Nathaniel Langford Clapton was born on 1 September 1903, the only son of Nathaniel Clapton, ironmonger's manager, of St Dunstan's Crescent, Worcester.
He attended the Royal Grammar School Worcester, before gaining a scholarship to Hertford College, Oxford, where he gained first class honours in Mathematical Moderations in 1923 and in the Final Honour School of Mathematics in 1925.
He was successively Senior Mathematics Master at Watford Grammar School for Boys and The Glasgow Academy. He became Headmaster of Boteler Grammar School, Warrington, in September 1940, and was appointed Headmaster of King Edward VII School, Sheffield, in 1950.
He retired on health grounds in July 1965 and died in January 1967.