Capell, George Devereux de Vere, 7th Earl of Essex (1857 -1916)

George Devereux de Vere Capell was the son of Lt.-Col. Arthur de Vere Capell, Viscount Malden, and Emma Martha Meux. Upon the death of his grandfather in 1892, Arthur Algernon Capell, 6th Earl of Essex, George Capell succeeded to the titles of 7th Viscount Malden, 7th Earl of Essex and 8th Baron Capell of Hadham. He first married Ellenor Harriet Maria Hartford in 1882, but became widowed in 1885. In 1894 he married, secondly, an American heiress, Adele Grant, daughter of railway magnate David Beach Grant. His first marriage produced a son, and his second marriage two daughters. Capell held a number of military posts, entering the Grenadier Guards as an officer. He served in the Second South African War in 1899, remaining there until 1901. The country seat of Cassiobury in Hertfordshire had been richly upgraded and furnished by the 5th and 6th Earls on a grand scale. In 1893 a large sale of valuable paintings, books, porcelain, and furniture from Cassiobury was held at Christies. George’s marriage to Adele the following year helped offset much of the expenses of running a large country house, and lavish parties continued to be hosted. But increasing expenses eventually forced George to sell off some land in 1909, and the Earl and Countess moved to their house in London. In 1916, George Capell was run over by a taxi and died aged 58. The titles were inherited by his son from his first marriage, Algernon George de Vere Capell. As a result of the onerous death duties introduced in 1894, Adele was presented with a huge tax bill. After six years she decided to sell the house, and a large sale of the contents was held over a period of ten days in June 1922. The following month she died of a heart attack, and the house remained unsold. In 1927 it was finally sold for its materials, and the house itself was demolished. Sales: 1893 Christies; June 1922 10 sales Christies