Biography of Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury 1638-1696

On 28th November 1627 [his father] Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham [aged 19] and [his mother] Elizabeth Morrison Baroness Capell Hadham [aged 16] were married.

Before 6th March 1638 Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury was born to [his father] Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham [aged 30] and [his mother] Elizabeth Morrison Baroness Capell Hadham [aged 27] at Little Hadham, Hertfordshire [Map].

On 6th March 1638 Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury was baptised.

On 6th August 1641 [his father] Arthur Capell 1st Baron Capell Hadham [aged 33] was created 1st Baron Capell Hadham. [his mother] Elizabeth Morrison Baroness Capell Hadham [aged 30] by marriage Baroness Capell Hadham.

On 28th June 1648 [his brother-in-law] Henry Seymour [aged 22] and [his sister] Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 17] were married at Little Hadham, Hertfordshire [Map]. He the son of William Seymour 2nd Duke of Somerset [aged 60] and Frances Devereux Duchess of Somerset [aged 48]. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

Before 25th June 1652 [his brother-in-law] Charles Dormer 2nd Earl Carnarvon [aged 19] and [his sister] Elizabeth Capell Countess Carnarvon [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Carnarvon. He the son of Robert Dormer 1st Earl Carnarvon and Anne Sophia Herbert Countess Carnarvon. They were fourth cousins.

On 19th May 1653 [his brother] Arthur Capell 1st Earl Essex [aged 21] and [his sister-in-law] Elizabeth Percy Countess Essex [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of Algernon Percy 10th Earl of Northumberland [aged 50] and Anne Cecil. They were fourth cousin once removed.

Around 1655 John Hoskins [aged 65]. Portrait of Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury [aged 16].

Before 25th December 1660 [his brother-in-law] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 31] and [his sister] Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 30] were married. He the son of Edward Somerset 2nd Marquess Worcester [aged 58] and Elizabeth Dormer. They were fourth cousins.

On 23rd April 1661 Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury [aged 23] was appointed Knight of the Bath.

On 3rd April 1667 Edward Somerset 2nd Marquess Worcester [aged 65] died. His son [his brother-in-law] Henry [aged 38] succeeded 3rd Marquess Worcester, 7th Earl Worcester, 9th Baron Herbert of Raglan. [his sister] Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 36] by marriage Marchioness Worcester.

John Evelyn's Diary. 8th May 1667. Made up accounts with our Receiver, which amounted to £33,936 1s. 4d. Dined at Lord Cornbury's [aged 5], with Don Francisco de Melos, Portugal Ambassador, and kindred to the Queen [aged 28]: Of the party were Mr. Henry Jermyn [aged 62] and Sir Henry Capel [aged 29]. Afterward I went to Arundel House [Map], to salute Mr. Howard's sons, newly returned out of France.

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 17th January 1669. Thence, taking leave of my guests, he and I and W. Hewer [aged 27] to White Hall, and there parting with Spong, a man that I mightily love for his plainness and ingenuity, I into the Court, and there up and down and spoke with my Lords Bellassis and Peterborough about the business now in dispute, about my deputing a Treasurer to pay the garrison at Tangier, which I would avoid, and not be accountable, and they will serve me therein. Here I met Hugh May [aged 47], and he brings me to the knowledge of Sir Henry Capell [aged 30], a Member of Parliament, and brother of my Lord of Essex [aged 37], who hath a great value, it seems, for me; and they appoint a day to come and dine with me, and see my books, and papers of the Office, which I shall be glad to shew them, and have opportunity to satisfy them therein. Here all the discourse is, that now the King [aged 38] is of opinion to have the Parliament called, notwithstanding his late resolutions for proroguing them; so unstable are his councils, and those about him. So staying late talking in the Queen's [aged 30] side, I away, with W. Hewer home, and there to read and talk with my wife, and so to bed.

In 1678 [his sister] Elizabeth Capell Countess Carnarvon [aged 45] died.

John Evelyn's Diary. 27th August 1678. Hence, I went to my worthy friend, Sir Henry Capel [aged 40] [at Kew], brother to the Earl of Essex [aged 46]; it is an old timber-house; but his garden has the choicest fruit of any plantation in England, as he is the most industrious and understanding in it.

John Evelyn's Diary. 25th June 1679. The new Commissioners of the Admiralty came to visit me, viz, Sir Henry Capell [aged 41], brother to the Earl of Essex [aged 47], Mr. Finch [aged 31], eldest son to the Lord Chancellor [aged 57], Sir Humphry Winch [aged 57], Sir Thomas Meeres [aged 45], Mr. Hales, with some of the Commissioners of the Navy. I went with them to London.

On 2nd December 1682 [his brother-in-law] Henry Somerset 1st Duke Beaufort [aged 53] was created 1st Duke Beaufort by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 52]. [his sister] Mary Capell Duchess Beaufort [aged 52] by marriage Duchess Beaufort.

On 13th July 1683 [his brother] Arthur Capell 1st Earl Essex [aged 51] committed suicide at the Tower of London [Map]. He was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Tower of London [Map]. He was said to have been discovered in his chamber with his throat cut whilst awaiting execution for treason. His son [his nephew] Algernon [aged 12] succeeded 2nd Earl Essex, 3rd Baron Capell Hadham.

John Evelyn's Diary. 30th October 1683. I went to Kew to visit Sir Henry Capell [aged 45], brother to the late Earl of Essex; but he being gone to Cashiobury, after I had seen his garden and the alterations therein, I returned home. He had repaired his house, roofed his hall with a kind of cupola, and in a niche was an artificial fountain; but the room seems to me over-melancholy, yet might be much improved by having the walls well painted á fresco. The two green houses for oranges and myrtles, communicating with the rooms below, are very well contrived. There is a cupola made with pole-work between two elms at the end of a walk, which being covered by plashing the trees to them, is very pretty; for the rest there are too many fir trees in the garden.

John Evelyn's Diary. 5th September 1685. I accompanied his Lordship to Windsor (dining by the way at Sir Henry Capel's [aged 47] at Kew), where his Ma* [aged 51] receiving me with extra ordinary kindnesse, I kiss'd his hand. I told him how. sensible I was of his Ma*s gracious favour to me, that I would endeavour to serve him with all sincerity, diligence, and loyalty, not more out of my duty than inclination. He said he doubted not of it, and was glad he had the opportunity to shew me the kindnesse he had for me. After this came aboundance of greate men to give me joy.

John Evelyn's Diary. 24th March 1688. From thence to Kew, to visit Sir Henry Capel's [aged 50], whose orangery and myrtetum are most beautiful and perfectly well kept. He was contriving very high palisadoes of reeds to shade his oranges during the summer, and painting those reeds in oil.

John Evelyn's Diary. 1st August 1693. Lord Capel [aged 55], Sir Cyril Wyche [aged 61], and Mr. Duncomb, made Lord Justices in Ireland; Lord Sydney [aged 52] recalled, and made Master of the Ordnance.

On 30th May 1696 Henry Capell 1st Baron Capell Tewkesbury [aged 58] died at Chapelizod. Baron Capell Tewkesbury extinct.