William Jennings "Bill" Capell (born 9 August 1952), a retired grocery clerk from

Yuba City Yuba City (Maidu: ''Yubu'') is a city in Northern California and the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 70,117 at the 2020 census. Yuba City is the principal city of the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, is the

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

to the

Earldom 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 ...

. He will be the 12th Earl if the current earl,

Paul Capell, 11th Earl of Essex Frederick Paul de Vere Capell, 11th Earl of Essex (born 29 May 1944) is the current Earl of Essex. He succeeded his father Robert Capell, 10th Earl of Essex, in 2005. Born to Robert Capell and his wife Doris, Lord Essex began his life as Frederick ...

(currently and unmarried), predeceases him without in-wedlock male issue. He had considered renouncing the earldom if it would require him to give up his United States citizenship (under the United Kingdom's

Peerage Act 1963 The Peerage Act 1963 (c. 48) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permits women peeresses and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords and allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be disclaimed. Backgro ...

, a person may disclaim a hereditary peerage). United States law requires only government officeholders without Congressional authorization and persons wishing to become naturalized citizens, however, to renounce titles of nobility. As Mr. Capell is in neither category, there would be no legal impediment to his use of the title as a U.S. citizen; indeed there is precedent in the case of the

Earl of Wharncliffe Earl of Wharncliffe, in the West Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. History The earldom was created in 1876 for Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 3rd Baron Wharncliffe. He was a descendan ...

, currently a Maine construction worker. Like the sixth and later Earls of Essex, William Capell is descended from the younger son of the fourth Earl. His father Bladen Horace Capell claimed the title after the ninth Earl died in 1981, but Robert de Vere Capell (1920–2005) eventually proved that his ancestor Algernon was older than Bladen's ancestor Adolphus and thus took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

in 1989.

Family tree

Recent relations

In 2005, Capell made his first visit to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law. The visit was televised on the tabloid show ''

Inside Edition ''Inside Edition'' is an American news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed in first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine program that is n ...

''. He has two children: * Jennifer Elaine Capell (b. 1974), married Alfred Cabrera in 2004 * Kevin Devereux Capell (b. 1982) If William succeeds to the earldom, his son Kevin will acquire the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

''Viscount Malden'', and his daughter Jennifer will become ''Lady Jennifer Cabrera''.

External links

ll dead links
RootsWeb: CORNELL-L Archives - Sometimes knowing your roots can be very rewarding!!
("

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" of

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article)
The International Wenches Guild: Grocery clerk possible Earl of EssexKitsap Sun: (Editor's Choice) Average Joe May Move Into House of Lords
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capell, William Jennings 1953 births 20th-century American people 21st-century American people William Jennings People from Yuba City, California Living people American people of British descent