Wife of Alderman Henry W. Capell, JP, who was Mayor of Hackney 1937-38.
Clara Emma Taylor was born on 2 September 1876, the eldest of the seven children of Thomas Henry Taylor and Emma Matilda Taylor née Harper. Her birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1876 in the Hackney Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London).
She is shown on the census form that was completed on 3 April 1881 as aged 4 years and living at 127 Clifden Road, Hackney, with her parents and her brother George Thomas Taylor (1879-1956). Her father was listed as a printer/compositor.
In the census that was compiled on 5 April 1891, she was shown as aged 14 years and a bib machinist, residing at 8 Blinco Road, Hackney, London, (later renamed as Daubeney Road), with her parents and five siblings: George Thomas Taylor - a scholar; Daisy Elizabeth Taylor (b.1883) - a scholar; Elsie Maud Taylor (b.1885) - a scholar; Ernest Charles Harper Taylor (1888-1962) and Sydney Henry Taylor (1891-1958), together with her aunt, Ada Eleanor Harper - aged 14 years and a bib machinist. Her father continued to be listed as a printer/compositor.
Her sixth sibling was Dorothy Minnie Taylor (1894-1935).
On 26 January 1901 she married Henry William Capell (1876-1962) in All Souls Church, Hackney, where in the marriage register she is shown as aged 24 years and a spinster, living at 8 Blinco Road, Hackney, the daughter of Thomas Henry Taylor, a compositor, whilst her husband was described as aged 24 years, a bachelor and a bookbinder who was residing at 219 Rushmore Road, Hackney, the son of Henry George Capell, a bookbinder.
The census that was undertaken on 31 March 1901 shows her as Clara E. Capell, age 24 years and living with her husband in four rooms within 98 Dorrington Road, Clapton Park, Hackney. Her husband was recorded as a bookbinder (forwarder).
When her husband completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 she was shown as aged 34 years and living in four rooms within 216 Daubeney Road, Hackney, with her husband and their two children: Doris May Capell (1902-1980) and Arthur Henry George Capell (1903-1976). Her husband confirmed his occupation as a bookbinder (forwarder).
Electoral registers from 1919 to 1938 show her and her husband listed at 9 Southwold Road, Hackney
Census returns that were completed on 19 June 1921 show her living in five rooms within 9 Southwold Road, Upper Clapton, Hackney. She was described as aged 44 years, 9 months and was employed on home duties. Her husband stated that he was aged 45 years, 2 months and was a print and drawing restorer employed by the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, WC. Their two children were: Doris May Capell (1902-1980), who was aged 19 years, 6 months - a clerk book-keeper employed by Alpco Pencil Co. Ltd. at Clapton Road, London, E5 and Arthur Henry George Capell ((1903-1976) who was aged 18 years and an apprentice chair maker employed by Greaves & Thomas, upholsterers and furniture makers, at Northwold Road, London, E5.
On a separate census form it shows that the other five rooms within 9 Southwold Road, were occupied by her widowed father, Thomas Henry Taylor aged 71 years, a compositor employed by Messrs Odhams Printers Ltd, printers and publishers at Long Acre, London, WC and two of her sisters: Doris May Taylor, aged 37 years, 10 months, who was employed on home duties and Elsie Maud Taylor, aged 35 years, 9 months, who was a brush factory charge hand employed by Titterton & Howard, brush manufacturers, at Hackney Downs, Hackney.
The England and Wales Register that was compiled on 29 September 1939 confirms her date of birth as 2 September 1876 and that she was on unpaid domestic duties, still residing at 9 Southwold Road, Hackney, with her husband who was described as a civil servant, British Museum, an examiner of bookbinding, who was also a Warden with Hackney Borough Council's Air Raid Precautions.
Her death was registered as aged 67 years in the 4th quarter of 1943 in the Edmonton Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). Probate records confirm that her address had been 23 Grosvenor Gardens, Southgate, London, N14 and that she died on 8 December 1943. Probate was granted on 28 January 1944 to her husband, who was described as book binding examiner and her effects totalled £685-15s-10d.
She is shown as 'Mrs C. Capell' on the Maternity and Child Welfare Centre memorial stone at the Elsdale Street Surgery, 28 Elsdale Street, London, E9 6QY.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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