Alfreton - Notable Residents

Notable Residents

• Benjamin Outram, civil engineer was born here in 1764.
• Robert Watchorn emigrated to America through Castle Garden. He served as the US Commissioner of Immigration at Ellis Island, between 1905 and 1909. He later worked as vice president of the Union Oil Company. Robert Watchorn was a benefactor of Alfreton after the first world war. In 1927, the Watchorn Memorial Primitive Church was founded and later a school, a manse and cottages, all in memory of his mother. A sports ground and pavilion were given in remembrance of his son. He also had the Lincoln Library built, now a Masonic Hall.
• James Young patented a process to obtain oil from coal whilst working in Alfreton in 1848.
• Tom Fox recently received an MBE from the Queen for his outstanding contribution to the youth in the Amber Valley area. He joined Derbyshire County Council over 30 years ago in 1972 and started working at Alfreton's Polygon Youth Centre. Although he retired from his youth worker job in 2006, he still helps out one night a week. The emphasis of the award was for his work with children with special needs.
• Sally Pepper who presents the weather on the BBC's local evening news programme East Midlands Today.
• Norman Whitehead (1915–1983) was born and painted actively in the area during the 1930s.
• William Mugliston (died 1788), born locally, was an eighteenth-century poet. His works are now largely forgotten, but reference to him can be found in an early history of Alfreton held at the Derbyshire County Archives in Matlock, Derbyshire. His most notable work is "A Contemplative Walk with the Author's Wife and Children in the Park of George Moorewood Esq at Alfreton" (c 1782). He was featured in the Lady's Magazine' (sic). Other works include "The Cruelty of Removing the Poor".