List of people from the London Borough of Southwark

The list of people from the London Borough of Southwark includes residents who were either born or dwelt for a substantial period within the borders of this modern London borough. It does not comprise notable individuals who only studied at educational institutions in the area, such as the Camberwell School of Art and the Dulwich College. Several of the men and women listed have been honoured with blue plaques in various parts of the borough, including more than 50 commemorative plaques awarded by the Southwark Council since 2003.

In 1965, the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark, the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, and the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey were amalgamated to form the London Borough of Southwark. Located in the eastern part of South London, it is, along with the City of London, the oldest part of Greater London, with a history of civilisation that dates back to the Roman times. One of the 32 London boroughs, it constitutes several urban and suburban neighborhoods, including Bermondsey, Bankside, Camberwell, Dulwich, Peckham, Nunhead, Rotherhithe, Walworth, and The Borough, located at the southern bank of the river Thames.

The 2001 census recorded the population of Southwark to be nearly 244,866 residents, sixty-three per cent of whom are whites, sixteen per cent black African and 8 percent black Caribbean. For a decade, between 1997 and 2007, the borough's population grew at three times the rate of England as a whole. Sixty per cent of the borough's inhabitants are currently known to live in social housing.

Notable residents Key to "Notes" regarding the residents' affiliation to Southwark: Letter DescriptionB Indicates that the resident was born in Southwark.D Indicates that the resident died in Southwark. Citations in the Notes box refer to the information in the entire row.

Academia and research

Name Notability District Entries with no sourced locality (district) of residence available are marked with a "?". Notes All entries contain a reliably sourced reference. Entries may also contain a letter indicating Birth or Death.Michael FaradayChemist and physicist, invented the electric motorNewingtonBClement le Neve FosterGeologist and mineralogistCamberwellBH. T. Wood, ‘Foster, Sir Clement Le Neve (1841–1904)’, rev. R. C. Cox, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004Benjamin JowettClassical scholar, served as Master of Balliol College, OxfordBE.A. Abbott and Lewis Campbell (1897). The Life and Letters of Benjamin Jowett.Anthony James Leggett Physicist, received the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics for work on superfluidity B Alfred Marshall Economist, wrote the popular textbook Principles of Economics (1890)BermondseyBRobert Recorde Physician and mathematician, invented the "equals" sign (=) in 1557SouthwarkDNewman, James R. (1956). The World Of Mathematics. Courier Dover Publications.Edward Burnett TylorAnthropologist, affiliated with the sociocultural evolutionismCamberwellBR. R. Marett (1936). Tylor. London: Chapman and Hall.

Arts and entertainment

Name Notability District Notes Jenny Agutter Film and television actress, won an Emmy Award and a BAFTA Camberwell Edward Alleyn Actor of the Elizabethan theatre, founded Dulwich College and Alleyn's School DulwichHodges, S (1981). God's Gift: A Living History of Dulwich College. London: HeinemannRichard Ayoade TV and film actor, director, writer East Dulwich Pete Bennett Winner of Big Brother 7 television reality series CamberwellBIndex of Births, Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales, 1837-1983. John Boyega Film actor currently starring in FOX series 24: Live Another Day, alongside fellow British-American actor, Kiefer Sutherland PeckhamJoshua BradleyYouTuber and member of the SidemenBermondsey Kenneth BranaghActor and film director, won an Emmy Award and received an Oscar nominationCamberwellMichael CaineActor, recipient of two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, and four Golden Globe Awards RotherhitheBCharlie ChaplinActor, comedian and filmmaker, recipient of two Academy Awards WalworthBPat CoombsCharacter actress, worked in film, radio and televisionCamberwellBMadeline DugganCharacter actress, known for work in the BBC soap opera EastEndersBermondseyBJenny Eclair Comedian, actress and novelistCamberwellChiwetel EjioforActor with special prominence on the London stageCamberwellJade GoodyReality TV personalityBermondseyBLeslie GranthamTelevision actor, known for work in the BBC soap opera EastEndersCamberwellBPatricia HayesComedy actress, prominent for her work in televisionCamberwellBLynette HemmantArtist and illustratorCamberwellAlbert HouthuesenArtist of still-lives, landscapes, seascapes, and portraitsCamberwellTerry JonesComedian, actor and filmmaker, best known as member of the Monty Python teamCamberwellBoris Karloff Actor, best recognised as Frankenstein's monster in the 1931 film FrankensteinCamberwellBMartin McDonagh Playwright and film director, Academy Award winnerCamberwellBIvor MoretonSinger and pianist, known for performing in a duo with Dave KayePeckhamErin O'ConnorFashion modelCamberwellSamuel PalmerRomantic landscape painter, etcher, printmaker and writerNewingtonBClaude RainsActor and film star, winner of a Tony AwardCamberwellBHarmetz, Aljean (1993). Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of "Casablanca". Orion Publishing Co.Tim RothFilm actorDulwichBThomas SangsterFilm and voice actorSouthwarkBirths England and Wales 1984–2006Steve Chandra SavaleMusicianCamberwellBNicholas SerotaArt curator, serving as director of Tate GalleryCamberwellSiouxsie SiouxSinger-songwriter of Siouxsie and the BansheesSouthwarkBJohn StainerOrganist, composer, and professor of music at University of OxfordSouthwarkDibble, Jeremy (2007). John Stainer: a life in music. Woodbridge: Boydell Press.Tommy SteeleEntertainer who brought rock music to the UK BermondseyBEmma ThompsonActor and screenwriter, winner of Oscars, BAFTAs, an Emmy, a Golden Globe AwardCamberwell Mark Wallinger Sculptor, a YBA known for the Ecce Homo (1999), and State Britain (2007) sculptures CamberwellFlorence WelchSinger/songwriter (Florence + The Machine)CamberwellB

Engineering and technology

Name Notability District Notes Charles BabbageVictorian mathematician, inventor of the first mechanical computing machine WalworthBIsambard Kingdom BrunelVictorian engineer, designed Great Western Railway and SS Great BritainRotherhitheMarc Isambard BrunelEngineer, known for designing the construction of the Thames TunnelEdward Turner Engineer, designed Ariel and Triumph motorcycles and Daimler carsCamberwellB

Journalism and media Name Notability District Notes Jeremy Bowen Reporter and television presenter, best known as a war correspondent for the BBCCamberwellPeter PrestonEditor of The Guardian (1975–1995) and a chairman of International Press Institute (1995–97)Zoe WilliamsReporter and columnist for The Guardian and the New Statesman

Literature

Name Notability District Notes Enid Blyton Children's author, with popular work like the Famous Five and Secret Seven seriesEast DulwichB Robert Browning Victorian poet and playwright, known for mastery of dramatic verseCamberwellBCamilla Dufour CroslandVictorian poet, novelist and writer on social and historical subjects, died in East DulwichEast DulwichBThe Feminist Companion to Literature in English, eds Virginia Blain, Patricia Clements and Isobel Grundy (London: Batsford, 1990), p. 251.Charles Dickens Victorian novelist, journalist and social campaigner SouthwarkHarry Buxton FormanVictorian bibliographer, editor, Shelley scholar Camberwell-Collins, John (1992). The Two Forgers: A Biography of Harry Buxton Forman and Thomas James Wise. New Castle, Delaware, USA: Oak Knoll Press. Philip MassingerPlaywright of works such as A New Way to Pay Old Debts and The Roman ActorSouthwark DAdler, Dorris. Philip Massinger. (Twayne's English authors series; 435) Boston: Twayne, 1987. .John RuskinArt critic, social theorist, painter and writerDenmark Hill Hester ThraleDiarist and author, whose writings illuminate life in 18th-century EnglandSouthwark Mary WollstonecraftAuthor and feminist, known for writing A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)Newington Butts

Politics and government

Name Notability District Notes Lord Eric Avebury Liberal Member of Parliament, 1962–70; Liberal Democrat Representative peer, 1999- CamberwellJoseph ChamberlainLiberal and Liberal Unionist politician, entrepreneur and imperial statesman CamberwellB Julian Amery and J.L. Garvin, The life of Joseph Chamberlain, Six volumes, Macmillan, 1932–1969.Harriet Harman Labour Member of parliament, 1983-; Leader of the House of Commons, 2007–DulwichSimon Hughes Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (1983-) and party President (2004-) BermondseyJack Jones General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, 1968–77Denmark HillJones, Jack (1986). Union Man. Harper Collins. Sir Timothy LaurenceNaval officer, Equerry to Queen Elizabeth (1986–89), and husband of Princess AnneCamberwellBHenry ThraleAnchor Brewery heir, Member of Parliament (1765–80), Sheriff of the City of LondonSouthwarkLarry Whitty Labour politician; General Secretary of the Labour Party (1985–94)Camberwell

Religion

Name Notability District Notes Hester Biddle Quaker pamphleteer, preacher and traveller BermondseyD Edmund Bonner Bishop of London, known for persecuting heretics in Queen Mary I's Catholic ruleSouthwark D John Harvard English clergyman, first benefactor to College, 1639 named Harvard University in his honour BFrancis PottEnglish clergyman and hymnwriterA Dictionary of Hymnology - Mother Mary Potter Founder of the Little Company of Mary in 1877. On 8 February 1988, Pope John Paul II proclaimed her Venerable. BermondseyB Charles Spurgeon Reformed Baptist preacher and eponym for Spurgeon's College Elephant and Castle The Standard Life of C. H. Spurgeon. London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1800s.

Sports

Name Notability District Notes Bobby Abel Cricketer (1881–1904), played as an opening batsman for the England cricket team Rotherhithe B John Bostock Footballer, plays as a midfielder for OH Leuven Camberwell B Rio Ferdinand Former footballer, played as a centre-back most notably for Manchester United; was also a former captain of England; currently a pundit for BT Sport Peckham BFerdinand, Rio (2006). Rio: My Story. Headline Publishing. Duncan Goodhew Swimmer, winner of gold and bronze medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics Camberwell David HayeBoxer, former WBA heavyweight champion, former unified world cruiserweight champion and former European cruiserweight championBermondseyJohn KeeneCricketer (1897–1907), played as a bowler for Surrey, Worcestershire, and ScotlandBNosher Powell Boxer and actorCamberwellBMartin RuaneWrestler, known as "Giant Haystacks" and a European Union Heavyweight ChampionBKenny SansomFootballer, played as a left back for Arsenal and EnglandB

See also List of people from London

References