Sir Walter John Tapper, KCVO, FRIBA, RA, FSA, was born on 21 April 1861 in Bovey Tracey, Devon, the youngest of the six children of George Tapper (1816-1877) and Elizabeth Tapper née Medland (1818-1881).
Our Picture Source and his Wikipedia page give much information about this Gothic Revival architect.
On 21 May 1861 he was baptised in Bovey Tracey Anglican Church. He was described as a scholar in the 1871 census living at Heathfield House, Bovey Tracey, with his parents and two siblings: Elizabeth Tapper (1851-1884) and Edwin Tapper (1853-1916) together with five lodgers and a female domestic servant. His father's occupation was recorded as a builder employing 8 men & 3 boys, whilst his mother was shown as a lodging house keeper.
On 15 August 1886 he married Catherine Lydia Jotcham (1862-1932) at St Mary's Church, Islington, where the marriage register shows him as aged 25 years, a bachelor and architect living in Granville Square, Clerkenwell, whilst his wife was aged 23 years, a spinster residing in Windsor Road, Islington.
Their son, Michael John Tapper (1886-1963) was born on 27 December 1886 and when he was baptised on 16 February 1887 at St Philip's Church, Clerkenwell, the baptismal register shows the family living at 31 Granville Square, Clerkenwell. The birth of their daughter, Kathleen Mary Tapper (1890-1977) was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1890 in the Holborn registration district.
He is shown as an architect in the 1891 census living at 1 Raymond Buildings, Gray's Inn, Holborn, with his wife, their two children and a female domestic servant. At the time of the 1901 census he was still living at the same address with his wife and their daughter.
His wife was not shown on the 1911 census return form which he completed, describing himself as an architect residing in a 10 roomed property at 10 Melina Place, St John's Wood, with his son, who was shown as a part time architectural student and his sister-in-law Mary Jotcham, together with a cook and a house-maid.
He was made a Knight Commander in the Chancery of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) on 23 July 1935, but two months later he died, aged 74 years, on 21 September 1935. His body was buried in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey.
Probate records confirmed that he had lived at 4b Dean's Yard, Westminster and when probate was granted on 13 November 1935, jointly to his architect son Michael John Tapper, his solicitor Hugh Christopher Whitehead and to Sir Joseph John Jarvis, 1st Baronet (1876-1950), his effects were initially shown as £29,813-12s-2d. However, they were twice subsequently resworn, firstly at £30,144-3s-8d and finally at £30,648-3s-3d.
Photo credit: RIBA Collections.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
