Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | Thomas Martin Cappon | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 4 April 1863 | Died: | 26 January 1939 | Bio Notes: | Thomas Martin Cappon was born in Monifieth on 4 April 1863, the son of James Cappon, a Dundee shipmaster and whose grandfather, also James, had served under Lord Nelson, and his wife Janet Martin Educated at Newport Public School and Dundee High School, he showed an aptitude for drawing and was apprenticed c.1880 to Charles and Leslie Ower, studying in parallel under Sir Alfred Ewing at University College, Dundee, where he gained first place for surveying and levelling in 1885. Cappon thereafter had the offer of a good appointment in America but preferred to set up practice on his own account in Dundee at the end of his apprenticeship. His early domestic work of the late 1880s and early 1890s shows the influence of John Murray Robertson as well as that of the Owers, notably at his St Andrews houses.
Although Newport Episcopal Church which he designed entirely on his own indicates that he was not without ability, Cappon quickly became dependent on well-selected assistants and apprentices. The earliest of these were Patrick Hill Thoms who was articled to him from 1889 to 1894 and managed the Brechin branch office until his departure in 1898; Harry Edward East (born 1877), articled to him from 1894 to 1898 who left for Gibson & Russell's; and Thoms's future partner William Fleming Wilkie, who had been articled to him in 1892. Following their departure Cappon engaged the much older William Gillespie Lamond from C & L Ower's office; Frank Thomson had become an apprentice rather earlier but did not enjoy his time with Cappon, much as he appreciated the company of Thoms, East and Lamond.
Cappon had in fact led what proved to be an over-active life. He was 'a keen votary of all recreative sports' with trophies in cricket, rowing, shooting and curling. He was an enthusiastic volunteer and by the later 1890s was a senior captain in the First Volunteer Battalion of the Black Watch. He represented the Battalion at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London, resuscitating the volunteer movement in Newport as an addition to his own company in the same year (1897) and co-founded the Newport Boys Brigade in 1899; and in 1898 he was elected president of the Dundee Institute of Architecture Science and Art which together with his record as a Royal Academy exhibitor resulted in him being admitted FRIBA on 7 November of that year. As president of the Dundee Institute he was instrumental in establishing a school of architecture at Dundee Technical College with Thoms as lecturer. All these activities, combined with a peak in business in his practice in 1897-1900 brought about a serious breakdown in health early in the latter year. On medical advice Cappon sailed for Durban at the beginning of March and made a comprehensive tour of the battlefields of the South African Wars making a particular study of military hospitals, hospital trains and their equipment. He returned to Dundee in June bringing with him a collection of militaria gathered from the battlefields which included such curiosities as 'the hoof of the mule that took the Maxim Gun of the Highland Brigade into action'.
Inevitably Cappon's three month absence affected his practice. Lamond left about 1904 for the office of J H Langlands who was about to embark on a major school building programme. By that date Cappon required only his former apprentice John Morrison Mathers, nominally his head draughtsman, and a few apprentices to deal with his practice which now consisted only of a few large suburban houses. When commissions for these began to dry up, in 1908 Mathers left to take up the appointment of burgh surveyor of Tayport.
In 1912 Cappon secured - without competition - the commission for the large new Teacher Training College and Demonstration School in Park Place: for this he recruited Robert Norman Houghton McKellar, an assistant in the Glasgow practice of Miller & Black who had studied at the Glasgow School of Architecture under Eugene Bourdon. The executed building, carried out in 1913-23, has affinities with the work of the Edinburgh architects J M Dick Peddie and James Forbes Smith rather than with that of the Glasgow School, although there are some Burnetian touches in some of the details.
From 1901 to 1903 he was convener of the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee. He was a former member of the Dundee Harbour Trust and a Volunteer for twenty years. During the First World War Cappon was Dundee's recruiting officer with the rank of major, not a popular assignment with many people as the loss of life and casualties became ever more severe. At one time he was vice-president of the Dundee Unionist Association but latterly was an Independent Nationalist.
Cappon had no significant practice after the Training College was completed in 1922. He retired in 1929 selling what business there was to Joseph Johnston, a former pupil of William Alexander, who destroyed all the older practice records.
Cappon published his memoirs in 1935. These were concerned with his role in public life rather than in architecture and told little of the office. He died at his house, The Shieling, on 26 January 1939 and was buried at Balgay. He was predeceased by his wife but survived by his son J Denis Cappon, a well-known rugby player, and his daughter. He left moveable estate of £12,582 1s 8d. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 33, Reform Street, Dundee, Scotland | Business | | | |  | 30, Reform Street, Dundee, Scotland | Business | | | |  | 32, Bank Street, Dundee, Scotland | Business | Before 1911 | After 1930 | |  | The Shieling, Barnhill, Dundee, Scotland | Private | 1939 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes |  | C & L Ower | c. 1880 | | Apprentice | |
Employees or Pupils
RIBARIBA Proposals
Buildings and DesignsThis architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes |  | | Feus at Newton of Panbride | | | Dundee | Scotland | Date unknown |  | | Forfarshire Cricket Pavilion | Forthill, Broughty Ferry | | Dundee | Scotland | Date unknown |  | | Houses, Inveraray Terrace | | | Dundee | Scotland | Date unknown |  | | Houses, Norwood Crescent | | | Dundee | Scotland | Date unknown |  | | Houses, Rockfield Street | | | Dundee | Scotland | Date unknown |  | 1886 | Flisk Parish Church | Flisk | | Fife | Scotland | Reconstruction |  | 1886 | St Mary's Episcopal Church and rectory | Newport | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1888 | St Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church | Masterton/Mastertown | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1892 | St Saviour's Episcopal Church Hall | Bridge of Allan | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | |  | 1893 | Liscombe | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1893 | Netherlea | West Newport | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1894 | Mission Hall | Wormit | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1894 | Ward Road Baptist Church | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1894 | Wormit Free Church Hall | Wormit | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1894 | Wormit Parish Church | Wormit | | Fife | Scotland | |  | c. 1894 | The Castle House | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1895 | East Free Church Hall | Brechin | | Angus | Scotland | Built by Thoms from the Brechin office |  | 1895 | Ethelstone House | West Ferry | | Dundee | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | 1895 | Leng Memorial Chapel, lodge and gateway, Vicarsford Cemetery | Forgan | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1895 | Newport School | Newport | | Fife? | Scotland | |  | 1895 | Newport-on-Tay Parish Church | Newport-on-Tay | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1895 | Panmure Arms Hotel | Edzell | | Angus | Scotland | Major extension. Largely designed and built by Thoms from the Brechin office |  | 1895 | Wormit School | Wormit | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1896 | Ramsay Arms Hotel | Fettercairn | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | Largely designed and built by Thoms from the Brechin office |  | 1896 | Scotscraig Golf Clubhouse | Tayport | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1896 | St Patrick's RC Church, Presbytery and halls | | | Dundee | Scotland | Design of church (and font) and presbytery |  | 1897 | Brechin Drill Hall | Brechin | | Angus | Scotland | Frontage - built by Thoms from the Brechin office |  | 1897 | House at East Mylnefield | Invergowrie | | Perthshire/Angus | Scotland | Probably assisted by William Fleming Wilkie, whose family owned the property |  | 1897 | Joint Infectious Diseases Hospital | Brechin | | Angus | Scotland | Built by Thoms from the Brechin office |  | 1897 | Meffan Institute | Forfar | | Angus | Scotland | Unsuccessful competition design |  | 1897 | Model railway cottages on East Mylnefield estate | Invergowrie | | Perthshire/Angus | Scotland | |  | 1898 | Lawside Convent and school | | | Dundee | Scotland | School |  | 1899 | Episcopal Church hall (St Margaret of Scotland) | Tayport | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1899 | Forfar Fever Hospital | Whitehills, Forfar | | Angus | Scotland | Third premiated competition design, but awarded job |  | 1899 | Liff Board School | | | Dundee | Scotland | Asked to provide plans for school |  | 1899 | St Mary's RC Church | | | Dundee | Scotland | Major rebuilding of earlier church - mainly new façade |  | 1899 | St Roque's Episcopal Church | Blackscroft | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1899 | Wishart Memorial Church | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1900 | Airlie Memorial Tower, Glenprosen | Tullahill, Cortachy | | Angus | Scotland | Won in competition |  | 1900 | Double house, The Gables and Cranes Meadow | Montrose | | Angus | Scotland | |  | After 1900 | Tircarra | Barnhill | | Dundee | Scotland | Wing raised |  | c. 1900 | Kingennie House and Cottage | | | Angus | Scotland | or c1905 (Gifford) |  | c. 1901 | St Joseph's RC School for Boys | | | Dundee | Scotland | New gateway and other alterations |  | 1902 | St Mary's RC School | | | Dundee | Scotland | Single storey link to church heightened by a second storey |  | 1902 | St Mary's RC School (Boys) | | | Dundee | Scotland | additions |  | c. 1902 | Canon Phelan's model tenement | Hilltown | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Valentine's Factory | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1904 | Carselea, Easter Mylnefield | Invergowrie | | Perthshire | Scotland | |  | 1904 | City of Perth Fever Hospital, Friarton | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Design highly commended |  | 1904 | Clepington UF Church | Clepington | | Dundee | Scotland | Placed second by assessor but secured the job |  | 1904 | St Joseph's RC Church | Broughty Ferry | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | After 1904 | Balgersho | | | Perthshire | Scotland | |  | After 1904 | Dundee Royal Lunatic Asylum, Nurses' Home etc | Liff | | Angus | Scotland | Nurses' home and drainage and heating |  | After 1904 | Newport School | Newport | | Fife | Scotland | |  | After 1904 | Panmure Golf Clubhouse | Barry | | Angus | Scotland | |  | After 1904 | Schools | Tayport | | Fife | Scotland | |  | After 1904 | Scotscraig Golf Clubhouse | Tayport | | Fife | Scotland | Alterations? |  | 1905 | Montrose Public Library | Montrose | | Angus | Scotland | Competition design - not successful |  | After 1905 | Inniscarra | Hazelhall | | Dundee | Scotland | Additions to rear to Williamson's design |  | 1906 | Farington House, 1 Farington Street | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1907 | 28 Farington Street | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1907 | Dunholm | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1907 | Lawside Convent and school | | | Dundee | Scotland | Additions and building of new school (including dormitories) |  | 1907 | Pitlair House | | | Fife | Scotland | |  | 1907 | Redgorton | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1908 | Hall | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1908 | Villa, Argyle Street | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1 May 1908 | Balmerino Manse | Balmerino | | Fife | Scotland | Scheme of repairs agreed by Heritors |  | 1909 | Traprain | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1910 | Feu at Invergowrie | Invergowrie | | Perthshire/Angus | Scotland | |  | 1910 | Forgan Public School | Forgan | | Fife | Scotland | Extension |  | 1911 | Dundee Training College for Teachers | | | Dundee | Scotland | Plans of college, schools and hostel |  | c. 1911 | Mayfield | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | c. 1911 | Mills Observatory, Balgay Park | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1914 | The Home | | | Dundee | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | RCAHMS | 1992 | Dundee on Record | | RCAHMS | St MAry's RC Church; Image of the east gable (1989) p46 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Architect and Building News | 10 February 1939 | | | Obituary |  | RIBA Journal | 22 May 1939 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary p744 |  | Scotsman | 27 January 1939 | | | Obituary |  | The Piper of Dundee | 4 July 1900 | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | Courtesy of Margaret Lye | Information to D M Walker | | Sent July 2010 |  | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Personal information from the late Frank Thomson, Joseph Johnston and Thomas Hill Thoms |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | F v13 p11, microfiche 117/E2 - no job list |
Images © All rights reserved. The Piper o' Dundee 4 July 1900 |