Barry Maurice Waller Trapnell, (18 May 1924 – 1 August 2012) was an English academic, school headmaster and a gifted amateur sportsman. As a

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

batsman, he was right-handed, and as a bowler, he was right-arm medium pace. Born in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, London, Trapnell was educated at

University College School University College School, also known as UCS, is a private day school in Frognal, Hampstead, London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views. ...

, Hampstead, and

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

. He had a short career in

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officially adju ...

, lasting one season – 1946 – which was his last year as a student at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. In nine matches for

Cambridge University Cricket Club Cambridge University Cricket Club, established in 1820, is the representative cricket club for students of the University of Cambridge. The club was recognised as holding first-class cricket, first-class status until 2020. The university played ...

he took 15 wickets at 31.46 and scored 258 runs at 16.12, including 5 for 73 against MCC a week before the Varsity match. He turned out for the Gentlemen against the Players a fortnight later and made one Championship appearance for

Middlesex County Cricket Club Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Middlesex which has effectively been subsumed within the ceremonial ...

late in the season. He also played squash for Cambridge. He became a chemistry don at

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...

, a researcher at

Liverpool University The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University, it received Royal Charter by King Edward VII in 1903 attaining the de ...

, and consultant on catalysis at

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. Later he became headmaster of

Denstone College Denstone College is a co-educational, private, boarding and day school in Denstone, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. It is a Woodard School, having been founded by Nathaniel Woodard, and so Christian traditions are practised as part of Coll ...

as, at that time, the youngest headmaster of a public school in England. At Denstone he instituted many reforms and, in educational terms, strongly promoted science education, encouraged more pupils to study a second modern language, and modernised religious education. He went on to become headmaster of

Oundle School Oundle School is a public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school, boarding and day school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire ...

. In 1967 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire. He was President of Cambridge University

Rugby Fives Rugby fives is a handball game, similar to squash, played in an enclosed court. It has similarities with Winchester fives (a form of Wessex fives) and Eton fives. It is played mainly in the United Kingdom. It is most commonly believed to ...

Club 1989–2004, having been National Singles Champion in 1949 and National Doubles Champion twice in 1949 and 1953. In 1986, Trapnell became chairman of Cambridge Occupational Analysts (COA), eventually retiring in 2005. He put enormous effort into establishing the uptake of COA career programmes throughout the country and in organising training courses and visits to schools in the late eighties and nineties. His combination of scientific insight, wide-ranging interest in the arts, writing skills and personal contacts were of immense value.

References

1924 births 2012 deaths People educated at University College School Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Heads of schools in England English cricketers Cambridge University cricketers Gentlemen cricketers Middlesex cricketers Deputy lieutenants of Staffordshire English chemists Fellows of Worcester College, Oxford Academics of the University of Liverpool Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Oundle Headmasters of Oundle School Teachers at Oundle School 20th-century English sportsmen {{UK-academic-bio-stub