John Ralph Couper

Ralph attended Bellahouston Academy before enrolling in the Arts Faculty at the University of Glasgow in 1907. At that time, he was living at 22 India Street, Charing Cross. He attended for three years, taking classes in Latin, Mathematics, Logic, English, Education and History. He did not matriculate in session 1910-1911, but did matriculate in the following session, when he took Moral Philosophy and History.

While attending the University, Ralph studied concurrently for a teacher training qualification from the Glasgow Provincial Training College, forerunner of Jordanhill College of Education, now the University of Strathclyde. He took professional classes at the College for three years from 1907, completing the course on 30 June 1910 to gain the Teacher’s General Certificate, with additional qualifications to teach singing, drawing, physical exercises, and rural knowledge and school gardening in primary schools. He was temporarily posted to Strathbungo Public School from 17 October to 21 November 1910, and was then appointed to Rosevale School in Govan in January 1913.

After enlisting for war service, Robert was gazetted Lieutenant on 2 March 1916. He died on 15 November that year, aged 29, in the engagement at Beaumont Hamel, part of the offensive known as the Battle of the Somme. He was then acting Captain in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Captain John Ralph Couper is commemorated on the ceremonial arch at Thiepval, in Northern France. He is also remembered on the University Chapel Memorial, the Bellahouston Academy Roll of Honour, the Roll of Honour of the Glasgow Provincial Committee for the Training of Teachers, the Glasgow Provincial Training College War Memorial, the Govan School Board Memorial, and in Glasgow’s Roll of Honour, where his name is spelled ‘Coupar.’