Henry Capell MP (1537 - 1588)

Born 1537 in Rayne, Essex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Manners) Capell — married [date unknown] in England

Husband of Mary (Browne) Grey — married after 19 Nov 1564 in Pirgo, Havering-atte-Bower, Essex, England

Descendants

Died 22 Jun 1588 at about age 51 in England

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Sir Henry Capell was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

Father Sir Edward Capell b. c 1505, d. 19 May 1577

Mother Anne Pelham b. c 1516

Henry Capell, Esq., Sheriff of Essex & Hertfordshire was born circa 1540 at of Hadham, Hertfordshire, England.^[1]

By 1563 Sir Edward was one of the leading gentry in Hertfordshire, and Henry, as his heir and a brother-in-law of the Earl of Rutland , was prominent enough to become junior knight of the shire to Sir Ralph Sadler. Capt. of 500 footmen on Scottish campaign 1560; the Duke of Norfolk was not impressed by him as a commander, telling Cecil that Capell's company never went into the field 100 strong. Suc family 19 Mar 1577. JP Essex from 1575, q. c.1583, j.p.q. Herts. from 1577; sheriff, Essex 1579-80, Herts, 1585-6.

He married Mary Browne, daughter of Sir Anthony Browne, Master of the Horse, Ambassador to France and Alice Gage, after 19 November 1564 at of Pirgo, Havering-atte-Bower, Essex, England. 2nd marriage for both.^[2]

Henry Capell, Esq., Sheriff of Essex & Hertfordshire left a will on 16 June 1588.

He died on 22 June 1588 at of Rayne, Essex, England.^[3]

His estate was probated on 13 July 1588.

Family

m.1 Catherine Manners^[4]\

m.2 Mary Browne^[5]

Will

• drawn up less than a week before he died

• proved 13 Jul 1588

He left annuities of £40 and £20 to his younger sons, and asked the eldest, Arthur, the sole executor, to see that they were promptly paid. The ready money in the house was to be equally divided between Arthur and his stepmother Mary, who also received valuable bequests of plate and a life interest in the Essex property.

Will mentions a marriage settlement with Lord Montagu by which Capell's second wife received Rayne and lands in Bocking, Braintree, Panfield and Felstead. In addition to his Hertfordshire and Essex estates he owned the manors of Icklingham Barners in Suffolk, Great and Little Fransham in Norfolk, and Wrington, Somerset. £8 was to be distributed to the poor of Much and Little Hadham and two other Hertfordshire parishes.

Hadham Hall

The first member of the Capel family to actually live at Hadham Hall was Henry Capel (1537\endash 1588) who moved in after his wife died in 1572. Between then and 1578 he had the second Hall demolished and built, partly on its foundations, the magnificent Elizabethan mansion that stands today. This is the same Hadham Hall in which Henry Capel entertained Queen Elizabeth I in 1578 when she lodged here while returning from Norfolk. The Queen passed through Bishop's Stortford on her way to Hadham Hall and again on her return to London and the event was duly recorded: 'The Queen and her retinue came riding through the town from Little Hadham to great rejoicing, for 10s. (50p) was paid for Ringing to the Ringers when the Queens majesty came to mr Capells and from mr Capells thorowe the towne'.

The Elizabethan mansion comprised of three blocks; the north, west and south wings enclosing a large courtyard which was entered by archways in the west and south wings. Only the west wing and part of the south wing survives, but both arches are still visible. Henry married Katherine Manners, daughter of Sir Thomas Manners Earl Of Rutland and Eleanor Paston. (Katherine Manners was born in 1537 in Haddon Hall, Derbyshire and died on 9 Mar 1572.)

Sources

1. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry: 2nd Edition, Vol. II, p. 172.
2. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. V, p. 135
3. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Royal Ancestry, Vol. III, p. 168-169
4. ↑ Father: Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland
5. ↑ p. Sir Anthony Browne and Alice Gage; widow of Lord John Grey of Pirgo, s.p.

• "Burke’s Family Records (Indexed)", Burke, Ashworth P. Burke’s Family Records. Baltimore, MD, USA: Clearfield Company (Genealogical Publishing Co.), 1994, Ancestry Sharing Link (free access); Ancestry Record 1860 #5547 ($).
• Visitations of Hertfordshire: Capell [1]
• Marlyn_Lewis
• History of Parliament online 1558-1603: CAPELL, Henry I (d.1588), of Little Hadham, Herts. and Rayne, Essex