William Percy Carpmael (20 May 1864 – 27 December 1936) was the founder and first president of the rugby union Barbarian Football Club.

[2] On completing university he joined his father's firm of patent agents; Carpmaels and Ransford of Chancery Lane.

[3] 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.

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.

[5] 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.

He was laid to rest on the hill above Menton and the Barbarian match played against Leicester on 28 December saw both teams wearing black armbands in his honour.