James Caven
George Caven, with his wife and part of his family, emigrated from Scotland to the United States just at the close of the Revolutionary war, and settled in Rockbridge County, Virginia. It was here, in the year 1790, that John A. Caven was born. When quite young, perhaps early in the present century, he came with his father’s family to Miami County, and settled on Spring Creek, close to the Shelby County line. In 1823 he married Elizabeth Scott. The result of this union was nine children. He lived here to raise his family, and make for them a comfortable home. He died in 1850. Mrs. Caven died in 1869. Of this family seven are still living. James, the sixth of the family, was born in 1836. He lived at home with his father until he died; then remained with his mother until 1855, when he went to Illinois, where he lived until 1864. Then he went to try his luck in the gold mines of Idaho. In 1866 he returned to Miami County, when in 1868 he married Miss Annetta Sayers. They have raised a family of four children, whose names and date of birth are as follows: William, born 1871; James, born 1873; Samuel, born 1875; and Harley, born 1877. In 1874 they settled in Shelby County, on land entered by John Morrow in the year 1819. The patent has the signature of James Monroe, President of the United States.
Of the ancestors of Mrs. Caven we know nothing, except of her father and mother. Her father, Samuel Sayers, was born in Miami County in 1810. In his father's family there were seventeen children, and all grew up to man and womanhood, and all married, except one daughter, who died at the age of 17 years. Mr. Sayers was killed in 1877 by the running away of a team of horses. Mrs. Sayers still survives, and is living on the old homestead in Miami County.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883