List of people from Leicester and Leicestershire

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2016)

This is a list of notable people born in Leicester, England, or in the county of Leicestershire, educated there, or otherwise associated with the city or county.

Henry Walter Bates
Alfred Russel Wallace
David Attenborough
Daniel Lambert
Gary Lineker
Peter Shilton
Thomas Cook
Lady Jane Grey
George Fox
Mary Linwood


Academia (except scientists)

  • Graham Barnfield (sociologist)
  • Caroline Ashurst Biggs (suffragette & academic)
  • James Densley (sociologist)
  • Mark Fisher (21st century cultural theorist and philosopher)
  • W. G. Hoskins (landscape historian)
  • Jack Simmons (historian esp. of British railways)

Architecture

  • John Breedon Everard (architect and civil engineer)
  • Ernest Gimson (architect, craftsman)
  • Henry Goddard (architect)
  • Stockdale Harrison (architect)
  • John Johnson (architect)
  • William Keay (architect and civil engineer)
  • Samuel Perkins Pick (architect)
  • Arthur Wakerley (architect)

Arts and entertainment

Acting, film, and comedy

Broadcasting and journalism


Music

Painters

Writing (except journalism)

Others

Business

  • Charles Bennion (shoe machinery manufacturer, philanthropist, bought Bradgate Park for the 'quiet enjoyment of the people of Leicestershire')
  • Harold Berridge (civil engineer and mechanical engineer)
  • Thomas Cook (travel agent)
  • Nathaniel Corah (textile manufacturer)
  • Henry Curry (founder of Currys)
  • Thomas Fielding Johnson (worsted spinner, philanthropist, founding benefactor of Leicester University)
  • William Inman (shipping company owner)
  • Frank Jessop (In 1935 founded The Jessop Group Limited, photographic retailers and suppliers. "Jessops of Leicester")
  • Harry Peach (furniture manufacturer and social campaigner)
  • Henry Walker (founder of Walkers Crisps)
  • Thomas White (merchant, philanthropist)
  • William Wyggeston (merchant, philanthropist)

Exploration

Military

Politics and royalty

Religion

Science

Sport

Boxing

  • George Aldridge (born 1936) (former British middleweight champion; grew up in Market Harborough)
  • Pat Butler (1913-2001) (former British welterweight champion; born in Rothley)
  • Errol Christie (1963-2017) (former European middleweight champion; born in Leicester)
  • Albert Cocksedge (1884-1928, early 20th century English champion at various weights; born in Leicester
  • Shaun Cummins (1968-2012) (fought for British and European titles at super-welterweight and middleweight; born in Leicester)
  • Jack Gardner (1926–1978) (British, British Empire, and European heavyweight champion)
  • Tony McKenzie (born 1963) (former British light welterweight champion; born in Leicester)
  • Rendall Munroe (born 1980) (EBU and Commonwealth super bantamweight boxing champion; born in Leicester)
  • Louis Norman (born 1993) (British flyweight challenger; lives in Shepshed)
  • Chris Pyatt (born 1963) (former World Champion middleweight boxer)
  • Tony Sibson (born 1958) (former European and Commonwealth middleweight champion; born in Leicester)
  • Len Wickwar (1911-1980) (holds the record for highest number of professional fights, 470; born in Leicester)
  • Tim Wood (1951-2010) (former British light heavyweight champion; grew up in Leicester)

Chess

Cricket

Cycling

  • Lucy Garner (twice Junior World Champion)
  • Bert Harris (first professional cycling champion of England)
  • Fred Wood (multi World Cycling Champion, 1880s)[6]

Football

Rugby Union

  • Dan Cole (rugby union footballer for Leicester Tigers and England)
  • Martin Corry (former rugby union footballer, former Leicester captain and former England captain)
  • Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers captain, England International)
  • Martin Johnson (CBE, rugby union footballer, Leicester and England's World-Cup winning captain; grew up in Market Harborough)
  • Steve Redfern (rugby union footballer, Leicester Tigers walk of legends)
  • Dean Richards (rugby union footballer and coach, Leicester Tigers and England captain)
  • Ollie Smith (Rugby Union international)[21]
  • Harry Thacker (Leicester Tigers)
  • John Wells (Leicester Tigers captain, head coach and England Forwards coach)

Snooker

Speedway

Others

Miscellaneous

  • Anick Soni, intersex activist and creative consultant.

References

  1. ^ Vallance, Tom (4 June 2005). "Norman Bird: Actor best at playing under-achievers". The Independent. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. ^ Burton, Paul (22 June 2009). "Whatever happened to Sheila Fearn?". Borhamwood & Elstree Times. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Rachel Parris: It's Fun To Pretend", Time Out London, 2 March 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2018
  4. ^ "Labour MP Claudia Webbe charged with harassing a woman". inews.co.uk. 28 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Eminent Alumni". Queens' College, Cambridge. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Leicestershire's top 100 sporting greats". Leicester Mercury. 19 February 2011. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  7. ^ Blackwell, Jordan (21 July 2017). "Leicester City starlet Harvey Barnes commits future to club with four-year deal". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Ashley Chambers". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Dion Dublin". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Kevin Friend". Premier League. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Emile Heskey". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Chris Kirkland". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  13. ^ List of people from Leicester and Leicestershire at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  14. ^ "Gary Lineker". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Joe Mattock". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  16. ^ "The Morgan dynasty: meet the family driving Leicester City Women's rise". times.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Levi Porter". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Michael Robinson". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Peter Shilton". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Luke Varney". Football Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  21. ^ "Ollie Smith". Rugby Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  22. ^ "Mark Cox". Tennis Heroes. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  23. ^ "Three walk free after court is told of motiveless killing". The Herald. 11 August 1998. Retrieved 12 July 2018.