John Rand Capron (1829–1888) FRAS[1] was an English amateur scientist, astronomer and photographer.
[2] He is also remembered for a speculative letter, in the scientific journal Nature on early examples of "crop circles", in which he suggested they were caused by "cyclonic wind action".
[2] His obituary in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society described how at while at school, during convalescence from an attack of typhoid fever, he had been lent a microscope, which "opened out a new world of wonder and beauty" for him.
[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 commented "I have heard - what he tried hard enough to hide - that the good he did among the poor was something remarkable.