Thomas Martin Cappon (4 April 1863 – 26 January 1939) was a Scottish architect. He designed several notable buildings in Scotland, including Lady Leng Memorial Chapel, which is now a

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building.

Early life

Cappon was born in

Monifieth Monifieth () is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay on the east coast. In , the population of Monifieth was estimated at , making it the fifth largest town ...

Angus Angus may refer to: *Angus, Scotland, a council area of Scotland, and formerly a province, sheriffdom, county and district of Scotland * Angus, Canada, a community in Essa, Ontario Animals * Angus cattle, various breeds of beef cattle Media * ...

, Scotland, in 1863, to James Cappon and Janet Martin. His father was a

shipmaster A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the ship, inc ...

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

. He was educated at Newport Public School and the

High School of Dundee The High School of Dundee is a private, co-educational, day school in Dundee, Scotland, which provides nursery, primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils. Its foundation has been dated to 1239, and it is the only private sc ...

, where he demonstrated an ability to draw. One of his classmates at the

University of Dundee The University of Dundee is a public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a university college in 1881 with a donation from the prominent Baxter family of textile manufacturers. The institution was, for most of its ...

, meanwhile, was Sir

Alfred Ewing Sir James Alfred Ewing MInstitCE (27 March 1855 − 7 January 1935) was a Scottish physicist and engineer, best known for his work on the magnetic properties of metals and, in particular, for his discovery of, and coinage of the word, ''hys ...

Career

Around 1880, aged 18, Cappon was articled to Charles and Leslie Ower. He was offered a job in the United States but instead opted to remain in Scotland, setting up his own architectural practice in Dundee. One of his first designs was St Mary's Episcopal Church in

Newport-on-Tay Newport-on-Tay is a town in the north-east of Fife in Scotland. The Fife Coastal Path passes through Newport-on-Tay. The area itself has views of the two bridges that cross the River Tay and distant views of the Scottish Highlands. History T ...

Personal life

Towards the end of the 19th century, Cappon was a senior captain in the First Volunteer Battalion of the

Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ...

regiment. In 1898, he was elected president of the Dundee Institute of Architecture, Science and Art, and was involved in establishing a school of architecture at Dundee Technical College. He was also admitted as a Fellow of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

. Early in 1900, Cappon's busy life began to take its toll on his body. On medical advice, he departed for

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

, South Africa, in March 1900, touring for three months the battlefields of the South African Wars. He studied their military hospitals and their equipment. Upon his return to Dundee, he discovered his practice had been underperforming. He downsized the business, focusing on large suburban houses. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Cappon was a recruiting officer in Dundee, and was given the rank of major. He retired from practicing architecture in 1929, and sold his business to Joseph Johnston. In 1935, Cappon published his

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s, which focussed on his role in public life, rather than his professional career.

Death

Cappon died at his home in Dundee, The Shieling, in 1939. He was 75. He was interred at

Balgay Balgay (Gaelic: ''Baile (na) Gaoithe'') is a suburb in the west end of Dundee, Scotland. It is centred around Balgay Hill and Balgay Park, both of which provide extensive green spaces for recreation and nature appreciation. The area is charact ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cappon, Thomas Martin 1863 births 1939 deaths 19th-century Scottish architects 20th-century Scottish architects Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects People from Monifieth People educated at the High School of Dundee Alumni of the University of Dundee British Army personnel of World War I