INTERVIEW
Island
Dynasty
An
Known as an upmarket destination and a retreat
for second homers, sought-after Seaview would
never actually have existed had it not been for one
larger-than-life family – the Caws.
For over 275 years, the colourful Caws have been known as sea
pilots and strongmen, they’ve owned and run the Seaview hotel,
the post office and the shoe shop.
Now there’s just one Caws left in Seaview village – William
Gerald, otherwise known as Will – and he’s the go-to storyteller
and historian, a fund of family tales and local legends. Jackie
McCarrick caught up with him.
He happily admits to never having
been academic - in fact he couldn’t wait
to leave Netherston School at 15 - but
builder Will Caws has made himself
something of an expert when it comes to
local history.
Names and dates roll effortlessly off his
tongue as he talks about his ancestors,
the 18th century founders of Seaview
village, and his knowledge brings visitors
and geneologists from all over the world
wanting to research Caws family links.
“It’s always easier to find things out
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when your family has lived in the same
place for a long time”, he says.
Willy’s historical researches have
benefited from the fact that his greatgrandparents were avid diarists,
meticulously keeping notes of the most
mundane of events and incidents – from
the weather to their food or somebody
taking a tumble on the ice - that prove
fascinating to the modern reader.
“My dad had no interest at all but I kept
all the papers and love reading about it
all” he says.
His interest in local history was sparked
very early, at the age of five or six, by a
piece of family legend that said the great
Admiral Lord Nelson used to row to the
Seaview Hotel for a beer.
“It probably wasn’t true” he laughs, “but it
somehow sparked my interest in all this”.
Now a member of the Nelson Society,
Will recalls attending a supper on HMS
Victory a few years ago, and poring
over the ship’s log looking for reference
to a member of the Caws clan who is
mentioned in the family diaries as having
received a prize whilst serving on the
great ship.
He was baffled not to find the Caws
name – but then realised it was probably
an in-law, probably one Henry Matthews
who was married to Sophie Caws.
Regularly asked to give talks to local
groups, Will has also been asked to take
people around Seaview village, to point
out notable buildings and detailing their
history.
www.visitilife.com
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