Arthur Capell, 6th Earl of Essex
| Arthur Algernon Capell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 January 1803 |
| Died | 11 November 1892 (aged 89) Watford, Hertfordshire |
| Title | The Earl of Essex |
| Tenure | 1839-1892 |
| Other titles | Viscount Malden; Baron Capell of Hadham. |
| Nationality | British |
| Predecessor | George Capel-Coningsby |
| Successor | George Capell |
Arthur Algernon Capell (27 January 1803 – 11 September 1892) was an English aristocrat who succeed to the title Earl of Essex in 1839.
Arthur Algernon Capell was the son of Hon. John Thomas Capel and Lady Caroline Paget. He was the grandson of William Capell, 4th Earl of Essex 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.
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. The gardens of Cassiobury House, the Capell family seat in Watford, Hertfordshire, was once 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, 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 which was growing in popularity at the time. He supported the activities of the British Homeopathic Association and served as a Vice President of the London Homeopathic Hospital.
Like many landowners of his time, the Earl also took an active interest in agriculture and developed a model farm, Home Farm, to the north of Cassiobury House. 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, Hatfield House, Blenheim Palace and Alnwick Castle, all of continue to offer free access to local residents today). The park played host to cricket matches and parades of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry.
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