James Capel was born in Mar 1883. He was the fifth son of a family of nine children. He parents originated in Bristol [father] and Chepstow [mother] presumably drawn to Newport by the expansion of the docks. James worked as as the driver of a shunter engine for a timber company in Newport docks. He was married to Beatrice Winifred, nee Underwood, in 1911. They had one young daughter also Beatrice Winifred but had lost at least one if not more babies in child birth. His wife told his daughter of James' bitterness that she had surived but not his son. Beatrice was housekeeper to two spinster sisters before her marriage. A family story relates how she would often cook a meal for James at her employers and disguise the cooking smell by putting on a pot of coffee. James joined the British army in 1915 along with four other brothers. They all joined different regiments. James joined 5th Battalion of The South Wales Boarders and was eventually promoted to corporal. He was killed in January 1918 and is buried at Ribecourt British Cemetery, France. All his brothers survived the War.

Robert Matthews