St Albans - Notable People

Notable People

Francis Bacon (1561–1626) Sarah Churchill (1660–1744) William Cowper ( 1665–1723) Thomas S. Wells ( 1818–1897) Stephen Hawking (b.  1942) Alan Smith (b.  1957) Peter Mensah (b.  1959) Nigel Marven (b.  1960) Helen Wyman (b.  1980)

• Kate Allan (b. 1975), author, lived in St Albans
• Olivia Allison (b. 1990), GB synchronised swimmer, attended St Albans Girls' School
• Rod Argent (b. 1945), musician and songwriter, The Zombies (Argent with Colin Blunstone, Chris White, Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy) was formed while the members were at school in St Albans
• Dean Austin, former Spurs footballer, lives in nearby Chiswell Green
• Francis Bacon (1561–1626), philosopher, scientist and statesman, lived at Old Gorhambury House. Bacon was also styled "Viscount St Albans" from 1618
• Nicholas Bacon (1509–1579), Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under Queen Elizabeth I, built Old Gorhambury House
• John Ball (c. 1338-1381), Lollard priest, played prominent part in the English Peasants' Revolt of 1381
• Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe (Lord Grimthorpe) (1816–1905), lawyer, amateur horologist, and architect; best-known locally for rebuilding the west front of St Albans Cathedral in 1880-1885 at his own expense, but also designed Big Ben. Lived at Batchwood Hall
• William Henry Bell (1873–1946), musician, composer and first director of the South African College of Music
• Steve Blinkhorn (b. 1949), occupational psychologist, has lived in St Albans for many years
• Nicholas Breakspear (c.1100-1159), later Pope Adrian IV, born in Abbots Langley, attended school in St Albans
• Cheryl Campbell (b. 1949), actor
• Paul Cattermole (b. 1977), former member of S Club 7, was born in St Albans
• Ralph Chubb (1892–1960), lithographer
• Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660–1744), wife of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and close friend of Queen Anne, was born in St Albans
• Chris Clark, electronic musician, attended school in St Albans
• Steve Collins (b. 1964), former boxer
• Don Cowie (b.1983) Watford FC footballer, lives in Napsbury Park just outside St Albans
• William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper (c. 1665-1723), Lord Chancellor of England
• Stacey Dooley (b.1987), television presenter, lives in St Albans
• Enter Shikari, post-hardcore band, all members born and raised in St Albans
• David Essex (b. 1947), singer, lives in St Albans
• Siobhan Fahey (b. 1957), singer from Bananarama and Shakespear's Sister, attended Loreto College
• Robert Fayrfax (1464–1521), composer and musician, worked in St Albans Abbey where is buried
• Les Ferdinand (b. 1966), England footballer, lives in nearby Bricket Wood
• Friendly Fires, indie pop band from St Albans
• Nigel Gibbs (b. 1965), former Watford footballer, was born in St Albans
• John Gosling (b. 1948), former member of The Kinks, now teaches music at a school in St Albans
• Russell Green (b. 1959), cricketer
• Willis Hall (1929–2005), playwright and TV scriptwriter, lived in St Albans for many years and was for a while president of St Albans City F.C.
• Tommy Hampson (1907–1965), athlete, Olympic gold medal winner and world record holder, taught at St Albans School
• Tim Hart (1948–2009), musician and former guitarist in Steeleye Span, lived in St Albans and attended St Albans School
• John Hartson (b. 1975), footballer, used to live in St Albans
• Stephen Hawking (b. 1942), theoretical physicist, educated at St Albans School
• Christopher Herbert (b. 1944), 9th Bishop of St Albans 1995-2009
• Benny Hill (1924–1992), TV comic, lived in St Albans
• Jimmy Hill (b. 1928), TV presenter and football personality, used to live in St Albans
• Ian Holloway (b. 1963), Blackpool F.C manager, used to live in St Albans
• Matthew Holness, comedian, better known as Garth Marenghi, lives in St Albans
• Kurt Jackson, artist, lived in St Albans and attended Francis Bacon School as a teenager
• Jeffrey John (b. 1953), Dean of St Albans since 2004
• Minhyong Kim, mathematician, lives in St Albans
• Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999), film auteur, resided in Childwickbury Manor, from 1978 until his death
• Adam Lallana (b. 1988), footballer, born in St Albans
• Stephen Lander (b. 1947), former head of MI5, has lived in St Albans for many years
• Mark Lawson (b.1962), broadcaster and columnist for The Guardian, attended St Columba's College
• Christopher Lewis (b. 1944), Dean of St Albans 1994-2003
• Lower Than Atlantis, upcoming band showing promise after signing with Island Records
• Lowgold, indie band formed in St Albans. Two band members attended the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield
• Philip Madoc (1934-2012), actor, lived locally
• John Mandeville (14th century), compiler of a singular book of supposed travels, reputedly born in St Albans
• Rosie Marcel (b.1977), actor, Jac Naylor in BBC One's Holby City, lives in St Albans
• Nigel Marven, television wildlife presenter, was bought up in St Albans and attended Francis Bacon School
• Arthur Melbourne-Cooper (1874–1961), pioneering film maker, born in St Albans
• Peter Mensah (b.1959), actor, Oenomaus in the TV series Spartacus, grew up in St Albans
• Michael Morpurgo (b. 1943), author, born in St Albans
• Albert Moses (b. 1937), actor, Mind Your Language, producer and director, lives in St Albans
• John Motson (b. 1945), football commentator, lived in St Albans (now lives in Harpenden)
• Herbert Mundin (1898–1939), character actor, lived in St Albans from a young age and educated at St Albans School
• Mike Newell (b. 1942), film director, used to live in St Albans and attended St Albans School
• George Noble (b. 1987), former lead singer and founding member of Your Demise, now a semi-professional Muay Thai boxer
• Ardal O'Hanlon (b.1965), Father Ted star and stand up comedian, lives in St Albans
• Eleanor Ormerod (1828–1901), entomologist, lived and died in St Albans
• William Page (1861–1934), historian and editor, lived here 1896-1904 and took part in archaeological excavations in the city
• Ayan Panja (b. 1973), doctor and presenter of BBC series Street Doctor and The Health Show, is based in St Albans
• Matthew Paris (c.1200-1259), Benedictine monk, chronicler of the history of St Albans Abbey
• Rupert Parkes (b. 1972) a.k.a. Photek, record producer and DJ, was born in St Albans
• Julian Perretta (b. 1989), singer-songwriter
• Martin Plenio (b. 1968), quantum physicist, lived in St Albans
• Allan Prior (1922–2006), TV scriptwriter, co-creator of Z Cars, and father of Maddy Prior (b. 1947), lived in St Albans (also where Maddy grew up)
• Chris Read (b.1978), England cricketer, lives in St Albans
• Tim Rice (b. 1944), lyricist, attended St Albans School
• Ben Richards (b.1972), actor, singer, Footballers' Wives, The Bill, lives in St Albans
• Ian Ridley, football writer, lives in St Albans and is the chairman of St Albans City F.C.
• Luke Roberts, actor, Holby City, lives in St Albans
• Jim Rodford (b. 1941), musician, member of Argent and The Kinks and cousin of Rod Argent
• James Runcie, author and film maker, lives in St Albans
• Robert Runcie (1921–2000), Bishop of St Albans 1970-1980, later Archbishop of Canterbury 1980-1991. Now buried in the grounds of St Albans Cathedral
• Samuel Ryder (1858–1936), seed merchant, founder of the Ryder Cup
• Saving Aimee, a pop-rock band from St Albans
• George Gilbert Scott (1811–1878), architect, restored St Albans Abbey 1856-1877
• Jonny Seabrook (b. 1973), broadcaster, presenter on Radio Verulam, lives in St Albans
• John Sessions (b. 1953), actor and comedian, attended St Albans Boys' Grammar School (now Verulam School), patron of St Albans Arts, along with Maddy Prior
• Gilberto Silva (b. 1976), Brazilian footballer, played for Arsenal FC, used to live in St Albans
• Alan Smith, (b. 1957), Bishop of St Albans since 2009
• Danny Smith (b. 1975), broadcaster, presenter on Radio Verulam and match-day announcer for St Albans City F.C., lives in St Albans
• Justin Somper, author, born in St Albans
• Jonathan Stroud (b. 1970), author, lived in St Albans, now in Harpenden
• Ulsinus (fl. 10th century), Abbot of St Albans Abbey, reputed founder in 948 of St Albans School, and St Michael's, St Peter's and St Stephen's churches
• Mike Walling (b.1950), comedy actor and scriptwriter, lived in St Albans 1990-2010
• Richard of Wallingford (1292–1336), Abbot of St Albans Abbey, mathematician, horologist and astronomer
• Thomas Spencer Wells (1818–1897), surgeon to Queen Victoria and president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, born and educated in St Albans
• Charles Williams (1886–1945), writer and publisher, lived in St Albans 1894-1917 and attended St Albans School
• Helen Wyman (b. 1981), cyclist, five times British cyclo-cross champion, born in St Albans
• Graham Frederick Young (1947–1990), the infamous "Teacup Poisoner", tried at St Albans Crown Court in 1972
• Your Demise, punk band
• Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884–1937), novelist, lived in Fleetville after the Russian Revolution. His 1921 novel We, a story of a dystopian future, was influenced by his experiences in Hertfordshire
• Clubroot, a dubstep musician