Todmorden - Notable People

Notable People

Nobel Prize winners

Todmorden has two Nobel Prize winners: Prof. Sir John Cockroft (Physics) and Prof. Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson (Chemistry). Despite 24 years' difference in their birth dates, both attended Todmorden Grammar School (now Todmorden High School with the prior grammar school building now home to Ferney Lee Primary School) and both had the same science master, Luke Sutcliffe.

Science and Engineering

As well as Cockcroft and Wilkinson, John Mitchell Nuttall (1890–1958) was a Todmorden-born physicist remembered for the Geiger-Nuttall law. John Ramsbottom (engineer) (1814–1897) was a mechanical and railway engineer and inventor from the town.

Politics

John Fielden (1784–1849), land and factory owner in Todmorden and scion of the town's Fielden family, was a Member of Parliament and national leader of the Ten Hours Campaign for factory reform.

Antony Booth, father of Cherie Blair and father-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair resides in Todmorden.

Arts and culture

Geoff Crowther (born 1944), first independent travel guide writer, head of BIT travel guides, London (1972–1980) the first guidebooks to cover the Hippie trail. Geoff became an internationally recognised patron saint of travellers in the third world and went on to be one of the pioneering authors for Lonely Planet (1977–1995).

Fred Lawless, Liverpool born theatre playwright has a house in Todmorden; he was also a writer for the BBC 1 TV series EastEnders, as well as several other TV and radio programmes.

Todmorden actress Claire Benedict has appeared in UK TV shows Waking The Dead, Prime Suspect, Unforgiven, Holby City, Casualty, Doctors, Grange Hill, The Bill, and the Lenny Henry Show. She featured in the films Felicia's Journey, Sea Sick and Mersinias, and has had numerous theatre roles, including work for the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. On BBC radio she is the voice of Precious Ramotswe in The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Todmorden-born actor Dicken Ashworth appeared in Coronation Street and Brookside.

Manchester-born Becky Simpson is an award-winning actress. As a 10-year-old child she starred as Spoonface Steinberg in the BBC production by that name written by writer Lee Hall, famous for writing Billy Elliot. Becky is married to Wes Paul notable Rock and Roll lead singer with The Wes Paul Band; they are tenants of the Grade-1-listed lodge inside the gates of Todmorden Unitarian Church and are both members of the local management committee.

The Bayes family of artists were prominent in the 19th and 20th centuries. They were: Alfred Bayes (1832–1909), painter; Walter Bayes (1869–1856), painter; Gilbert Bayes (1872–1952), sculptor; and Jessie Bayes (1876–1970), painter (some of her work can be see at Lumbutts Methodist Church, Lumbutts, Todmorden).

William Holt (1897–1977) was a writer, painter, political activist, journalist and traveller.

Pianist Keith Emerson (born 1944) was founder/member of The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

John Helliwell, another Todmorden-born musician, was saxophonist in the band Supertramp.

Geoff Love (1917–1991), the big band leader, was born in Todmorden.

John Kettley (born 1952), the former BBC weatherman, grew up in Todmorden.

News reporter Chris Kiddy is from Todmorden.

Sport

England Test cricketers Peter Lever (born 1940) and Derek Shackleton (1924–2007) are from Todmorden.

Other

Harold Shipman, the G.P. who is believed to have killed over 200 patients in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, claimed at least one of his victims while working as a doctor at the Abraham Ormerod Medical Centre between March 1974 and September 1975. His first known victim, 70-year-old Eva Lyons, lived at Keswick Close in the town. Shipman had initially been charged with 15 murders committed around Hyde, Greater Manchester, between 1995 and 1998 when he went on trial in late 1999, but Ms Lyons was only identified as a victim of Shipman when the inquiry into his crimes was completed in July 2002 by Dame Janet Smith.

On 29 November 1980 police officer Alan Godfrey allegedly experienced an alien abduction and was the subject of Jenny Randles' book The Pennine UFO Mystery.