Arthur Algernon Capell (27 January 1803 – 11 September 1892) was an English aristocrat who succeed to the title
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...
in 1839.
Early life
Arthur Algernon Capell was the son of Hon. John Thomas Capel and Lady Caroline Paget (eldest daughter of
Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge
Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge (13 January 166330 August 1743), of Beaudesert, Staffordshire, and West Drayton, Middlesex, was a British landowner and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1695 until 171 ...
). He was the grandson of
William Capell, 4th Earl of Essex
William Anne Holles Capell, 4th Earl of Essex (7 October 1732 – 4 March 1799), was a British landowner and peer, a member of the House of Lords.
Early life
Capell was born on 7 October 1732 in Turin. He was the son of William Capell, 3rd Earl o ...
from William's second marriage to Harriet Bladen. He was given the name of Arthur Algernon Capel at birth, but the spelling of the family name was legally changed by Royal Licence to ''Capell'' on 23 July 1880.
Arthur Algernon Capell's half-uncle,
George Capel-Coningsby, 5th Earl of Essex
George Capel-Coningsby, 5th Earl of Essex FSA (13 November 1757 – 23 April 1839) was an English aristocrat and politician, and styled Viscount Malden until 1799. His surname was Capell until 1781.
Early life
George Capell was the eldest so ...
, died in 1839 without any heirs, and the succession of the title passed to Arthur.
Arthur's father, John Thomas Capel, was the half-brother of the 5th Earl and the nearest male sibling. John Thomas had died in 1819 and so the title passed to Arthur upon George's death on 23 April 1839. He also held the titles of 6th Viscount Malden and 7th Baron Capell of Hadham.
Career
![St Mary's Church, Watford](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Watford.jpg)
The 6th Earl enjoyed a number of philanthropic and leisure pursuits and took a keen interest in a wide range of subjects. In the 1860s, he developed an enthusiasm for the new game of
croquet
Croquet ( or ; french: croquet) is a sport that involves hitting wooden or plastic balls with a mallet through hoops (often called "wickets" in the United States) embedded in a grass playing court.
Its international governing body is the Wor ...
. The gardens of
Cassiobury House
Cassiobury House was a country house in Cassiobury Park, Watford, England. It was the ancestral seat of the Earls of Essex. Originally a Tudor building, dating from 1546 for Sir Richard Morrison, it was substantially remodelled in the 17th and ...
, the Capell
family seat
A family seat or sometimes just called seat is the principal residence of the landed gentry and aristocracy. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families to ...
in
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
, was one of the first places in Britain in which croquet was played, and the Earl hosted lavish croquet parties there. A particular variant of the game was developed there, as detailed in ''Rules of the Eglinton Castle and Cassiobury Croquet,'' published in 1865 by
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, and the Earl even launched his own ''Cassiobury'' brand croquet set, made in his own sawmills in Watford.
Capell took an interest in the practice of
homoeopathy
Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a dise ...
which was growing in popularity at the time. He supported the activities of the
British Homeopathic Association
The British Homeopathic Association (BHA) is a British charity founded in 1902 by John Epps to promote the pseudoscience homeopathy and advocate for its training and research. The BHA was re-branded in 2021 to Homeopathy UK. It seeks to encourage ...
and served as a Vice President of the
London Homeopathic Hospital
The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine (formerly the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital) is a specialist alternative medicine hospital located in London, England and a part of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. ...
.
Like many landowners of his time, the Earl also took an active interest in agriculture and developed a
model farm
A demonstration farm, or model farm, is a farm which is used primarily to research or demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by educational instit ...
, Home Farm, to the north of Cassiobury House.
[Rabbits & Priestly] He was first president of the West Hertfordshire Agricultural Society, and in August 1864 he held first exhibition of the Watford and Leavesden Horticultural Society in the gardens at Cassiobury. He also held positions of Lay Rector of the Parish and president of the Watford and Bushey Volunteer Fire Brigade.
The Earl also opened up the grounds of Cassiobury to the local residents of Watford, allowing the public free access to the park, on the condition that they did not hold picnics there (opening grounds to the public was now a common practice among landowners, such as at the parks of
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle is a restored and remodelled medieval castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England. It was established during the reign of Edward the Confessor and completed by Roger de Montgomery. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War a ...
,
Hatfield House
Hatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house, a leading example of the prodigy house, was built in 1611 by Robert Ceci ...
,
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace (pronounced ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non- episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, on ...
and
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a G ...
, all of continue to offer free access to local residents today). The park played host to
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
matches and parades of the
Hertfordshire Yeomanry
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry Cavalry regiment of the British Army that could trace its formation to the late 18th century. First seeing mounted service in the Second Boer War and World War I, it subsequently converted to artillery. Th ...
.
The prime minister of the day, Sir
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...
, offered to the Earl the position of
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...
, an appointment he declined due to ill health.
[
The 6th Earl was also an amateur painter, and a watercolour by Capell depicting the grand staircase at Cassiobury House now hangs in the ]Watford Museum
Watford Museum is a local museum in Watford, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom. It is owned by Watford Borough Council and is located on the Lower High Street in Watford.
The museum opened in 1982 and is housed in a Grade II-listed Georgian ...
.
Personal life
Capell married three times. His first marriage was on 14 July 1825 to Lady Caroline Janetta Beauclerk, daughter of William Beauclerk, 8th Duke of St Albans
William Beauclerk, 8th Duke of St Albans (18 December 1766 – 17 July 1825) was an English aristocrat.
Early life and career
William was born on 18 December 1766. He was the second son of Lady Catharine Ponsonby and Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke ...
and Maria Janetta Nelthorpe. Before her death on 22 August 1862, they were the parents of:
* Hon. Arthur de Vere Capell, Viscount Malden (1826–1879), who married Emma Martha Meux, third daughter of Sir Henry Meux, 1st Baronet
Sir Henry Meux, 1st Baronet (pronounced "Mews") (8 May 1770 – 7 April 1841) was a British brewer, owner of the London brewery which became the Meux Brewery.
Early life
Meux was born on 8 May 1770. He was the second son of brewer Richard Meux ( ...
, in 1853.
* Lady Adela Caroline Harriet Capell (1828–1860), who married, as his second wife, Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton
Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, 1st Earl of Winton, KT, PC (29 September 18124 October 1861), styled Lord Montgomerie from 1814 to 1819, was a British Conservative politician. He was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1852 and ...
, in 1858.
* Hon. Reginald Algernon Capel (1830–1906), who married Mary Eliza Fazakerley, daughter of John Nicholas Fazakerley
John Nicholas Fazakerley (7 March 1787 – 16 July 1852) was a British Whig
politician. He was Member of Parliament for Lincoln (1812–18), Great Grimsby (1818–20), Tavistock (1820), Lincoln again (1826-30) and City of Peterborough (1830– ...
of Burwood Park
Burwood Park is an historic private estate located in Hersham, Surrey, England. Spanning six miles of road, Burwood Park is situated in a former deer park that belonged to Henry VIII. The 360 acre estate is known both for its extensive wildli ...
, in 1858.
* Hon. Randolph Alfred Capell (1831–1857), a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
who died at Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
After her death, he married Lady Louisa Caroline Elizabeth Boyle on 3 June 1863. Lady, the eldest daughter of Charles Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan and Lady Catherine St. Lawrence (eldest daughter of William St Lawrence, 2nd Earl of Howth), was the sister of Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork
Richard Edmund St Lawrence Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork and Orrery KP, PC (19 April 1829 – 22 June 1904), styled Viscount Dungarvan between 1834 and 1856, was a British courtier and Liberal politician. In a ministerial career spanning between ...
. Her father was the eldest son and heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
of Edmund Boyle, 8th Earl of Cork
General Edmund Boyle, 8th Earl of Cork and 8th Earl of Orrery KP (21 October 1767 – 29 June 1856), styled Viscount Dungarvan from 1768 to 1798, was an Irish soldier and peer.
Early life
Boyle was the eldest surviving son of Edmund Boyle, 7th E ...
. Before her death on 5 May 1876, they were the parents of two children:
* Hon. Arthur Algernon Capell (1864–1940), who married Isabel Anne Wilson, a daughter of Col. Townshend Wilson, in 1890.
* Lady Beatrice Mary Capell (1870–1954), who married Edmund Banbury, a son of Frederick Banbury of Shirley House
Shirley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë
* ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film
* ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film
* ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...
and brother to Frederick Banbury, 1st Baron Banbury of Southam
Frederick George Banbury, 1st Baron Banbury of Southam (2 December 1850 – 13 August 1936), known as Sir Frederick Banbury, 1st Baronet, from 1903 to 1924, was a British businessman and Conservative Member of Parliament.
Early life
Frederick ...
, in 1913.
His third marriage was on 25 April 1881 to Louisa Elizabeth (née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Heneage) Paget, widow of Lord George Paget
General Lord George Augustus Frederick Paget (16 March 1818 – 30 June 1880), was a British soldier during the Crimean War who took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. He later became a Whig politician.
Early life
Lord George Au ...
and daughter of Charles Fieschi Heneage and Hon. Louisa Elizabeth Graves (daughter of Thomas Graves, 2nd Baron Graves
Thomas North Graves, 2nd Baron Graves (28 May 1775 – 7 February 1830) was a British peer and Member of Parliament.
Graves was the son of Admiral Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves. He succeeded his father as second Baron Graves in 1802, but as thi ...
). They had no children and Louisa outlived Capell by 22 years.
Arthur Algernon Capell died on 11 September 1892 at age 89. His eldest son, Arthur de Vere Capell, Viscount Malden, had died in 1879 aged 52 and so the Earl of Essex title passed to Arthur Algernon's grandson, George Capell.
Legacy
Photographic portraits of the 6th Earl are held in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London
The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...
and the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
in the United States.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Essex, Arthur Capell, 6th Earl of
1803 births
1892 deaths
19th-century English people
Arthur Algernon
People from Watford
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...