Barry Trapnell

Who was Barry Trapnell?

Barry Maurice Waller Trapnell, CBE, DL was an English academic, school headmaster and a gifted amateur sportsman. As a cricket batsman, he was right-handed, and as a bowler, he was right-arm medium pace.

Born in Hampstead, London, Trapnell had a short career in first-class cricket, lasting one season - 1946 - which was his last year as a student at Cambridge University. In nine matches for Cambridge University Cricket Club 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 late in the season. He also played squash for Cambridge.

He became a chemistry don at Worcester College, Oxford, a researcher at Liverpool University, and consultant on catalysis at ICI. Later he became headmaster of Denstone College 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. In 1967 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire.