William Capell (born 1697, died 17th January 1742) was the son of Algernon, Earl of Essex, and succeeded his father in the Earldom in 1710.
Lord Essex held several important offices, among them those of Keeper of Hyde Park, Ambassador to Sardinia in 1735, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, Ranger of St. James's Park, and Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire. In 1725 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Thistle, and in 1738 a Knight of the Garter.
CAREW, GEORGE, EARL OF TOTNESS
Arms.—Or, 3 lioncels passant sa. Carew.
[Prateolus. Elenchus Haereticorum. Coloniae, 1605.]
George Carew (born 29th May 1555, died 22nd March 1629) was the son of George Carew, Dean of Windsor, and educated at Oxford. In 1583 he was Sheriff of Carlow in Ireland, and was Knighted in 1585. Sir George Carew held several important military appointments in Ireland, and became Master of the Ordnance and commander of expeditions to Cadiz and other places, and in 1598 he was Ambassador to France. In 1600 he was President of Munster, and shortly afterwards Vice-Chamberlain to Anne, Queen Consort, and Member of Parliament for Hastings.
In 1605 he was created Baron Carew, and he became Master of the Ordnance in England and Governor of Guernsey, and in 1625 he was created Earl of Totness, and afterwards became Treasurer-General to Queen Henrietta Maria.
Lord Totness was an excellent antiquary and a friend of Sir Robert Cotton. He collected manuscripts, especially those concerning Ireland, and his collections are now scattered, but are chiefly to be found in the British Museum, at Lambeth, in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, at Hatfield, or in the State Paper Office.