Kidderminster - Famous Residents

Famous Residents

• Captain H.W.R. Alger, who flew the inaugural air mail flight from England to Australia for Imperial Airways' Empires Air Routes, in February 1937. He flew the Short "C" class Seaplane (named Castor) from Calshot near Southampton to Marseilles, Brindisi, Alexandria, South Africa, India and Australia.
• The Puritan minister Richard Baxter, (born 12 November 1615 – died 8 December 1691) began his ministry in Kidderminster in April 1641 and spent the next 19 years in the town. There is a statue to him outside Saint Mary's parish church, where he was based. It states his wish "for unity and comprehension in religion".
• Walter Nash, former Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, was born in the town.
• Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, known also as James Albert, lived with his family in the town in the 1760s and 1770. An African prince and freed slave, he worked on his autobiography in Kidderminster, with a secretary from Leominster. Published at Bath in about 1772, this was considered the first Black African autobiography published in Britain.
• Lant Carpenter was born in Kidderminster on 2 September 1780.
• Sir Josiah Mason, an English pen-manufacturer, was born in Mill Street on 23 February 1795.
• Sir Rowland Hill, the inventor of the Penny Black and the modern postal system, was born in Blackwell Street on 3 December 1795. There is a statue, sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock, to him in Vicar Street outside the Town Hall. There is a pub in the Bull Ring called The Penny Black in his honour.
• Edward Bradley, the English humorist of the mid-Victorian era, was born in Kidderminster in 1827. He died on 11 December 1889.
• Captain Eustace Jotham and Private John Francis Young were Victoria Cross winners in 1915 and 1918 and were born in Kidderminster
• Roger Laverne Keyboard player with The Tornados
• Robert Plant the front man of the rock band Led Zeppelin has close associations with Kidderminster, particularly Kidderminster College of Further Education.
• Andy Edwards, drummer, was born in Kidderminster, and worked with Plant between 1999 and 2001 before becoming a member of the progressive rock band IQ in 2005.
• Robbie Blunt, solo guitarist, another Robert Plant collaborator, has associations with Kidderminster.
• Taylor Parkes, journalist and broadcaster, was born in West Bromwich but grew up in Kidderminster.
• Jess Roden, singer, was born in Kidderminster.
• Tony De Vit, Birmingham DJ, was born in Kidderminster.
• Alf Tabb, Kidderminster cycle maker rider of miniature cycles
• Peter Bradley-Fulgoni, Concert Pianist
• Stan Webb, blues guitarist and founder of Chicken Shack, resides in the town.
• Kevin Keelan, Footballer Played for Norwich City F.C
• Paul Frampton, theoretical physicist, was born in Kidderminster, and educated at King Charles I School.
• Robert Hamer, film director and screenwriter, known for his 1949 comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets, starring Dennis Price and Alec Guinness, was born in Kidderminster on 31 March 1911.
• Peter Collins, former Formula One driver was born in Kidderminster on 6 November 1931. During his career Collins drove for the HWM, Vanwall, Maserati and Ferrari teams and won 3 of his 33 Grands Prix. Tragically his promising career was cut short during the 1958 German Grand Prix, when Collins spun off the track and sustained a fatal head injury in the accident that followed.
• Tom Watson (born 8 January 1967), is the Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich East. He was educated at King Charles I High School in Kidderminster. In September 2006 Watson was the subject of national media attention after resigning his junior ministerial post in an effort to force Prime Minister Tony Blair to name the date he would step down from office.
• Jon Turley (born 26 April 1971), an author who writes children's books, has lived in Kidderminster since the mid 1990s and was born some fifteen miles away in Worcester.
• Ewan Pearson, DJ and record producer, grew up in Kidderminster.
• Jason Bowers, former British Kickboxing Champion lives in Kidderminster.
• Sammi Davis, film actress was born in Kidderminster in 1964.
• Rachel Jones, the current live producer of BBC Radio 1's The Chris Moyles Show, was born in the town.
• Rustie Lee, Celebrity chef also lives in the town.
• Mike Sanchez, Rhythm and blues pianist and vocalist is a long-time resident of Kidderminster.
• Ernest Perry, first-class cricketer, died in Kidderminster in 1996.
• Alun Evans, English soccer's first £100,000 teenager, was born in Kidderminster.
• Jowe Head, (born Joe Hendon in Kidderminster in 1956) bass guitarist, singer and visual artist was a member of Swell Maps before joining the Television Personalities.
• Mark Birch, former guitarist with Wishbone Ash was born and raised in Kidderminster.