Buckinghamshire - Notable People

Notable People

Buckinghamshire is the birthplace and/or final resting place of several notable individuals. St Osyth was born in Quarrendon and was buried in Aylesbury in the 7th century while at about the same time Saint Rumwold was buried in Buckingham. In the medieval period Roger of Wendover was, as the name suggests, from Wendover and Anne Boleyn also owned property in the same town. It is said that King Henry VIII made Aylesbury the county town in preference to Buckingham because Boleyn's father owned property there and was a regular visitor himself. Other medieval residents included Edward the Confessor, who had a palace at Brill, and John Wycliffe who lived in Ludgershall.

Buckinghamshire later became home to some notable literary characters. Edmund Waller was brought up in Beaconsfield and served as Member of Parliament for both Amersham and Wycombe. Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary lived for some time in Marlow, attracted to the town by their friend Thomas Love Peacock who also lived there. John Milton lived in Chalfont St Giles and his cottage can still be visited there and John Wilkes was MP for Aylesbury. Later authors include Jerome K. Jerome who lived at Marlow, T. S. Eliot who also lived at Marlow, Roald Dahl who lived at Great Missenden, Enid Blyton who lived in Beaconsfield and Edgar Wallace who lived at Bourne End and is buried in Little Marlow. Modern-day writers from Bucks include Terry Pratchett who was born in Beaconsfield, Tim Rice who is from Amersham and Andy Riley who is from Aylesbury.

During the Second World War a number of European politicians and statesmen were exiled in England. Many of these settled in Bucks as it is close to London. President Edvard Beneš of Czechoslovakia lived at Aston Abbotts with his family while some of his officials were stationed at nearby Addington and Wingrave. Meanwhile Władysław Sikorski, military leader of Poland, lived at Iver and King Zog of Albania lived at Frieth. Much earlier, King Louis XVIII of France lived in exile at Hartwell House from 1809 to 1814.

Also on the local political stage Buckinghamshire has been home to Nancy Astor who lived in Cliveden, Frederick, Prince of Wales who also lived in Cliveden, Baron Carrington who lives in Bledlow, Benjamin Disraeli who lived at Hughenden Manor and was made Earl of Beaconsfield, John Hampden who was from Great Hampden and is revered in Aylesbury to this day and Prime Minister Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery who lived at Mentmore. Also worthy of note are William Penn who believed he was descended from the Penn family of Penn and so is buried nearby and the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who has an official residence at Chequers. Finally John Archdale colonial governor of North Carolina and South Carolina, although more notably American, was born in Buckinghamshire.

Other notable natives of Buckinghamshire include:

• Errol Barnett, news reporter, was born in Milton Keynes
• Nick Beggs, musician, is from Winslow
• Lynda Bellingham, actress, is from Aylesbury
• Emily Bergl, actress, born in Buckinghamshire, though her family moved to suburban Chicago a few years after her birth
• Emmerson Boyce, Wigan Athletic footballer, was born in Aylesbury
• Nick Bracegirdle aka Chicane, was born in Chalfont St Giles
• Den Brotheridge, British Army Officer who died taking Pegasus Bridge in France was from Aylesbury
• James Corden, actor, grew up in Hazlemere
• Lucinda Dryzek, actress, born in High Wycombe in South Bucks
• Emma Ferreira English contemporary artist, sculptor, photographer, entrepreneur and philanthropist
• Martin Grech, musician, is from Aylesbury
• Howard Jones, musician, is from High Wycombe
• Prince Michael of Kent, member of the British Royal Family, born in Iver in South Bucks
• Arthur Lasenby Liberty, merchant, was from Chesham
• Richard Lee, footballer, attended Aylesbury Grammar School
• Jonathon Lewis, England test cricketer, was born in Aylesbury
• Al Murray, television / radio presenter also known as The Pub Landlord originates from Stewkley
• John Otway, musician, is from Aylesbury
• Leigh-Anne Pinnock, singer and member of 2011 X-Factor winning girl group Little Mix, born in High Wycombe
• Matt Phillips, footballer playing for Blackpool F.C., was born in Aylesbury
• Steve Redgrave, five-time Olympic gold medallist rower is from Marlow Bottom
• Simon Standage, Baroque violinist, is from High Wycombe
• Justin Sullivan, musician with New Model Army
• Michael York, actor, born in Fulmer in South Bucks

Celebrities living in Bucks include:

• Cilla Black, television presenter, lives in Denham
• Fern Britton, television presenter, lives in Holmer Green
• Melanie Brown, musician, lived in Little Marlow
• John Craven, television presenter, lives in Princes Risborough
• Tess Daly has a house in Fulmer
• Iain Duncan Smith, politician, lives in Swanbourne
• Ian Dury, musician, lived in Wingrave
• Noel Edmonds, television presenter, once lived in Weston Turville
• Andrew Fletcher, musician with Depeche Mode, has a home in Marlow
• Noel Gallagher, musician with Oasis, lives in Little Chalfont
• Barry Gibb, musician from Bee Gees, lives in Beaconsfield
• Sir John Gielgud, actor, was living in Wotton Underwood when he died
• Sir David Jason, actor, lives in Ellesborough
• Peter Jones, businessman, lives in Beaconsfield
• Jason "Jay" Kay, musician and frontman of Jamiroquai, lives in Horsenden
• Vernon Kay has a house in Fulmer
• John Laurie, Actor, lived in Chalfont St Peter
• Hayley Mills and Roy Boulting lived in Ibstone
• John Mills, actor, lived in Denham
• Mike Oldfield, musician, once lived in Little Chalfont
• Nduka Onwuegbute, playwright, lives in Aylesbury
• Ozzy Osbourne, musician, had a home in Jordans
• Pauline Quirke, actress, lives in Beaconsfield
• Steve Rothery, musician with Marillion, lives in Whitchurch
• Rothschild family, bankers, had houses in Ascott, Aston Clinton, Eythrope, Halton, Mentmore and Waddesdon
• Tiny Rowland, businessman, lived in Hedsor
• Chris Standring, jazz guitarist and musician
• Jackie Stewart, racing driver, lives in Ellesborough
• Andrew Strauss, England cricket captain, lives in Marlow
• Dave Vitty, BBC Radio 1 DJ, lives in Fulmer
• Mark Webber, Formula 1 racing driver, lives in Aston Clinton
• Terry Wogan, radio and television broadcaster, lives in Taplow