List of people from Croydon
Among those who were born in the London Borough of Croydon, or have dwelt within the borders of the modern borough are (alphabetical order):
A
- Feroz Abbasi, arrested in Afghanistan in 2001 and detained at Guantanamo Bay, lived in Shirley and attended school in Croydon.
- Adegbenga Adejumo (1987–), Croydon born Dubstep producer known as Benga.
- Allan Ahlberg (1938–), children's writer (Penguin)
- Dame Peggy Ashcroft (1907–1991), Actress was born in Croydon and lived in George Street as a child. She is honoured in the naming of the Ashcroft Theatre, part of the Fairfield Halls. She was a school friend of architect Jane Drew[1]
- Baron Ali (1964–), Born and raised in the north of Croydon. Waheed Alli is a multimillionaire media entrepreneur and politician. Co-founder of Planet 24 TV production company, and MD at Carlton Television. Currently chairman of ASOS.com and Chorion Ltd. A Labour peer and one of very few openly gay Muslim politicians in the world.
B
- Jeannie Baker (1940–), artist, author, designer and animator
- Jon Benjamin (1964–), Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews since 2005, was born and grew up in Croydon, and educated at Park Hill Primary School and Dulwich College.
- Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury (1883–1896) lived at Addington Palace. Invented Christmas tradition of Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.
- Cicely Mary Barker (1895–1973), Illustrator and artist who created the famous Flower Fairies books, was born in Croydon and lived locally. She studied at the Croydon School of Art.
- Jeff Beck (1944–), guitarist
- Keith Berry (1973–), musician & composer
- Frederick Betts (1859–1944), who donated Betts Park and built large areas in Croydon and Penge.
- James Booth (1927–2005), actor (Zulu)[2][3]
- Emily Blunt (1983–), actress, her and husband John Krasinski own an apartment in East Croydon
- Dane Bowers (1979–), singer attended Trinity School.
- Derren Brown, illusionist, was born and brought up in Purley.
- James Buckley, actor, best known for playing Jay Cartwright in The Inbetweeners.[4]
- Raymond Burns (1954–), musician, member of punk rock band the Damned. He is also known by the name Captain Sensible.
- Mark Butcher (1972–), in Croydon – Surrey and England cricketer, attended Trinity School.
C
- Alison Carroll, actress.
- Raymond Chandler (1888–1959), screen writer and author.
- Klariza Clayton (1989–), actress.
- Martin Clunes (1961–), actor – resident
- Carlton Cole, footballer, born in Croydon, played for Chelsea, currently playing for West Ham United
- Ronnie Corbett, the comic actor has lived for many years in Shirley, Croydon
- Frederick George Creed (1871–1957), Electrical engineer and inventor of the Teleprinter lived and died at 20 Outram Road, Addiscombe.
D
The house of Arthur Conan Doyle in South Norwood
- Tasha Danvers-Smith (1977–), champion hurdler
- Desmond Dekker (1941–2006) Legendary Ska musician lived in Thornton Heath.
- R.F. Delderfield (1912-1972), writer & dramatist lived at 22 Ashburton Avenue, Addiscombe from 1918 to 1923. His "Avenue" series is based on his life in Addiscombe & Shirley Park and many of his works were adapted for television.
- Luol Deng (1985–), basketball player for the Chicago Bulls and Great Britain raised in South Norwood
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) author and creator of Sherlock Holmes, lived at 12 Tennison Road, South Norwood 1891–1894.
- Jane Drew (1911–1996), architect and town planner was born at 8 Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath. She went to Croydon High School and was a school friend of Dame Peggy Ashcroft.
- Jacqueline du Pré (1945–1987), A British cellist, acknowledged as one of the greatest players of the instrument, but whose career was cut short by multiple sclerosis. Lived in Purley and attended Croydon High School.
- Bertrand Dawson (1864–1945), was a physician to the British Royal Family and President of the Royal College of Physicians.
E
- Havelock Ellis (1859–1939), Victorian sexologist, born in Croydon
- Tracey Emin (1963–), artist
- Carlos Ezquerra (1947-) Comics artist, co-creator of Judge Dredd
F
- Noel Fielding (1973–), comedian, writer, actor, artist, co-creator of The Mighty Boosh
- Matthew Fisher (1946–), musician, Procol Harum, Composer of Whiter Shade of Pale
- Alexander Francis (1995–), musician, composer
- Vincent Frank (1985–), musician, Frankmusik
- Donna Fraser (1972–), international athlete
- Neil Fraser (1955–), dub musician/producer (AKA Mad Professor)
- Ian Frazer, poker player
- Charles Burgess Fry (1872–1956), polymath – sportsman, politician, teacher, writer, editor, publisher
G
- Trevor Goddard (1962–2003), actor[5]
- Sir Philip Green (1952–), Croydon born British billionaire who is the owner of the Arcadia Group.
- Deryck Guyler (1914–1999), actor
H
- Will Hay (1888–1949), Comic actor lived at 45 The Chase, Norbury 1927–1934.
- Sir Francis Bond Head (1793–1875), soldier, traveller, author and Lieut. Governor of Upper Canada (1836–1838), had his home at Duppas Hill, Croydon
- Chris Heath 1959 actor, author, comedienne
- Roy Hodgson, football manager and former player, born in Croydon
- Joseph Holbrooke (1822–1876), composer of stage, choral, and orchestral music
- Roy Hudd Comedian was born in Croydon in 1936.[6][7]
J
- Leonard F. Jarrett (1921–) – Croydon born, former Director of Administration of the World Scout Bureau, and former World Organizer of Scoutings's Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) for thirty years.
- Oliver Jones (1986–) – Croydon born Dubstep producer otherwise known as Skream.
- Finn Jones (1988–) – Croydon raised.
K
- George Arthur Knowland, recipient of the Victoria Cross during the Second World War
- Steve Kember (1948–), born in Croydon, footballer
- John Krasinski (1979–), actor, he and wife Emily Blunt own an apartment in East Croydon.
L
- Andrew Lawrence (comedian)[8]
- D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) Author lived at 12 Colworth Road, Addiscombe, 1908–1912 whilst a teacher at Davidson Road School.
- Sir David Lean (1908–1991), Film director was born in Croydon on 25 March 1908.[9][10]
- Iain Lee (1973–), comedian, born in South Croydon
- E G Handel Lucas (1861-1936), artist, lived in Croydon from 1861 to 1909
M
- Kirsty MacColl (1959–2000), singer and songwriter was born and grew up in Croydon
- Miles Malleson (1888–1969), actor and dramatist was born in Croydon[11][12]
- David McAlmont (1967–), British vocalist and songwriter was born in Croydon on 2 May.
- Duke McKenzie (1963–), world champion boxer
- Ralph McTell (1944–), musician, composer of Streets of London
- Katie Melua (1984–), singer, songwriter, musician who went to the Brit School for Performing Arts at Selhurst, Croydon
- Graham Moodie (1981–), Olympic hockey player
- Kate Moss (1974–), model[13]
- Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990), author and media personality was the son of H. T. Muggeridge, a prominent Croydon Labour councillor. He also taught at John Ruskin Central School in the 1920s
N
- Kate Nash (1987–) singer/songwriter born 6 July 1987. Attended Brit School, Croydon
- Habib Nasib Nader – Actor/writer born 31 October 1979.
O
- Tarik O'Regan (1978–), composer, born 1 January. Attended Elmhurst and Whitgift Schools, Croydon
- Lawrence Okoye Athlete, attended Whitgift School.
P
- Sue Perkins (1969–), comedienne, writer, performer
- Lucy Porter, comedienne was raised in Croydon.
- Simon Prebble (1942–), actor/narrator
- Luke Pritchard, lead singer of The Kooks, attended the Brit School, Croydon
- David Prowse, actor, aka Darth Vader in Star wars, born in Bristol, lives in Addiscombe, Croydon for over 40 years.
R
- Chris Reed (1982–), BBC Radio One Dubstep & Grime DJ/Producer (AKA Plastician)
- Jamie Reid (1947–), situationist, artist, graphic designer
- Robert Reid, Formula 1 driver, lives in a flat in South Croydon
- Susanna Reid (1970– ), BBC television presenter, was born in Croydon, attended Croham Hurst School and Croydon High School
- Nigel Reo-Coker, current English midfielder, born in Thornton Heath who is playing for Bolton Wanderers and formerly of Wimbledon F.C., West Ham United and Aston Villa.
- Martyn Rooney (1987–), international sprinter
- John Ruskin (1819–1900) Art critic and social theorist spent much of childhood in Croydon at his mother's family home and visited often as an adult. His parents are buried in Shirley.
- Bridget Riley (1931–), an English painter who is one of the foremost proponents of op art, born in Norbury
S
- Peter Sarstedt (1942–), singer, winner of Ivor Novello Award – resident
- Kellie Shirley, EastEnders actress
- Bernard Spear (1919–2003), actor (Yentob)
- Dan Stevens, actor[14]
- Danny Schwarz (model) model
- Phillip Rhys, actor
T
- Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875–1912), Composer lived at 30 Dagnall Park, Selhurst. Black composer noted for his cantatas including The Song of Hiawatha trilogy.
- Sam Taylor-Johnson (born 1967), artist and filmmaker, was born in Croydon
W
- Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), Naturalist lived at 44 St Peter's Road, Croydon. He independently proposed a theory of evolution by natural selection and prompted Charles Darwin to reveal his own unpublished theory sooner than he had intended.
- John Whitgift (ca. 1530–1604), Archbishop of Canterbury is buried in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist. Several other Archbishops are buried in the Parish Church or St Mary's in Addington.
- Rickie Haywood Williams (1982–), TV and radio presenter currently working for MTV and Kiss 100 London
- Amy Winehouse (1983–2011), singer who attended Brit School, Croydon
- Wilfred Wood served as Bishop of Croydon 1985–2002, the first black Church of England bishop.
- Edward Woodward (1930–2009), born in Croydon, actor[15][16]
- Ian Wright MBE, former Crystal Palace, Arsenal and England football team footballer lives in Shirley.
- Matthew Wright, British Journalist and Television Presenter born and resides in Croydon.
- Tom Wright (1957–), architect of Burj Al Arab
In fiction
- Sarah Jane Smith, the popular fictional companion of the Third and Fourth Doctors in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who
- Jeremy "Jez" Osbourne and Mark Corrigan, the fictional protagonists from the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show live in a flat in Croydon.
- Captain Kevin Darling from the BBC sitcom Blackadder Goes Forth lived in Croydon with his girlfriend Doris. Darling was also a wicket keeper for the Croydon Gentlemen cricket team.
- Terry and June, the protagonists of the BBC sitcom of the same name, lived in Purley, a suburb of Croydon.
References
- ↑ "Peggy Ashcroft" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001919/
- ↑ "James Booth" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0095718/
- ↑ "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 12 p. 51. Orbis Publishing (1981)
- ↑ "James Buckley" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0118617/
- ↑ "Trevor Goddard" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323845/
- ↑ GRO: JUN 1936 2a 883 CROYDON – Roy Hudd, mmn = Barham
- ↑ "Roy Hudd" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0399647/
- ↑ Malcolm Hay (24 Nov 2006). "Andrew Lawrence: Interview". Time Out. Retrieved 18 Dec 2011.
- ↑ "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 259. Orbis Publishing (1981)
- ↑ "David Lean" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000180/
- ↑ "Miles Malleson" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0539942/
- ↑ "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 286. Orbis Publishing (1981)
- ↑ "Kate Moss" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0609017/
- ↑ "Dan Stevens" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1405398/
- ↑ "Edward Woodward" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940919/
- ↑ "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 473. Orbis Publishing (1981)
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