List of people from Leicester and Leicestershire

This is a list of notable people born in Leicester, England, or in the county of Leicestershire, educated there, or otherwise associated with the city or county.

Henry Walter Bates

Alfred Russel Wallace

David Attenborough

Daniel Lambert

Gary Lineker

Peter Shilton

Thomas Cook

Lady Jane Grey

George Fox

Mary Linwood

Academia (except scientists)

• Graham Barnfield (sociologist)
• W. G. Hoskins (landscape historian)
• Jack Simmons (historian esp. of British railways)

Architecture

• John Breedon Everard (architect and civil engineer)
• Ernest Gimson (architect, craftsman)
• John Johnson (architect)
• William Keay (architect and civil engineer)
• Samuel Perkins Pick (architect)

Arts and entertainment

Acting and film

• Richard Armitage (actor, North and South, Robin Hood, The Hobbit)^[1]
• Richard Attenborough (actor, Jurassic Park; director, Gandhi)
• Martin Ballard (actor and broadcaster)
• Patrick Barlow (actor, comedian and playwright)
• Lydia Rose Bewley (stage and movie actor, The Inbetweeners Movie)^[2]
• Jeremy Bulloch (actor, Star Wars)
• Graham Chapman (comedian, Monty Python)^[3]
• Selina Chilton (actress, Doctors)^[4]
• Charlie Clapham (actor, Hollyoaks, Kick-Ass 2)^[5]
• Amanda Drew (actress, EastEnders)
• Betty Driver (singer and actress, Coronation Street)^[6]
• Terri Dwyer (actress, Hollyoaks)^[7]
• Stephen Frears (film director, Dangerous Liaisons)
• Rosemary Harris (actress, "Spider-Man film trilogy")
• Tom Hopper (actor, Merlin, Doctor Who)
• Colin Hurley (Shakespearean actor)
• Dominic Keating (actor, Star Trek: Enterprise)^[8]
• Alison King (actress, Coronation Street)^[9]
• Michael Kitchen (actor, Foyle's War)^[10]
• McKenzie Lee (pornography actress)
• John Leeson (actor, voice of K-9 in Doctor Who and Bungle in Rainbow and narrator for the children's hospital radio series, The Space Gypsy Adventures)^[11]
• Barry Letts (actor, television director, writer and producer)^[12]
• Bill Maynard (actor, Coronation Street, Heartbeat)
• Parminder Nagra (actor, Bend It Like Beckham, ER)^[13]
• David Neilson (actor, Coronation Street)
• Andy Nyman (actor)^[14]
• Kate O'Mara (actress, Howards' Way)^[15]
• John Payne (Canadian voice actor who was born in town and raised in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire but he was now moved to Vancouver, British Columbia)
• Helen Pearson (actress, Hollyoaks)^[16]
• Josette Simon (actress)
• Una Stubbs (actress, Till Death Us Do Part, Sherlock)
• Rakhee Thakrar (actress, EastEnders)
• Mark Wingett (actor, The Bill)

Broadcasting and journalism

• David Attenborough (broadcaster and naturalist)
• Karl Beattie (Living TV presenter, Most Haunted and Most Haunted Live)
• Biddy Baxter (editor, Blue Peter)
• Manish Bhasin (BBC sports presenter, Football Focus)
• O.J. Borg (radio and TV presenter)
• Martine Croxall (TV newsreader, BBC)
• Sara Dhada (The Apprentice candidate, 2008)
• Julie Etchingham (TV newsreader, Sky News, ITN)
• Derrick Evans (TV fitness instructor, Mr Motivator)
• Martin Gillingham (sports commentator and journalist)
• Clare Hollingworth (foreign correspondent)
• David Icke (sports reporter, conspiracy theorist)
• Oliver Kamm (Times leader writer and columnist)
• Kevin Myers (journalist, Irish Independent)
• Sir Henry Norman, 1st Baronet (journalist and politician who revealed the truth about the Dreyfus affair)
• Jon Tickle (Leicester University graduate, Brainiac: Science Abuse presenter)
• Tony Wadsworth (broadcaster, BBC)
• Gok Wan (fashion stylist and presenter of How to Look Good Naked, Channel 4)
• Arlo White (broadcaster, BBC)

Music

• Aetherfx (Jacob Tugby, industrial electronic musician)
• Laurel Aitken (singer, the "godfather of ska"; born in Cuba, lived on the St. Mark's Estate 1971–2005)
• Sam Bailey (winner of The X Factor 2013)
• Frank Benbini (drummer, Fun Lovin Criminals)
• Blab Happy (band)
• Black Widow (band)
• The Bomb Party (band)
• Grace Burrows (English violinist and orchestra conductor)
• Felix Buxton (half of Basement Jaxx)
• Cornershop (band)
• Crazyhead (band)
• John Deacon (bassist, Queen)
• The Deep Freeze Mice (band)
• Diesel Park West (band)
• The Displacements (band)
• Family (band)
• Gaye Bykers on Acid (band)
• Gemini (DJ)
• Robert Gotobed (drummer, Wire)
• Davy Graham (folk musician)
• Ric Grech (violinist, bassist, writer, producer, member of Blind Faith, Traffic)
• H "Two" O (band who produced the 2008 song "What's It Gonna Be?")
• Kevin Hewick (singer)
• Engelbert Humperdinck (singer, Release Me, Misty Blue)
• The Hunters Club (band)
• John Illsley (bassist, Dire Straits)
• Kasabian (band)
• Tony Kaye (keyboard player, Yes)
• Lisa Lashes (DJ)
• Jon Lord (organist, Deep Purple)
• Paul Martinez (bassist, guitarist, writer)
• Tom Meighan (vocalist, Kasabian)
• Mark Morrison (singer, "Return of the Mack")
• Perfume (band)
• Sergio Pizzorno (musician, Kasabian)
• Po! (band)
• Prolapse (band)
• KAV (former Happy Mondays guitarist, solo artist, musician, co-launched UK festival Getloaded in the Park)
• Scum Pups (band)
• Showaddywaddy (band)
• Molly Smitten-Downes (2014 Eurovision entrant)
• DJ SS (DJ and producer)
• Stunt (band)
• Nancy Whiskey Folk singer most famous for "Freight Train". Lived in Leicestershire from 1958 and died in Leicester in 2003.
• Yeah Yeah Noh (band)
• The Young Knives (band)

Painters

• Lemuel Francis Abbott (portrait artist)
• Duncan Fegredo (comic book artist)
• John Flower (artist)

Writing (except journalism)

• Lemuel Abbott (clergyman and poet)
• James Allen (author)
• Elizabeth Arnold (children's writer)
• Julian Barnes (author)
• David Campton (playwright, actor)
• Thomas Cooper (poet)
• J. T. Edson (author)
• Anne Fine (author)
• Martin Goodman (novelist, biographer and travel writer)
• Hal Iggulden (author)
• E. Phillips Oppenheim (prolific author, inventor of "Rogue Male" genre)
• Joe Orton (playwright)
• Lynda Page (author)
• John Barclay Pick (journalist, writer, The Last Valley)
• Bali Rai (author)
• C. P. Snow (author)
• Sue Townsend (author, Adrian Mole books)
• Colin Wilson (author)

Others

• Mary Linwood (needlewoman)

Business

• Charles Bennion (shoe machinery manufacturer, philanthropist, bought Bradgate Park for the 'quiet enjoyment of the people of Leicestershire')
• Thomas Cook (travel agent)
• Nathaniel Corah (textile manufacturer)
• Henry Curry (founder of Currys)
• Thomas Fielding Johnson (worsted spinner, philanthropist, founding benefactor of Leicester University)
• William Inman (shipping company owner)
• Frank Jessop (In 1935 founded The Jessop Group Limited, photographic retailers and suppliers. "Jessops of Leicester")
• Harry Peach (furniture manufacturer and social campaigner)
• Henry Walker (founder of Walkers Crisps)
• Thomas White (merchant, philanthropist)
• William Wyggeston (merchant, philanthropist)

Exploration

• Henry Bates (naturalist and explorer)
• Ed Stafford (explorer and author)
• Alfred Russel Wallace (naturalist, explorer, evolutionist and author, who briefly taught at Collegiate school)

Politics and royalty

• Alastair Campbell (journalist and political advisor)
• Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (founder of the English Parliament)
• Lady Jane Grey ("Queen for Nine Days")
• Kelvin Hopkins (MP)
• Greville Janner (MP and barrister)
• Richard III of England
• Peter Soulsby (Mayor of Leicester, former MP)

Religion

• William Carey (missionary and translator)
• Charles Henry Carter (Baptist missionary and translator of the first English-Singhalese dictionary)
• George Fox (founder of the Religious Society of Friends, otherwise known as Quakers)

Science

• Alf Adams (physicist, inventor of the strained quantum-well laser)
• William Henry Bragg (physicist, chemist and mathematician)
• William Lawrence Bragg (physicist)
• Harold Hopkins
• Harold Edwin Hurst (Hydrologist whose study of the Nile led to a better understanding of statistics with applications in dam design and finance.)
• Sir Alec Jeffreys (geneticist and developer of genetic fingerprinting) (DNA)
• Roger Mason
• Benjamin Ward Richardson (physician)
• Cedric Smith (statistician and geneticist)

Sport

Boxing

• George Aldridge (former British middleweight champion)
• Pat Butler (former British welterweight champion)
• Errol Christie (former European middleweight champion)
• Martin Concepcion (Commonwealth light-middleweight boxing title challenger)
• Shaun Cummins (fought for British and European titles)
• Tony McKenzie (former British light welterweight champion)
• Rendall Munroe (EBU and Commonwealth super bantamweight boxing champion)
• Chris Pyatt (former World Champion middleweight boxer)
• Tony Sibson (former professional boxer)
• Len Wickwar (holds the record for highest number of professional fights)
• Tim Wood (former British light heavyweight champion)

Cricket

• James Barnfather (played first-class cricket for Essex in 1924)
• Samit Patel (England international cricketer)
• M. J. K. Smith (England cricket captain)

Football

• Ian Baraclough (football manager)
• Ashley Chambers (English footballer)^[17]
• Dion Dublin (England International footballer)^[18]
• Emile Heskey (England international footballer)^[19]
• Chris Kirkland (England international footballer)^[20]
• Gary Lineker (England international footballer, World Cup 1986 Golden Boot Winner, sports presenter)^[21]
• Joe Mattock (English footballer)^[22]
• Norman Plummer (Leicester City footballer, captain 1949 FA Cup Final, decorated World War II veteran)
• Levi Porter (English footballer)^[23]
• Michael Robinson (footballer, Spanish TV presenter)^[24]
• Peter Shilton (England's most capped footballer)^[25]
• Luke Varney (footballer)^[26]

Rugby Union

• Martin Corry (retired rugby player, former Leicester captain and former England captain)
• Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers captain, England International)
• Martin Johnson (CBE, rugby player, Leicester and England's World-Cup winning captain)
• Steve Redfern (rugby player, Leicester Tigers walk of legends)
• Dean Richards (rugby player and coach, Leicester Tigers and England captain)
• Ollie Smith (Rugby Union international)^[27]
• John Wells (Leicester Tigers rugby captain, head coach and England Forwards coach)

Snooker

• Shailesh Jogia (snooker player)
• Mark Selby (snooker player; the 2013/2014 and 2015/2016 World Snooker Champion and eight ball pool world champion 2007)
• Willie Thorne (snooker player and commentator)
• Ben Woollaston

Speedway

• Geoff Bouchard
• Ivor Brown
• Cyril "Squib" Burton
• Bruce Forrester
• David Howe
• Paddy Mills
• Graham Plant
• Fred Wilkinson
• Len Williams (Sheffield, Leicester and England)
• Stan Williams (Sheffield, Coventry and England)

Others

• Tony Allcock (fourteen-time bowls world champion, now Chief Executive of Bowls England)
• Henry Ernest Atkins (chess master, nine-time British champion; the H.E. Atkins tournament is run annually in Leicester)
• Andrew Betts (Great Britain basketball player)
• Roger Clark (rally driving champion)
• Mark Cox (English professional tennis player)^[28]
• Glenn Flear (chess grandmaster)
• Jennie Fletcher (Olympic gold medallist in swimming)
• Jamie Green (race car driver in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters championship)
• Bert Harris (first professional cycling champion of England)
• Mark Hebden (chess grandmaster)
• John Arthur Jarvis (swimmer, 1900 Olympic medallist)
• Ken Johnson (Olympic athlete)
• John Merricks (sailor, 1996 Olympic medallist)
• Roger Williamson (Formula One driver)
• Fred Wood (multi World Cycling Champion, 1880s)^[29]

Miscellaneous

• M. E. Clifton James (actor trained to impersonate Bernard Montgomery in World War II)
• Donald Hings (1907–2004), inventor of the Walkie-Talkie
• General Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson (former Vice-Chief of Defence Staff)
• Daniel Lambert (1770–1809) (heaviest man in England)
• Sydney Lucas (1900–2008) (last soldier to serve in both World Wars)
• Kim McLagan (model and cosmetologist)
• Joseph Merrick (1862–1890) ("The Elephant Man")
• Charles Killick Millard (1870–1952) (Medical Officer for Health and founder of the Voluntary Euthanasia Legalisation Society)
• Phil Shaw (inventor of extreme ironing)

References

1. "Richard Armitage" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0035514/
2. Lydia Rose Bewley at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3617801/
3. "Graham Chapman" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001037/
4. "Selina Chilton" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2197613/
5. "Charlie Clapham" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2778897/
6. "Betty Driver" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0238107/
7. "Terri Dwyer" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0245543/
8. "Dominic Keating" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444098/
9. "Alison King" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454435/
10. "Michael Kitchen" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457655/
11. "John Leeson" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498770/
12. "Barry Letts" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504818/
13. "Parminder Nagra" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0619406/
14. "Andy Nyman" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0638762/
15. "Kate O'Mara" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0641817/
16. "Helen Pearson" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0669274/
17. "Ashley Chambers" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=38950
18. "Dion Dublin" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=39636
19. "Emile Heskey" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=36969
20. "Chris Kirkland" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=41424
21. "Gary Lineker" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_international.asp?HeroID=37218
22. "Joe Mattock" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=41895
23. "Levi Porter" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=42917
24. "Michael Robinson" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=43235
25. "Peter Shilton" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_international.asp?HeroID=44753
26. "Luke Varney" at Football Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=44222
27. "Ollie Smith" at Rugby Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=7484
28. "Mark Cox" at Tennis Heroes http://www.sporting-heroes.net/tennis-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1963
29. "Leicestershire's top 100 sporting greats". Leicester Mercury. 19 February 2011.