Morris Marples (13 June 1901 – 9 November 1976) was an English author and schoolmaster. The headmaster of two grammar schools, he wrote important reference works on the history of football and on hill figures.
Early life Born in June 1901 in Huddersfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Marples was the son of George Marples and his wife Anne Harrison, and was baptized at the Independent Chapel at Edgerton, Huddersfield, in November 1901."Morris Marples" in West Yorkshire, Non-Conformist Records, 1646–1985, accessed 31 January 2026 In 1911, the family was living at Hessle, in the East Riding.George Marples (signed), 1911 United Kingdom census, "Ingleby, Southfield, Hessle, E. Yorks", accessed 31 January 2026 His father was a schoolmaster who taught art, and also "a man who cut figures in the chalk downs of England.""WHITE HORSES AND OTHER HILL FIGURES. By Morris Marples. Country Life 21s.), Daily Herald, Wednesday 9 March 1949, p. 2Morris Marples, "Preface", White Horses and Other Hill Figures (Country Life Ltd., 1949), pp. 11–14 The young Marples was educated at St Bees School and Exeter College, Oxford, captaining the rugby union teams at both. At Oxford he graduated BA in Literae humaniores, later promoted to MA.Graham Curry, Eric Dunning, Association Football: a study in figurational sociology (London & New York: Routledge, 2015), p. 181
He had a younger brother, Brian John Marples, who followed him to Exeter College and became a zoologist.Kaj E. Westerskov, "Obituary: Professor Brian John Marples", Notornis 46:4, pp. 503–506, archived
Career After Oxford, Marples followed in his father's footsteps and became a schoolmaster. His first headship was at Bideford Grammar School, from September 1931."BIDEFORD PRESENTATION", North Devon Journal, Thursday 17 September 1931, p. 4: "...the new headmaster, Mr. Morris Marples, M.A., Oxon.""Notes of the Day", Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, Tuesday 22 September 1931, p. 4: "Bideford Grammar School bids fair to continue its prosperity and progress under the control of the new headmaster, Mr. Morris Marples, M.A., Oxon, who has excellent credentials, and attainments and experiences that eminently fit him..." From there, in December 1936, he was appointed as headmaster of Wolstanton County Grammar School, Wolstanton, Stoke-on-Trent."OCCASIONAL NOTES", North Devon Journal, Tuesday 22 December 1936, p. 5: "Mr. Morris Marples, headmaster at Bideford Grammar School, was on Friday appointed by the governors of the County Grammar School, Wolstanton, Stoke-on-Trent, as headmaster in succession to Dr. T. F. Rutter." He stayed in post until he retired in July 1961.Marples's impending retirement was announced in "NOSTALGIC memories", Staffordshire Sentinel, Saturday 18 February 1961, p. 3
Work Marples's Public School Slang (1940) was followed by his University Slang (1950), an "enquiry into the byways of university language", with a focus on Oxford and Cambridge.S. C. Roberts, "Morris Marples: UNIVERSITY SLANG", Truth, Friday 28 April 1950, p. 22
George Marples had made detailed surveys of almost all of England's hill figures, and among his other work he had designed the Pewsey White Horse in 1937."The new Pewsey white horse", wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk, accessed 31 January 2026Mark Hows, "Pewsey White Horse", hows.org.uk, undated, accessed 31 January 2026, at archive.ph He died in December 1939,"MARPLES George of Lower Mead Sway Hampshire died 15 December 1939... Anne Marples widow. Effects £6949 15s 6d" Wills and Administrations (England and Wales) 1940 (London: High Court of Justice, 1941), p. 386 and from the large body of notes his father left behind Marples compiled White Horses and Other Figures, published by Country Life in May 1949. A Scottish review found that it was "likely to remain the standard work until a Government-sponsored survey is undertaken"."BOOKS OF THE DAY: White Horses and Other Figures, Morris Marples (Country Life, Ltd., 21s)", St. Andrews Citizen (Fife, Scotland), Saturday 14 May 1949, p. 7 In the book, Marples "half-humorously" coined the words "leucippotomy" for the cutting of white horses and "gigantotomy" for the cutting of giants.Marples (1949), p. 16John Timpson, Timpson's Other England: a Look at the Unusual and the Definitely Odd (Jarrold, 1994, ), page 68, archived at archive.org
Reviewing A History of Football (1954), J. P. W. Mallalieu wrote that it told the story of soccer and rugger from the Middle Ages, when football was like "a free fight", and found that the book "may well become the standard work on the social aspects of football"."HISTORY OF FOOTBALL", Bookseller, Saturday 28 August 1954, p. 49
Princes in the Making (1965) tells the story of royal education, nearly all in private, from Henry VIII to the sons of George V."NEW AT THE LIBRARY Poor little rich girls — and boys", Bedford Record, Tuesday 21 December 1965, p. 13
Personal life Marples died in November 1976."Marples, Morris of Bracken Hill Welsh Newton Common Mon died 9 November 1976 Probate Winchester 12 January £33536", Wills and Administrations (England and Wales) 1977 (London: High Court of Justice, 1978), p. 5248 He left a widow, Olive Marples, who survived him until 1995."Marples, Olive of the Uplands Welsh Newton Common Monmouth Gwent died 23 May 1995 Probate Llandaff 07 August £287364", Wills and Administrations (England and Wales) 1995 (London: High Court of Justice, 1996), Grid J 01
Selected publications Morris Marples, "A Roman Sacrifice" (1927) Morris Marples, "The Song of the Siren" (1927) Morris Marples, "Island of the Blest – with the Wild Goats in Jura" (The Scots Magazine, Saturday 1 October 1927) Morris Marples, "Plautus", Greece & Rome 8.22 (1938) Morris Marples, Public School Slang (London: Constable, 1940)"Squit, Get Me Some Boiled Baby", Daily News (London), p. 3"MEN AND AFFAIRS" (review), The Scotsman, Friday 5 April 1940, p. 6: "Mr Morris Marples, the author, must have performed some exhausting field work among a multitude of cads, rotters, sneaks, and bullies..." Morris Marples, Sarn Helen; A Roman Road in Wales (Welsh Outlook Press, 1939)"A Welsh Survey" (review), Liverpool Daily Post, Thursday 21 December 1939, p. 6 Morris Marples, White Horses and Other Hill Figures (London: Country Life, 1949) Morris Marples, University Slang (London: Williams & Norgate, 1950) Morris Marples, A History of Football (London: Secker & Warburg, 1954) Morris Marples, Shank's Pony, a study of walking in Britain (London: Dent, 1959) Morris Marples, Princes in the Making: a study of royal education (London: Faber & Faber, 1965) Morris Marples, Romantics at School (London: Faber & Faber, 1967) Morris Marples, Six Royal Sisters: Daughters of George III (London: Michael Joseph, 1969) Morris Marples, Poor Fred and the Butcher: sons of George II (London: Michael Joseph, 1970)
Honours 1938: Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society"The principal guest was Mr. Morris Marples. M.A.. F.R.G.S.. the new Headmaster of the Grammar School" Staffordshire Sentinel, Wednesday 11 May 1938, p. 6 Notes