is full of interest, died suddenly 27 July 1821, aged 78. She was the author of several tracts on charity schools (Dict. of Living Authors, p. 54).
[Gent. Mag. lxx. pt. ii. 1299 (1800), lxxi. pt. i. 181–2 (1801); Rutt's Life of Priestley; Taylor's Biographia Leodiensis, pp. 210–12; Davies's York Press, pp. 266, 274, 295–8, 303; Belsham's Theophilus Lindsey, pp. 223–37.]
CAPPER, FRANCIS (1735–1818), divine, born 24 Aug. 1735, son of Francis Capper, a London barrister, was educated at Westminster School, and proceeded thence to Christ Church, Oxford (1753). He graduated as M.A. in 1760, being then in holy orders and rector of Monk Soham (October 1759) and Earl Soham (December 1759), Suffolk, benefices which he retained until his death. He had a local reputation as a faithful minister and an upright magistrate. His only contribution to literature was a small tract, entitled ‘The Faith and Belief of every Sincere Christian, proved by references to various Texts of Holy Scripture,’ Ipswich, 12mo. Capper died at Earl Soham 13 Nov. 1818.
[Gent. Mag. vol. lxxxviii. pt. ii. p. 476; Welch's Alumni Westmonast. 360; family memoranda.]
CAPPER, JAMES (1743–1825), meteorologist, &c., younger brother of Francis Capper [q. v.], was born 15 Dec. 1743, and educated at Harrow School. He entered the Hon. East India Company's service at an early age, and attained the rank of colonel, holding for some time the post of comptroller-general of the army and fortification accounts on the coast of Coromandel. After retiring from military service he settled for some years in South Wales, taking much interest in meteorology and agriculture. Removing to Norfolk, he died at Ditchingham Lodge, near Bungay, 6 Sept. 1825.
James Capper wrote: 1. ‘Observations on the Passage to India through Egypt; also to Vienna through Constantinople and Aleppo, and from thence to Bagdad, and across the Great Desert to Bassora, with occasional Remarks on the adjacent Countries, and also Sketches of the different Routes,’ London, 1784, 4to, and 1785, 8vo. 2. ‘Memorial to the Hon. Court of Directors of the East India Company,’ 1785 (privately printed). 3. ‘Observations on the Winds and Monsoons, illustrated with a chart, and accompanied with Notes, Geographical and Meteorological,’ London, 1801, 4to. 4. ‘Observations on the Cultivation of Waste Lands, addressed to the gentlemen and farmers of Glamorganshire,’ London, 1805. 5. ‘Meteorological and Miscellaneous Tracts applicable to Navigation, Gardening, and Farming, with Calendars of Flora for Greece, France, England, and Sweden,’ London, 1809, 8vo.
Capper, Louisa (1776–1840), was a daughter of Colonel James Capper, by his wife, Mary Johnson, and was born 15 Nov. 1776. She published in 1811 an ‘Abridgment of Locke's Essay concerning the Human Understanding,’ and died unmarried 25 May 1840. She was buried at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.
[Family memoranda; Gent. Mag. (1825), pt. ii. 381; Watt's Bibl. Brit.]
CAPPER, JOSEPH (1727–1804), an eccentric character, was born in 1727 in Cheshire of parents in humble circumstances. At an early age he came up to London, and, after serving his apprenticeship to a grocer, set up a shop on his own account in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel. Owing to the recommendations of his old master, Capper soon prospered in his trade, and, having been fortunate in various speculations, eventually retired from business. Having given up work, he spent several days in walking about the vicinity of London, searching for lodgings. Stopping at the Horns, Kennington, one day, he asked for a bed, and, being curtly refused, determined to stop in order to plague the landlord. Though for many years he talked about quitting the place the next day, he lived there until the day of his death, a period of twenty-five years. So methodical were his habits, that he would not drink his tea out of any other than his favourite cup. In the parlour of the Horns he had his favourite chair. He would not suffer any one to poke the fire without his permission. He called himself the champion of government, and nothing angered him more than to hear any one declaiming against the British constitution. His favourite amusement was killing flies with his cane, before doing which he generally told a story about the rascality of all Frenchmen, ‘whom,’ he said, ‘I hate and detest, and would knock down just the same as these flies.’ Capper died at the Horns on 6 Sept. 1804, at the age of seventy-seven, and was buried in the church of St. Botolph, Aldgate. In his will, which was made on the back of a sheet of banker's cheques, and dated five years before his death, he left the bulk of his property, then upwards of 30,000l., among his poor relations, whom he always had refused to see in his lifetime. To his nephews, whom he appointed his executors, he bequeathed 8,000l. three per cents. between them. There appears, however, to have been considerable doubt whether
