List of people from Berkhamsted

This is a list of notable people associated with Berkhamsted, a town in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England.

Academic and Medical

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Moved to Berkhamsted

  • G. M. Trevelyan (1876–1962), noted British historian, as a resident he took part in historical pageants in the town.[1]

Artists and Writers

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  • Poet and hymn writer William Cowper (1731–1800), one of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of eighteenth century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside.
  • Novelist Graham Greene (1904–1991), whose father was headmaster of Berkhamsted School, which Greene attended. One of Greene's novels, The Human Factor, set there and mentions several places in the town, including Kings Road and Berkhamsted Common. In his autobiography, Greene wrote that he has been 'moulded in a special way through Berkhamsted'. Greene's life and works are celebrated annually during the last weekend in September with a festival organised by the Graham Greene Birthplace Trust.[2]
  • Richard Mabey (20 February 1941–), writer and broadcaster, chiefly on the relations between nature and culture
  • Jonathan Carr (1942–2008), journalist and author
  • Antony Hopkins (21 March 1921 – 6 May 2014), English composer, pianist and conductor, as well as a writer and radio broadcaster.
  • Stanley Wilson (1899-1953), composer and music teacher, born in Berkhamsted and educated at Berkhamsted School.

Moved to Berkhamsted

  • Kingsley Amis (1922-1995), English novelist, whose parents moved to Berkhamsted in 1940.
  • Maria Edgeworth (1 January 1768 – 22 May 1849), prolific Anglo-Irish writer, adult and realistic children's literature and was a significant figure in the evolution of the novel in Europe, lived at Edgeworth House in Berkhamsted as a child.
  • H. E. Todd (1908–1988) British writer of children's fiction, married and died in Berkhamsted.
  • Hilda van Stockum (9 February 1908 – 1 November 2006), Dutch born children's author and artist, also died in Berkhamsted.
  • Reg Butler (1913–1981), sculptor.[3]
  • Matt Whyman (1969–), novelist and advice columnist

Local Historians

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  • Percy Birtchnell (1910–1986), local historian. His publications include "A History of Berkhamsted" and "Bygone Berkhamsted" both published by Clunberry.

Moved to Berkhamsted

Media, Actors and Singers

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Moved to Berkhamsted

Military

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Political

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  • Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1601 to 1622.
  • Augustus Smith (15 September 1804 – 31 July 1872) born in Berkhamsted, MP for Truro and governor of the Isles of Scilly, Augustus Smith stopped the enclosure of the Berkhamsted Common. "Possibly no-one ever connected with the town more merits such a recognition than the illustrious educationalist and public-spirited man ... Augustus Smith who restarted Berkhamsted School and was the leading founder of the first elementary school in the locality." West Herts and Watford Observer, 1908. Augustus Smith today is commemorated by the award of the Augustus Smith scholarship for state school students in Berkhamsted.
  • Albert Andrews (13 September 1881 – 25 October 1960) was a provincial politician, Alberta, Canada.
  • Lawrence Ward, former Serjeant at Arms of the British House of Commons, attended St Thomas More junior school (1977 to 1978) and later lived at Billet Lane from 1999 until 2001.[citation needed]

Moved to Berkhamsted

Sports/physical

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Others

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Moved to Berkhamsted

  • Richard Scott, early settler of Providence in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
  • Edmund Rice, early settler of Massachusetts Bay Colony
  • Peter the Wild Boy (c. 1713 – 22 February 1785), feral boy with learning difficulties and possible Pitt–Hopkins syndrome from Germany, who was original brought to England as a curiosity but later was cared for in Northchurch and Berkhamsted.[16]
  • Derek Simpson, Joint-General Secretary of the UK's biggest private-sector trade union, Unite, from 2007–2010, previously the General Secretary of Amicus from 2002–2007
  • Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive of easyJet

Association through education in Berkhamsted

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Associated with the Manor and/or Berkhamsted castle

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[17][18]

Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ "Travel: Our man in Berkhamsted". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Graham Greene Birthplace Trust". Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Reg Butler 1913–1981". Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  4. ^ Obituary: Sir Michael Hordern The Daily Telegraph, 4 May 1995
  5. ^ "Esther Rantzen at Hustings.com". Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Nick Owen at IMDb". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b Interesting facts about Berkhamsted Berkhamsted Today, 2 April 2009
  8. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – The Archers – David Archer". BBC. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  9. ^ "The Gavin & Stacey star you pass in the street". Berkhamsted & Tring Gazette. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  10. ^ Kirby, M (22 January 1999). "The Trial of King Charles I – Defining moment for our constitutional liberties – Address to the Anglo-Australasian Lawyers' Association". Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Meet the navy spy from Berkhamsted who helped kick- start conflict in Egypt". Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  12. ^ Mahrane, Said (June 2010). "de Gaulle 1958–1970". Le Point (Grand Angle) (8).
  13. ^ "De Gaulle Dead (main story) The year of exile in Salop [ie Shropshire]". Shropshire Star. 10 November 1970. p. 1.
  14. ^ Langley, Jim (6 April 1997). "Bicycle Stories". Jimlangley.net. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  15. ^ The Bicycle, UK, 11 September 1946, p. 6
  16. ^ "Berkhamsted Peter the Wild Boy". Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  17. ^ Paul, Remfry (1998). Berkhamsted Castle. Dacorum Heritage Trust. ISBN 0-9510944-1-6.
  18. ^ "Time Line". Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  19. ^ Ed Reardon's Week BBC Radio 4