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Rev. John Wynyard Capron, MA

1883 - 1959?

Vicar of Ringmer 1931 - 1936

 

 

 

Capron, Rev John

RHSG S1571 (1914-1917)

 

There is a birth registration for John Wynyard CAPRON in Mar quarter 1883 in the Watford registration district.

1891 Census: John CAPRON, aged 8, born Watford, Herts, was living with his parents in Watford.

1901 Census: John Wynyard CAPRON, aged 18, born Watford, Hertfordshire, was a boarder at Eton

               

An exhibitioner at King’s College, Cambridge, he graduated BA (class 3) in Classics in 1905 & MA in 1910. He entered Ely Theological College in 1905.

1909       Ordained Deacon,

1910       Ordained Priest,

Appointments

                1906-1910            Assistant Master, Wynyard School, Watford

                1909-1910            Curate of St John the Evangelist, Watford

                1910-1914            (Curate or Assistant Master?), Hitchin

                1914-1917            Rector of Downham Market & Chaplain, Downham Union

                1918-1923            Vicar of Pontefract & Chaplain to Pontefract Barracks

                1923-1929            Proctor to the Convocation of York

                1923-1930            Vicar & Rural Dean of Scarborough & Chaplain to Scarborough Union & Hospital

                1931-1936            Vicar of Ringmer

Married 1916: There is a marriage registration in Jun quarter 1916 in the Sculcoates, Yorkshire, registration district between John W. CAPRON and Constance M. CLARKE. The 6 Apr 1916 Times noted that the marriage arranged between the Rev J Wynyard CAPRON, Rector of Down[::::] and Constance Mary, elder dau[:::::] CLARKE of Kirk Ella House, East Yorkshire, with take place at Kirk Ella on Thursday 27 April.

Robert George Wynyard CAPRON is identified as ‘their son’ when donating a 1970 New English Bible to Ringmer church in memory of his parents John Wynyard CAPRON and Constance Mary CAPRON [NADFAS record]. He was born on 20 May 1920 and his death was registered in Dec quarter 1983 in the Lewes registration district. There is a birth registration for Robert G.W. CAPRON in Jun quarter 1920 in the Leeds registration district. The 26 Jun 1942 London Gazette notes that Cadet Robert George Wynyard CAPRON was to be 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers.

Wynyard School: Index entries for Robert CAPRON and Wynyard CAPRON appear in ‘All My Road Before Me’, the diary of C.S. Lewis, 1922-1927 (edited by Walter Hooper, 1991). The young C.S. LEWIS was sent after his mother’s death to board at Wynyard School, Watford, from 1908 to 1910, where the headmaster was Robert CAPRON. In ‘Surprised by Joy’ C.S. LEWIS refers to this school as a ‘concentration camp’, with imagery of imprisonment and victimisation, combined with overwhelming emotional, verbal and physical abuse. In a letter written in 1963, four months before his death, C.S. LEWIS writes that it had taken him over 50 years to finally forgive Wynyard headmaster Robert CAPRON and get the experience out of his mind. Hooper describes Robert CAPRON as an irrational, unpredictable and insane man, and an unreasonable, violent and abusive teacher, while the facilities and the food also left a great deal to be desired. The school closed in 1910 because there were too few pupils, and soon afterwards the Rev Robert CAPRON (1851-1911) was certified as insane.

1915: John Wynyard CAPRON was on the electoral register for Downham Market.

31 Oct 1931: Instituted as Vicar of Ringmer. “On the previous night 20 cows broke into the Vicarage garden ‘to pay their tithes in kine’ “ [Ringmer Church Log Book, quoted in Ringmer History Newsletter No.144,4]

1934-5: Rev J. Wynyard CAPRON was president of the Ringmer Football Club [http://www.ringmerfc.co.uk/History/Rfcofficials.html]

24 Apr 1936 Sussex Express:  The Archbishop of Canterbury has appointed the Rev. Arthur Hugh Rawlins ROBINSON vicar of Ringmer in succession to the Rev. J. Wynyard CAPRON, who is resigning the living at the end of this month.

Address in 1940 (Crockfords): The Mount, Oxted, Surrey

Address in 1951 (Crockfords): Tenth House, Chichele Road, Oxted, Surrey

There is a death registration for John W. CAPRON, aged 75, in Mar quarter 1959 in the Eastbourne registration district.

There is a death registration for Constance Mary CAPRON, born 29 Apr 1884, in Dec quarter 1970 in the Brighton registration district.

1976 Donation [NADFAS record of Ringmer church, 2013]: In 1976 a copy of the New English Bible was given to the church by Robert George Wynyard CAPRON in memory of his parents, John Wynyard CAPRON, priest, ‘sometime Vicar of this Parish’, and his wife Constance Mary CAPRON.

Main sources: 1951 Crockfords Directory (not included in 1961)

Last update: 19 April 2015