John Eggar

John Drennan Eggar (1 December 1916 — 3 May 1983) was an English schoolmaster and first-class cricketer who played for Oxford University and Hampshire in 1938 and for Derbyshire from 1946 to 1954. His career as a schoolmaster began in 1938, with his appointment to Repton School. He spent 25 years at Repton, before being appointed headmaster at the newly established Shiplake College, where he oversaw an increase in the number of enrolled pupils and the expansion of the school.

Early life The son of John Norman Eggar and his wife Emily Garret, he was born in British India at Nowshera. He was educated in England at Winchester College, where he played for the college cricket team, captaining it in his final year. While at Winchester, he was coached by Harry Altham and Rockley Wilson. From there, he matriculated to Trinity College, Oxford.

Whilst studying at Oxford, Eggar was a member of the Oxford University Cricket Club. He made his debut in first-class cricket for the club against Gloucestershire at Oxford in 1938. In his second first-class match against the touring Australians, he scored 51 runs in Oxford's first innings total of 117 all out in response to the Australians 679 for 7 declared. Six weeks later he scored his maiden first-class century, with 125 against Lancashire. Following the end of the university season, he made two appearances for Hampshire against Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the County Championship. being commissioned into the Rifle Brigade as a second lieutenant from the Repton School Contingent in April 1940. By September 1941, he was serving in the Royal Pioneer Corps with the war substantive rank of lieutenant, prior to transferring back to the Rifle Brigade in July 1943. During the war, he saw action in both the North African and Italian campaigns. In the 1947 season he shared a record-breaking partnership of 349 with Charlie Elliott in the year when Derbyshire finished 5th; He also sat on the Parish Council in Repton.

Headmastership at Shiplake In 1963 Eggar became headmaster of newly established Shiplake College. Under his headmastership, numbers went from 150 to 300, and he oversaw the expansion of the school through the construction of new buildings and the addition of new facilities. Just as he had at Repton, Eggar sat on the Parish Council at Shiplake. He was also chairman of the local branch of the Royal British Legion.