to the Parish Church. No pains were taken to make of it “a thing of beauty.” Possibly the architect deemed that the intense devotion of the worshippers therein would alone make of it “a joy for ever”, without such adventitious accessories as beauty of design or adaptability to comfort. Be that as it may, we have never yet met with a member of St James’ Church whose strictures upon the former structure could be alluded to as mild. Never before had a sacred building been made the subject of such pungent criticisms. Ordinary language was not equal to a description of this Episcopalian ugly duckling and the imaginative man used therefore to draw liberally upon his vocabulary of out-of-the-way phrases. The Herald man devoted a column to proving, what no one dreamt of disputing, that an uglier temple of worship could not be found in a civilized community. If our memory serves us correctly, he even called it an “architectural monstrosity” and avowed that its “depressing and heavy appearance” affected him like a violent attack of “the blues”.
The Vicar took up the matter in downright earnest and the congregation showed a praiseworthy determination to provide a church for the parish at which not even the fastidious and uncomplimentary Herald man could cavil. The services of Mr J A Chatwin, the well-known ecclesiastical architect, were accordingly requisitioned and he submitted designs for a large extension of the existing edifice or to be more accurate, for a new church in the old sanctuary was to be utilised. Mr Chatwin proposed the removal of the huge gallery, which darkened the old building and the addition of a new nave, chancel, side aisle, baptistry and organ chamber, at a cost of about £7,000. His designs were approved and the work was commenced early in 1894. The result was that a well-proportioned and commodious Church took the place of the dismal “Chapel-of-ease” and when the consecration services were held by the Bishop of Lichfield in July 1895, there was great rejoicing in St James’ Parish.
The reports of Her Majesty’s Inspector and the Government grants on the St James’ Schools are invariably of a satisfactory character. Pulpit teachers and scholars alike come out well, both in religious and secular knowledge and it is to their credit that the scholars are always well to the front in the scholarship examinations at Handsworth Grammar School, of which Mr Cave was formerly a governor. Several pupils have succeeded in gaining County Council Scholarships. Upon the formation of the Handsworth School Board, Mr Cave entered the lists as a Bible teaching candidate and whether he owed it to his own striking personality or to the enthusiastic demand for scriptural instruction in the Board Schools, or to a combination of both, the fact remains that he was returned at the head of the poll with a large majority. He was unanimously elected chairman of the Board and has held that position with dignity and honour ever since. To briefly summarise the work done by the School Board under the chairmanship of Mr Cave, we may mention that soon after the election of the first Board the Boulton Road Schools were taken over and greatly enlarged and since then, handsome and commodious Board Schools have been built in Wattville Street and Birchfield Road, whilst the site has been purchased for another school in Rookery Road. The policy of the Board has from the first been to secure efficiency with economy and so well have they succeeded that they have never yet aroused the hostility of any section of the ratepayers.
Mr Cave was married in November 1892 and has found in his wife a true and loving helpmate in his holy calling.
In his choice of curates, Mr Cave has been singularly fortunate. The Rev. C E Medhurst was universally popular; whilst the Rev. E T Spencer was second only to his chief in the esteem of the parishioners, more especially perhaps those who belong to the artisan class and the two gentlemen by whom he has been succeeded, the Rev. R Large and Rev. H Clatworthy, are gentlemen of high character and scholastic achievements.