Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | (Sir) John Ninian Comper | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 10 June 1864 | Died: | 22 December 1960 | Bio Notes: | John Ninian Comper was born on 10 June 1864 in Aberdeen, the son of a High Churchman, the Rev John Comper and his wife Ellen Taylor. He did not use the name 'John', generally being referred to as either J Ninian Comper or simply Ninian Comper. Educated at Kingston College, Aberdeen, Glenalmond College, Perthshire and the Ruskin School, Oxford, at the age of eighteen he joined the studio of Charles Eamer Kempe, whose stained glass was to have a profound influence on him, although most of his time there was spent on church furnishing under William Tate. After some months he was articled to Bodley & Garner in London from 1883 and remained there until 1887: during that period he attended the South Kensington Schools and the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford.
In 1888 Comper commenced independent practice in partnership with William Bucknall (born 1851) who was thirteen years his senior. He became Comper's brother-in-law in 1894 when Comper married his sister Grace Bucknall. Comper's father's connections in Aberdeen brought him his earliest major commission, St Margaret's Convent Chapel, Aberdeen, 1891 followed some years later by major churches at St Margaret's Braemar and St Mary's Kirriemuir where his father had been Rector. These, together with his convent chapel at Malvern Link (1893) and the major church of St Cyprian, Clarence Gate, St Marylebone (1901-1903), were what he was later to describe as 'beauty by exclusion' i.e. the 14th century English Gothic of Bodley & Garner with some northern European and late Scots Gothic elements in the smaller details. From the beginning restoration, church furnishing, stained glass and ecclesiastical needlework were important aspects of his practice.
In 1896 Comper made an extended tour of the Rhineland and in 1900, against his own inclination, he accompanied his father on a first visit to Rome. This was followed by another in 1905, when he also toured southern Italy and Sicily mainly to see Early Christian churches. Further study tours to Greece and Spain followed in 1906 and 1910 respectively. These progressively resulted in a refined synthesis of classical and gothic motifs more evident in his English than Scottish churches, which he described as unity by inclusion. His tours also brought a changing perception of church planning, the altar being placed under a ciborium and brought closer to the congregation, an arrangement which can be seen in Scotland at St Andrews Cathedral, Aberdeen, a remodelling and extension of Archibald Simpson's church following the abandonment of his magnificent Scots Gothic scheme for a completely new American-financed Seabury Cathedral in the wake of the financial crash of 1929.
Comper's partnership with Bucknall was dissolved in 1904 as the latter had become addicted to alcohol. The separation was particularly difficult as Bucknall's nephew, Arthur Bucknall, was a particularly important member of the practice: it resulted in Comper suffering both from pneumonia and a nervous breakdown, his second visit to Rome and the tour of Southern Italy being planned to help him recuperate. Thereafter he practised with Arthur Bucknall as assistant until his son John B Sebastian Comper, a qualified architect, was old enough to take a senior role in the practice, but Sebastian Comper had to leave to set up his own practice in 1920.
Comper built no completely new churches after the Second World War. He was knighted in 1950 and continued working with the assistance of John Samuel Bucknall, mainly on stained glass, almost up to the time of his death in London on 22 December 1960. He was survived by his six children, his wife Grace having died in 1933. A major exhibition of Comper's work was held at the RIBA in 1988. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | The Priory/67, Beulah Hill, Norwood, London, England | Private | | | |  | 6, Lloyd Street, London, England | Business | 1887 | | |  | 35, Old Queen's Street, Westminster, London, England | Private/business(?) | c. 1908 | | |  | The Study/228, Knight's Hill, Norwood, London, England | Private/business | c. 1908 | 1944 | (bombed during the Second World War) |
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 |  | Bodley & Garner | 1883 | 1887 | Apprentice | |  | Bucknall & Comper | 1888 | 1905 | Partner | |
RIBARIBA ProposalsThis architect proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | Anthony Charles Tripe | 3 December 1934 | for Associateship |
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 |  | | Place of Tillyfour | | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Entrance gates (date not known) |  | 1887 | St Margaret of Scotland's Episcopal Church | Gallowgate | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Unexecuted proposal for entirely new church |  | 1889 | St Margaret of Scotland's Episcopal Church | Gallowgate | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Addition of west chapel of St Nicholas |  | 1890s | 15, 17 Spital | Spital | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Adapted for use as part of convent |  | 1891 | St Margaret of Scotland's Chapel and Convent | Old Aberdeen | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Plans approved; only chapel and one bay of convent completed. Also provided designs for glass. |  | 1892 | All Saints Episcopal Church | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Two windows |  | 1893 | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church | Pitlochry | | Perthshire | Scotland | Reredos |  | 1895 | St Drostan's Episcopal Church | Old Deer | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Reredos. Transeptal organ loft and large chancel |  | 1896 | St Drostan's Episcopal Church | Old Deer | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Chancel enlarged in memory of Dean Rankin. Also transeptal organ loft. |  | 1898 | All Saints Episcopal Church, Whiterashes | Whiterashes | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Chancel remodelled, reredos, stalls. lectern |  | 1898 | All Saints Episcopal Church, Whiterashes | Whiterashes | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Stained glass |  | Before 1898 | Church of St John the Evangelist, New Hinksey | Oxford | | Oxfordshire | England | |  | 1899 | St Margaret's Episcopal Chapel | Braemar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Lady chapel added |  | 1899 | St Margaret's Episcopal Church | Braemar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Also provided designs for glass. |  | Before 1900 | Baxter Incorporation Granary | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion to Cathedral Mission - 'very early effort' |  | 1901 | All Saints Episcopal Church, Whiterashes | Whiterashes | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Nave remodelled; bellcote and porch. |  | 1901 | St Margaret's Episcopal Church | Forgue | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Two windows |  | 1901 | St Peter's Cemetery, Calvary monument to Rev. John Comper | Old Aberdeen | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | |  | 1903 | Duntreath Castle | Strathblane | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Stained glass |  | 1903 | St Cyprian's Church | Clarence Gate | | London | England | |  | 1903 | St Mary's Episcopal Church, Kirktonhill | Kirriemuir | | Angus | Scotland | |  | 1904 | St Margaret's Episcopal Church | Braemar | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Rood screen (designed 1904, executed 1919-22) |  | 1904 | St Mary's Church | Wellingborough | | Northamptonshire | England | |  | 1904 | St Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | May have made design for new church 1904 (see Glendinning) |  | 1905 | Home of Charity of Aberdeen Sisters | Lerwick | Mainland | Shetland | Scotland | Altar, riddels, candlesticks and glass |  | 1905 | St Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Font cover |  | 1906 | Applegarth Churchyard, memorials to Jardine family | Applegarth | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Grave cross |  | 1906 | St James' Episcopal Church | Stonehaven | | Kincardineshire | Scotland | Glass in Baptistery |  | 1906 | St Mary's Episcopal Church, Kirktonhill | Kirriemuir | | Angus | Scotland | Organ case |  | 1908 | St Barnabas Church | Manor Park | | London | England | |  | 1908 | St Margaret of Scotland's Episcopal Church | Gallowgate | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Addition of Founder's Aisle (south aisle) and oak screen (chapel of the Holy Name) |  | 1912 | St James the Less Episcopal Church | Penicuik | | Midlothian | Scotland | Stained glass |  | 1913 | St Columba's Episcopal Church | Nairn | | Nairnshire | Scotland | Stained glass (including chancel window) |  | c. 1913 | Coates Hall | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Stained glass window in chapel |  | 1918 | St Columba's Episcopal Church and rectory | Crieff | | Perthshire | Scotland | Bishop's chair |  | 1918 | St James the Less Episcopal Church | Penicuik | | Midlothian | Scotland | Further stained glass |  | 1919 | All Saints Episcopal Church | Lockerbie | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Window in south wall |  | 1919 | Applegarth Churchyard, memorials to Jardine family | Applegarth | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Memorial to Dorothy Jardine |  | 1919 | St Adamnan's Episcopal Church | Duror | | Argyll | Scotland | North window |  | 1919 | St Mary's Episcopal Church, Kirktonhill | Kirriemuir | | Angus | Scotland | Stained glass |  | 1919 | St Mary's Episcopal Church, Kirktonhill, gravestone to Mrs L A E Raymond Philip | Kirriemuir | | Angus | Scotland | |  | 1919 | St Paul's Church | | | Dundee | Scotland | War memorial |  | 1919 | The Den, memorial to Sydney Wilkie | Kirriemuir | | Angus | Scotland | Proposals |  | 1922 | St Clement's Episcopal Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Unexecuted designs for church and hall |  | 1922 | St Ninian's Episcopal Cathedral | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Rood screen, vestments, banners, processional crosses, Bishop's crozier, chalices, and altar furniture, font cover |  | 1922 | Trinity College Glenalmond, Chapel | Glenalmond | | Perthshire | Scotland | War memorial, reredos and panelling (dado) in chancel |  | 1923 | National War memorial | | | Cardiff | Wales | |  | 1925 | Applegarth Churchyard, memorials to Jardine family | Applegarth | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Further memorials |  | 1925 | St Andrew and St George Episcopal Church | Rosyth | | Fife | Scotland | Built of concrete with stone details, in collaboration with W A Forsyth; nave remained unbuilt |  | 1926 | St Mary's Episcopal Church, Kirktonhill, gravestone to Jane Kydd Duncan | Kirriemuir | | Angus | Scotland | |  | 1927 | All Saints Episcopal Church | Lockerbie | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Altarpiece |  | 1927 | St Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church | Inverness | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | High altar |  | 1928 | Seabury Memorial Episcopal Cathedral | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Proposed plans |  | 1929 | St John the Baptist Episcopal Church | Rothiemurchus | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | |  | 1930 | St Mary's Episcopal Church | Inverurie | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | Windows in south wall |  | 1930 | St Ninian's Episcopal Cathedral | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Memorial to Robert Morison Pullar. |  | 1931 | St Regulus Episcopal Church | Cromarty | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Memorial stone and window to Rev A Chadwick |  | 1934 | St Andrew's Episcopal Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Enlarged and entirely redecorated, including new ciborium. Had drawn up plans for new cathedral to be built with American money in Broad Street, but eventually remodelled Archibald Simpson's church to become cathedral |  | 1935 | St John's Episcopal Church | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | Reredos, hangings, candlesticks and carpet |  | 1938 | Trinity College Glenalmond | Glenalmond | | Perthshire | Scotland | Neish Memorial |  | 1957 | St Regulus Episcopal Church | Cromarty | | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Further window |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Anson, Peter | 1950 | Sir Ninian Comper: a pioneer architect of the modern liturgical revival | XIV | Trans Scot Eccles Society, pp7-16 | |  | Anson, Peter F | 1937 | The work of Sir Ninian Comper: a pioneer of the modern liturgical revival | no 27 | Pax, pp177-184 | |  | Betjeman, John | 1939 | A note on J N Comper, heir to Butterfield & Bodley | | Architectural Review, vol 85, pp 70-82 | |  | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | For full bibliography. |  | Cornforth, John | 1988 | Last Master of the Gothic | CLXXXII | Country Life, 14 January 1988, pp 65-6 | |  | DNB | | Dictionary of National Biography | | | New edition |  | Gray, A Stuart | 1985 | Edwardian Architecture: A Biographical Dictionary | | | |  | Grove Dictionary of Art | | Grove Dictionary of Art | | | |  | Hammond, Peter | 1960 | Liturgy and architecture | | | |  | Irvine, G | 1957 | Portrait: Sir Ninian Comper | April | Church Observer | |  | Symondson, A (ed) | 1988 | The Life and Work of Sir Ninian Comper (1864-1960): The Last Gothic Revivalist | | RIBA catalogue, London: RIBA | |  | Symondson, Anthony | | John Betjeman and the cult of J N Comper | no 7 | Thirties Society Journal, pp2-13 | |  | Symondson, Anthony and Bucknall, Stephen | 2006 | Sir Ninian Comper: An introduction to his life and work with complete gazetteer | | Reading: Spire Books and the Ecclesiological Society | |  | Symondson, Anthony, SJ | 1998 | Unity by inclusion: Sir Ninian Comper and the planning of a Modern Church | no 3 | Twentieth Century Architecture: The Journal of the Twentieth Century Society, pp 17-42 | |  | Tocher, Francis E | | The Scottish Episcopal Churches in the Aberdeen Diocese by Sir John Ninian Comper | | Robert Gordon University post-graduate dissertation | |  | Who's Who | 1950 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this architect: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Architectural Review | 1939 | no85 (Jan-June) | | pp79-82 Article by John Betjeman |  | Builder | 1961 | 200 | | p22, Obituary |  | RIBA Journal | February 1961 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | p145 - obituary |  | The Times | 23 December 1960 | | | Obituary |
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