# John Rand Capron > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Rand_Capron > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Rand_Capron.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rand_Capron > Source revision: 1231149981 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **John Rand Capron** (1829–1888) [FRAS](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Astronomical_Society)[1] was an [English](/source/England) amateur scientist, astronomer and photographer. Though a [solicitor](/source/Solicitor) by profession, he became an expert on [spectroscopy](/source/Spectroscopy), particularly in relation to the [aurora](/source/Aurora_(astronomy)), and published many articles during his lifetime.[2] He is also remembered for a speculative letter, in the scientific journal *[Nature](/source/Nature_(journal))* on early examples of "[crop circles](/source/Crop_circles)", in which he suggested they were caused by "cyclonic wind action".[3] ## Life Capron was born on 19 February 1829 in St. Leonards, [Shoreditch](/source/Shoreditch), [London](/source/London), the son of a leather merchant. Educated at the [Royal Grammar School, Guildford](/source/Royal_Grammar_School,_Guildford), he was [articled](/source/Articled_clerk) to his uncle John Capron, a prominent [Guildford](/source/Guildford) solicitor.[1] He entered into partnership with his uncle in 1850, and was also appointed Borough Coroner and [Clerk of the Peace](/source/Clerk_of_the_Peace).[2] His obituary in the *[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society](/source/Monthly_Notices_of_the_Royal_Astronomical_Society)* described how at while at school, during convalescence from an attack of [typhoid](/source/Typhoid) fever, he had been lent a [microscope](/source/Microscope), which "opened out a new world of wonder and beauty" for him.[4] Although initially interested in biology, fossils and the study of geology, he later developed a particular enthusiasm for the study of spectroscopy and astronomy, building a private observatory at [Guildown](/source/Guildown) on the "Hog's Back", Surrey. In 1877 he published a significant work on "Photographed Spectra", which provided reference photographs of the spectra of various elements.[4] In 1879 he extended this into a study of the characteristics of the aurora, and in 1883 published an analysis of an extremely unusual phenomenon observed during the [aurora of 17 November 1882](/source/Aurora_of_November_17,_1882); Capron was one of the first scientists to seriously research the nature of aurorae, particularly from a spectrographic perspective.[5] He also conducted experiments on atmospheric electrical charges, fixing a "corona" of platinum wires on top of [Booker's Tower](/source/Booker's_Tower) on the Hog's Back, linked by wires to his observatory.[6] Capron was a prominent local philanthropist and was described as "ever ready, though in the most unostentatious manner, to afford aid and succour to those in poverty and distress".[7] A contributor to *[The English Mechanic and World of Science](/source/The_English_Mechanic_and_World_of_Science)* commented "I have heard - what he tried hard enough to hide - that the good he did among the poor was something remarkable. Few men indeed possessing his wealth and leisure have devoted them more ungrudgingly to the benefit of others".[8] He died on 12 November 1888 in [Eastbourne](/source/Eastbourne).[citation needed] A fir plantation near [Normandy, Surrey](/source/Normandy,_Surrey), which Capron owned, still has the name "Rand's Plantation".[5] The Surrey History Centre in [Woking](/source/Woking) holds a collection of photographs believed to have been taken by Capron.[9] The Guildford Institute Library in Guildford holds a collection of four albums of original sketches made by Capron on his travels in Britain and Europe.[10] ## Personal life Capron married Fanny Nibblett (1820–1909) in June 1856. They had one son, born in 1858.[2] ## Books In addition to many shorter articles, Capron published the following books: - *Photographed Spectra*, London: E & F N Spon, 1877[11] - *Auroræ: their characters and spectra*, London: E & F N Spon, 1879[12] - *A Plea for the Rainband, and the Rainband Vindicated*, London: Edward Stanford, 1886[13] ## References 1. [Obituary: List of Fellows deceased, Capron, J. Rand](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1889MNRAS..49..159.), *[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society](/source/Monthly_Notices_of_the_Royal_Astronomical_Society)*, Vol. 49, 159 1. Fuller, Paul (2014). ["The Life and Times of John Rand Capron (1829–1888)"](http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2014AntAs...8...21F). *[The Antiquarian Astronomer](/source/The_Antiquarian_Astronomer)*. **8**: 21–45. [Society for the History of Astronomy](/source/Society_for_the_History_of_Astronomy). [Bibcode:2014AntAs...8...21F](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014AntAs...8...21F). Retrieved 3 August 2018. 1. [*Nature 1880-07-29: Vol 22 Iss 561*](http://archive.org/details/sim_nature-uk_1880-07-29_22_561). Nature Publishing Group. 1880-07-29. 1. MNRAS, 49, 160 1. [John Rand Capron](http://normandyhistorians.co.uk/capron.html), Normandy Historians, accessed 06-08-10 1. Tebbutt, G. [A History of Booker's Tower](http://st-caths-web.co.uk/?p=744) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110827203227/http://st-caths-web.co.uk/?p=744) 27 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, St. Catherine's Village, Guildford 1. MNRAS, 49, 161 1. *The English Mechanic and World of Science*, 1889, v.48, p.275 1. [PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS RELATING TO SURREY, c.1850-1974](http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/GetRecord/SHCOL_6529), Surrey History Centre, Ref 6529/12 1. Guildford Institute Library, Ref JRC1-4 1. Capron, J. Rand (1877). [*Photographed spectra : one hundred and thrirty-six photographs of metallic, gaseous, and other spectra printed by the permanent autotype process*](http://archive.org/details/photographedspec00capr). London; New York : E. & F.N. Spon. 1. Capron, John Rand (1879). [*Aurorae: their characters and spectra*](http://archive.org/details/auroraetheirchar00caprrich). London, New York, E. & F. N. Spon. 1. Capron, John Rand (1886). [*A plea for the rainband and the rainband vindicated*](http://archive.org/details/pleaforrainbandr00caprrich). London E. Stanford. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Rand Capron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rand_Capron) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rand_Capron?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.