William Percy Carpmael

William Percy Carpmael (20 May 1864 – 27 December 1936) was the founder and first president of the rugby union Barbarian Football Club. Carpmael was born the eldest of eight in Briscobel, Streatham in England.

Education and early career Carpmael was educated at Christ's College, Finchley where he was a boarder, and later at Jesus College, Cambridge. On completing university he joined his father's firm of patent agents; Carpmaels and Ransford of Chancery Lane. He would eventually become a senior partner of the firm.

In 1889 Carpmael himself organised a tour with Clapham Rovers, in which the team faced five or six clubs in the Midlands and Yorkshire areas. The next year saw a tour with the Southern Nomads and later the first Barbarian tour. On 8 April 1890 at Leuchter's Restaurant in Darley Street, Bradford; Carpmael took his Southern Nomads for a meal to put forward his idea of a touring rugby club. Later that night, at the Alexandra Hotel, the 'high-spirited' team agreed to Carpmael's plan and the Barbarians were formed. His idea was to create a touring team that would play the provinces at holiday times and not only contain Englishmen but players from Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Carpmael took the Barbarians very seriously and it was his dedication over the early years that created the foundations for a club that would last the coming decades. Not only would he organise and promote, but he also administered the club, writing up the club records on manuscript every season. He was the club's first Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, running the club from his father's business at 24 Southampton Buildings in Chancery Lane. In 1902 he resigned his role as secretary, but in 1913 he took up the role of club President.

Carpmael not only ran the Barbarians but also played for the club. He represented the Ba-Baa's on twenty occasions usually as a forward.

On 29 May 2011, during halftime of the Barbarians' match against England at Twickenham, Carpmael and the Barbarians were inducted to the IRB Hall of Fame in recognition of their unique contributions to the sport. His great-great-nephew George William Thomas Carpmael was a Barbarian mascot for the match.