List of people from Croydon

Among those who were born in the London Borough of Croydon, or have dwelt within the borders of the modern borough are (alphabetical order):

Contents 

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

A

• Feroz Abbasi, arrested in Afghanistan in 2001 and detained at Guantanamo Bay; lived in Shirley and attended school in Croydon
• Adegbenga Adejumo (1987–), Croydon born dubstep producer known as Benga
• Allan Ahlberg (1938–), children's writer (Penguin)
• Baron Ali (1964–), born and raised in the north of Croydon; multimillionaire media entrepreneur and politician; co-founder of Planet 24 TV production company; MD at Carlton Television; currently chairman of ASOS.com and Chorion Ltd.; a Labour peer; one of very few openly gay Muslim politicians in the world
• Dame Peggy Ashcroft (1907–1991), actress, born in Croydon and lived in George Street as a child; honoured in the naming of the Ashcroft Theatre, part of the Fairfield Halls; was a school friend of architect Jane Drew^[1]

B

• Jeannie Baker (1940–), artist, author, designer and animator
• Cicely Mary Barker (1895–1973), illustrator and artist; created the famous Flower Fairies books; born in Croydon and lived locally; studied at the Croydon School of Art
• Jon Benjamin (1964–), Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews since 2005; born and grew up in Croydon, and educated at Park Hill Primary School and Dulwich College
• Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury (1883–1896); lived at Addington Palace; invented Christmas tradition of Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
• Jeff Beck (1944–), guitarist
• Keith Berry (1973–), musician and composer
• Frederick Betts (1859–1944), donated Betts Park and built large areas in Croydon and Penge
• Emily Blunt (1983–), actress; she and husband John Krasinski own an apartment in East Croydon
• James Booth (1927–2005), actor (Zulu)^[2][3]
• Dane Bowers (1979–), singer, attended Trinity School
• Derren Brown, illusionist; born and brought up in Purley
• James Buckley, actor, best known for playing Jay Cartwright in The Inbetweeners^[4]
• Raymond Burns (1954–), musician, member of punk rock band the Damned; also known by the name Captain Sensible
• Mark Butcher (1972–), Surrey and England cricketer; born in Croydon, attended Trinity School

C

• Alison Carroll, actress
• Raymond Chandler (1888–1959), screenwriter and author
• Anne Clark (poet) (1960-), poet, songwriter and electronic musician
• Klariza Clayton (1989–), actress
• Martin Clunes (1961–), actor, resident
• Carlton Cole, footballer, currently playing for Celtic; born in Croydon
• Ronnie Corbett, comic actor, has lived for many years in Shirley, Croydon
• Frederick George Creed (1871–1957), electrical engineer and inventor of the teleprinter; lived and died at 20 Outram Road, Addiscombe

D

The house of Arthur Conan Doyle in South Norwood

• Tasha Danvers-Smith (1977–), champion hurdler
• Bertrand Dawson (1864–1945), physician to the British Royal Family and President of the Royal College of Physicians
• Desmond Dekker (1941–2006), ska musician, lived in Thornton Heath
• R.F. Delderfield (1912-1972), writer and dramatist; lived at 22 Ashburton Avenue, Addiscombe, 1918-1923; his "Avenue" series is based on his life in Addiscombe & Shirley Park; many of his works were adapted for television
• Luol Deng (1985–), basketball player for the Chicago Bulls and Great Britain; raised in South Norwood
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), author and creator of Sherlock Holmes; lived at 12 Tennison Road, South Norwood 1891–1894
• Jane Drew (1911–1996), architect and town planner; born at 8 Parchmore Road, Thornton Heath; went to Croydon High School and was a school friend of Dame Peggy Ashcroft
• Jacqueline du Pré (1945–1987), British cellist, acknowledged as one of the greatest players of the instrument, but whose career was cut short by multiple sclerosis; lived in Purley and attended Croydon High School

E

• Havelock Ellis (1859–1939), Victorian sexologist, born in Croydon
• Tracey Emin (1963–), artist
• Carlos Ezquerra (1947-), comics artist, co-creator of Judge Dredd

F

• Noel Fielding (1973–), comedian, writer, actor, artist, co-creator of The Mighty Boosh
• Matthew Fisher (1946–), musician, Procol Harum, composer of "Whiter Shade of Pale"
• Alexander Francis (1995–), musician, composer
• Vincent Frank (1985–), musician, Frankmusik
• Donna Fraser (1972–), international athlete
• Ian Frazer, poker player
• Neil Fraser (1955–), dub musician/producer (AKA Mad Professor)
• Charles Burgess Fry (1872–1956), polymath – sportsman, politician, teacher, writer, editor, publisher

G

• Trevor Goddard (1962–2003), actor^[5]
• Sir Philip Green (1952–), Croydon born billionaire, owner of the Arcadia Group
• Deryck Guyler (1914–1999), actor

H

• Will Hay (1888–1949), comic actor; lived at 45 The Chase, Norbury, 1927–1934
• Sir Francis Bond Head (1793–1875), soldier, traveller, author and Lieut. Governor of Upper Canada (1836–1838), had his home at Duppas Hill, Croydon
• Chris Heath 1959, actor, author, comedian
• Roy Hodgson, football manager and former player, born in Croydon
• Joseph Holbrooke (1822–1876), composer of stage, choral, and orchestral music
• Roy Hudd, comedian, born in Croydon in 1936^[6][7]

J

• Leonard F. Jarrett (1921-), former Director of Administration of the World Scout Bureau; former World Organizer of Scoutings's Jamboree-on-the-Air for thirty years; Croydon born
• Finn Jones (1988–), Croydon raised
• Oliver Jones (1986–), Croydon born dubstep producer otherwise known as Skream

K

• Steve Kember (1948–), footballer, born in Croydon
• George Arthur Knowland, recipient of the Victoria Cross during the Second World War
• John Krasinski (1979–), actor, he and wife Emily Blunt own an apartment in East Croydon
• Krept and Konan, UK rap duo, raised in Gipsy Hill, Lambeth and Thornton Heath, Croydon respectively

L

• Andrew Lawrence^[8]
• D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930), author; lived at 12 Colworth Road, Addiscombe, 1908–1912, whilst a teacher at Davidson Road School
• Sir David Lean (1908–1991), film director, born in Croydon^[9][10]
• Iain Lee (1973–), comedian, born in South Croydon
• E G Handel Lucas (1861-1936), artist, lived in Croydon from 1861 to 1909

M

• Kirsty MacColl (1959–2000), singer and songwriter, born and grew up in Croydon
• Miles Malleson (1888–1969), actor and dramatist, born in Croydon^[11][12]
• David McAlmont (1967–), British vocalist and songwriter, born in Croydon
• Duke McKenzie (1963–), world champion boxer
• Ralph McTell (1944–), musician, composer of "Streets of London"
• Katie Melua (1984–), singer, songwriter, musician, went to the Brit School for Performing Arts at Selhurst, Croydon
• Graham Moodie (1981–), Olympic hockey player
• Kate Moss (1974–), model^[13]
• Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990), author and media personality; son of H. T. Muggeridge, a prominent Croydon Labour councillor; taught at John Ruskin Central School in the 1920s

N

• Habib Nasib Nader (1979-), actor, writer
• Kate Nash (1987–), singer/songwriter; attended Brit School, Croydon

O

• Lawrence Okoye, athlete, attended Whitgift School
• Tarik O'Regan (1978–), composer, attended Elmhurst and Whitgift Schools, Croydon

P

• Sue Perkins (1969–), comedian, writer, performer
• Lucy Porter, comedian, raised in Croydon
• Simon Prebble (1942–), actor, narrator
• Luke Pritchard, lead singer of The Kooks, attended the Brit School, Croydon
• David Prowse, actor, aka Darth Vader in Star Wars; born in Bristol, has lived in Addiscombe, Croydon for over 40 years

R

• Chris Reed (1982–), BBC Radio One dubstep and grime DJ/producer (AKA Plastician)
• Jamie Reid (1947–), situationist, artist, graphic designer
• Robert Reid, Rally driver, lives in a flat in South Croydon
• Susanna Reid (1970– ), BBC television presenter; born in Croydon, attended Croham Hurst School and Croydon High School
• Nigel Reo-Coker, current English midfielder, playing for Bolton Wanderers and formerly of Wimbledon F.C., West Ham United and Aston Villa; born in Thornton Heath
• Phillip Rhys, actor
• Bridget Riley (1931–), painter, one of the foremost proponents of op art; born in Norbury
• Francis Ronalds (1788–1873), inventor, lived in Croydon in the period 1823-33 and manufactured his patented drawing instruments here^[14]
• Martyn Rooney (1987–), international sprinter
• John Ruskin (1819–1900), art critic and social theorist; spent much of childhood in Croydon at his mother's family home and visited often as an adult; his parents are buried in Shirley

S

• Peter Sarstedt (1942–), singer, winner of Ivor Novello Award; resident
• Danny Schwarz, model
• Kellie Shirley, EastEnders actress
• Bernard Spear (1919–2003), actor (Yentob)
• Dan Stevens, actor^[15]
• Stormzy, (1993-), UK musician, raised in Thornton Heath

T

• Samuel Coleridge Taylor (1875–1912), composer; noted for his cantatas including the Song of Hiawatha trilogy; lived at 30 Dagnall Park, Selhurst
• Sam Taylor-Johnson (born 1967), artist and filmmaker, born in Croydon

W

• Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), naturalist; independently proposed a theory of evolution by natural selection and prompted Charles Darwin to reveal his own unpublished theory sooner than he had intended; lived at 44 St Peter's Road, Croydon
• John Whitgift (ca. 1530–1604), Archbishop of Canterbury; buried in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist; several other Archbishops are buried in the Parish Church or St Mary's in Addington
• Rickie Haywood Williams (1982–), TV and radio presenter currently working for MTV and Kiss 100 London
• Amy Winehouse (1983–2011), singer, attended Brit School, Croydon
• Wilfred Wood, served as Bishop of Croydon 1985–2002, the first black Church of England bishop
• Edward Woodward (1930–2009), actor, born in Croydon^[16][17]
• Ian Wright MBE, former Crystal Palace, Arsenal and England football team footballer; lives in Shirley
• Matthew Wright, journalist and television presenter; born and resides in Croydon
• Tom Wright (1957–), architect of Burj Al Arab

In fiction

• Sarah Jane Smith, the popular fictional companion of the Third and Fourth Doctors in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who
• Jeremy "Jez" Osbourne and Mark Corrigan, the fictional protagonists from the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, live in a flat in West Croydon.
• Captain Kevin Darling from the BBC sitcom Blackadder Goes Forth lived in Croydon with his girlfriend Doris. Darling was also a wicket keeper for the Croydon Gentlemen cricket team.
• Terry and June, the protagonists of the BBC sitcom of the same name, lived in Purley, a suburb of Croydon.

References

1. "Peggy Ashcroft" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001919/
2. "James Booth" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0095718/
3. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 12 p. 51. Orbis Publishing (1981)
4. "James Buckley" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0118617/
5. "Trevor Goddard" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323845/
6. GRO: JUN 1936 2a 883 CROYDON – Roy Hudd, mmn = Barham
7. "Roy Hudd" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0399647/
8. Malcolm Hay (24 Nov 2006). "Andrew Lawrence: Interview". Time Out. Retrieved 18 Dec 2011.
9. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 259. Orbis Publishing (1981)
10. "David Lean" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000180/
11. "Miles Malleson" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0539942/
12. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 286. Orbis Publishing (1981)
13. "Kate Moss" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0609017/
14. Ronalds, B.F. (2016). Sir Francis Ronalds: Father of the Electric Telegraph. London: Imperial College Press. ISBN 978-1-78326-917-4.
15. "Dan Stevens" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1405398/
16. "Edward Woodward" at Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940919/
17. "Who's Who in the Cinema", The Movie volume 13 p. 473. Orbis Publishing (1981)