List of people from Manchester explained

This is a list of people from Manchester, a city in North West England. The demonym of Manchester is Mancunian or Manc. This list is arranged alphabetically by surname. For people from Greater Manchester see List of people from Greater Manchester.

A - F

• Daniel Adamson (1820–1890) engineer born in Durham who designed the Manchester Ship Canal; one of the directors of the Manchester chamber of commerce; Justice of the Peace for Cheshire and Manchester; buried in Withington^[1]
• Chris Addison stand-up comedian, writer and actor^[2]
• Mark Addy (1840–1890) Manchester-born Albert Medal recipient
• Caroline Aherne (1963–2016) BAFTA Award-winning actress, comedian and writer, The Mrs Merton Show^[3]
• William Harrison Ainsworth historical novelist born in Manchester^[4]
• Sir John Alcock aviator who, with fellow British aviator Arthur Brown, made the first nonstop transatlantic flight^[5]
• Adam Anderson synthesist, one half of synth-pop duo Hurts
• Don Arden Cheetham Hill-born music manager and businessman, who oversaw the careers of rock groups Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath^[6]
• Anthony Arthur (born 1973) Olympic weightlifter (1996 Summer Olympics)^[7]
• George Arthurs (1875–1944), songwriter and author^[8]
• Rob Atha table football player^[9]
• Mike Atherton former England cricket captain and commentator^[10]
• Norman Beaker born Norman Hume in 1950 in Longsight, blues guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, band leader and record producer, officially recognised and inducted as a Legend in the Blues Hall of Fame in 2017.^{[11] [12]}
• William Worby Beaumont (1848–1929) automotive engineer and inventor
• Max Beesley English actor and musician^[13]
• Niamh Blackshaw actress, known for portraying Juliet Nightingale in Hollyoaks^[14]
• Stan Bowles born and brought up in Collyhurst; Manchester City, QPR, Nottingham Forest and England International footballer in the 1970s
• Maud Boyd (1867–1929) actress and operatic singer
• Edward Brotherton (1814–1866), English Swedenborgian and educational reform campaigner
• Joe Brown born in Ardwick, climber and mountaineer
• Wes Brown former Manchester United footballer^[15]
• Anthony Burgess (1917–1993) Manchester-born and educated author, poet, playwright, musician, linguist, translator and critic, known for novel A Clockwork Orange
• Darren Campbell former sprinter representing Great Britain^[16]
• Thomas George Cassell YouTuber and Twitch streamer^[17]
• John Cassidy Irish-born sculptor and painter who lived in Manchester^[18]
• Tom Chantrell – designer of many film posters including The Sound of Music and Star Wars^[19]
• Sir Humphrey Chetham merchant and benefactor of Chetham's Library; born in Crumpsall^[20]
• Saira Choudhry (born 1982), actress, born in Cheetham Hill^[21]
• Stanley Chow artist and illustrator^[22]
• Oliver Claffey (born 1990) professional wrestler
• Richard Cobden (1804–1865) Sussex-born industrialist who moved to Manchester, where he was politically active^[23]
• Kenneth Colley actor who played Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
• Roy Collins (1934 - 2009) cricketer who played for Lancashire and Cheshire; born in Clayton^[24]
• Verona Conway (1910–1986), plant ecologist^[25]
• George Cooke (1826–1862), cricketer
• Mary Corkling, artist and food reformer, was born at Withington, Manchester, in 1850.
• Lisa Cross (born 1978) IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Kevin Cummins award-winning professional photographer, responsible for iconic Joy Division photographs and for charting the rise of punk rock and Britpop, born in Withington
• Peter Cundall (1927–2021) horticulturist and television presenter; born in Manchester^[26]
• Ian Curtis (1956–1980) musician and singer in Joy Division^[27]
• Mark DaviesRoman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury^[28]
• Aaron Davis (born 1990)better known by his stage name Bugzy Malone, rapper and actor, first artist in the grime genre from Manchester to commercially succeed in the UK^[29]
• Les Dawson comedian, born in Collyhurst (1931–1993)
• Arthur Delaney painter influenced by L. S. Lowry^[30]
• Lee Dixon former professional footballer and ITV Sport football pundit^[31]
• DJ Semtex disc jockey and presenter for BBC Radio 1Xtra digital radio station, presenting the flagship hip-hop show Friday Nights^[32]
• Robert Donat film and stage actor; known for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and Goodbye, Mr. Chips, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor
• Edith Escombe fiction writer and essayist^[33]
• Rachel Fairburn popular comedian and one half of the well known true crime serial killer comedy podcast All Killa No Filla
• Judy Finnigan television presenter and columnist; usually co-presents with her husband, Richard Madeley; they are collectively known as Richard and Judy^[34]
• Wayne Fontana singer with The Mindbenders^[35]
• Norman Foster architect; founder and chairman of Foster and Partners studios; raised in Levenshulme
• Dean Furman (born 1988) professional footballer

G - M

• Liam Gallagher lead singer of Manchester band Oasis^[36]
• Noel Gallagher songwriter and lead guitarist for High Flying Birds and formerly Oasis^[36]
• George Garrett submarine pioneer who built Resurgam; brought up in Moss Side^[37]
• Michael Bisping UFC Middleweight Champion
• Max George member of boy band the Wanted
• Andy Gibb singer, teen idol and actor; born in Stretford
• Barry Gibb singer and musician, member of the Bee Gees; brought up in Chorlton-cum-Hardy
• Maurice Gibb singer and musician, member of the Bee Gees; brought up in Chorlton-cum-Hardy
• Robin Gibb singer, member of the Bee Gees; brought up in Chorlton-cum-Hardy
• Jimmy Golder professional association footballer
• Jimi Goodwin bassist, vocalist and guitarist for the Doves^[38]
• Holliday Grainger actress; known for portraying Lucrezia Borgia in Showtime's The Borgias
• Trevor Griffiths dramatist, co-writer of screenplay for the film Reds; born in Ancoats^[39]
• Nick Grimshaw Manchester-born Radio 1 DJ^[40]
• Andrew Hall Cheshire cricketer^[41]
• Arthur Harden Manchester-born Nobel Prize–winning biochemist^[42]
• Benjamin Heywood (1793 - 1865) prominent Manchester citizen, philanthropist and politician^[43]
• Oliver Heywood banker and philanthropist^[44]
• Bernard Hill film, stage and television actor, known for playing Yosser Hughes in Boys from the Blackstuff and roles in blockbuster films, including Titanic, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and True Crime^[45]
• Ray Honeyford headmaster and writer, known for highlighting the failures of multiculturalism in Bradford^[46]
• Keith HopwoodHerman's Hermits guitarist, born in Davyhulme
• Shotty Horroh well known rapper, singer and actor^[47]
• Myra Hindley Gorton-born serial killer who, along with her accomplice, Ian Brady, claimed the lives of five victims in Manchester in the 1960s
• Peter Hook bassist of the bands Joy Division and New Order^{[48] [49]}
• Mick Hucknall lead singer of the band Simply Red^[50]
• Nat Jacobs amateur and professional boxer^[51]
• Howard Jacobson Man Booker Prize-winning British Jewish author and journalist, best known for writing comic novels that often revolve around the dilemmas of British Jewish characters^[52]
• Davy Jones actor; singer of the band The Monkees^[53]
• Michelle Keegan actress on Coronation Street
• Brian Kidd football coach; assistant manager at Manchester City since December 2009; former player; assistant manager to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in the 1990s; member of the Manchester United team that won the European Cup in 1968; born in Collyhurst^[54]
• Frank "Foo Foo" Lammar drag queen, born in Ancoats^[55]
• Harold Lever Labour politician and Baron Lever^[56]
• Emmanuel Levy (1900–1986) painter, teacher and art critic
  • Martin Lewis Withington-born^[57] financial journalist who founded MoneySavingExpert.com Harvey Lisbergmusic and sporting manager who discovered Herman's Hermits
• David Lloyd George born in Chorlton-in-Medlock;^[58] British Prime Minister during the First World War; member of the Liberal Party
• Sunny Lowry Longsight-born^[59] swimmer who was the first British woman to swim the English Channel
• Bernard Manning Ancoats-born stand-up comedian^[60]
• Sir Ernest Marples Postmaster-General and Minister of Transport; born in Levenshulme^[61]
• Johnny Marr songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer, rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths^[62]
• Ian McShane actor who grew up in Manchester
• Peter Mellor (born 1947) English-born American footballer and coach^[63]
• Mohyeldeen Mohammad Islamist activist who studied in Saudi Arabia prior to his deportation^[64]
• Steven Patrick Morrissey singer-songwriter in The Smiths,^[65] writer and poet. Born in Davyhulme,^[66] the singer rose to fame in the 1980s as the flamboyant frontman of rock band The Smiths
• Daniel Moult concert organist, organ tutor and animateur, ensemble player and presenter of films about music^[67]
• Gary Mounfield "Mani", bassist, formerly of The Stone Roses and later in Primal Scream^[68]

N - Z

• Doug Naylor comedy writer, known for creating the comedy series Red Dwarf
• Matt O'Connor gender equality activist and found of Fathers 4 Justice^[69]
• Nigel Osborne composer, teacher and aid worker
• Jason Orange singer, songwriter, dancer, former member of Take That
• Emmeline Pankhurst suffragette, born in Moss Side
• Duncan Perry cricketer
• Anshel Pfeffer journalist
• Karl Pilkington podcaster, author and television presenter; known for his work with Ricky Gervais^[70]
• Fee Plumley digital artist^[71]
• John Charles Polanyi chemist, brought up in Manchester; won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research in chemical kinetics^[72]
• Simon N. Powell (born 1955) born in Manchester; cancer researcher and radiation oncologist^[73]
• Thomas de Quincey (1785–1859) born in Manchester; author and intellectual; known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821)^[74]
• Marcus Rashford footballer; plays for Manchester United and the England national team
• Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers; originally from Middleton, Greater Manchester; Lee, whilst off-duty and walking back to barracks, was killed by two Islamic extremists on 27 May 2013 as a terror attack
• Marc Riley musician; alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music; former member of the Fall; had his own record label, In-Tape; also worked as a record plugger^[75]
• Andy Rourke bass guitarist best known for being a former member of the Smiths^[76]
• Lee Rourke novelist best known for The Canal, Vulgar Things and Glitch
• James Rowley cricketer
• Shaun Ryder vocalist and songwriter with the Happy Mondays^[77] who became famous in the Madchester era^[78]
• Peter Saville Manchester-born artist and designer, best known for his work with Factory Records^[79]
• Ceallach Spellman actor and presenter
• John Squire guitarist with the Stone Roses
• Paul Stenning author, brought up in Davyhulme
• Nobby Stiles born in Collyhurst, former football midfielder Stiles, Bobby Charlton and Ian Callaghan are the only Englishmen to have won both World and European Cups^[80]
• Bernard Sumner singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer, best known as a founding member of two bands, Joy Division and New Order^[62]
• John Thaw actor; known for his roles in The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC;^[81] born in Longsight, brought up in Burnage
• Katie Thistleton CBBC presenter and Radio 1 DJ
• John Thomas recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Edmund Thomson cricketer and British Army officer
• J. J. Thomson physicist and Nobel laureate; credited with the discovery of the electron and of isotopes, and the invention of the mass spectrometer; awarded the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the electron and his work on the conduction of electricity in gases^[82]
• Shayne Ward singer who won the second series of The X Factor
• Mabel Tylecote adult educationnist
• Simon Webbe singer/songwriter. Member of boyband Blue
• Danny Webber footballer, formerly of Manchester United and Sheffield United
• Danny Welbeck footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.^[83]
• Sir Joseph Whitworth^[84]
• Andy Williams drummer and vocalist of the Doves^[38]
• Jez Williams guitarist/songwriter of the Doves^[38]
• Tony Wilson co-founder of Factory Records and Granada Reports reporter
• Michael Wood historian and broadcaster; has presented numerous television documentary series, and made over 80 documentary films^[85]
• Alan Wren known as Reni; drummer of The Stone Roses^[86]

See also

• List of music artists and bands from Manchester

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

1. Book: Read, J. Gordon . Adamson, Daniel (1820–1890) . 2004 . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . . 27 July 2011 . http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/45638. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography .
2. News: Q&A: Chris Addison. . 20 February 2010.
3. http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/458572/ Aherne, Caroline (1963-)
4. Web site: William Harrison Ainsworth (1805–1882) – King of the Historical Potboiler: A Brief Biography. The Victorian Web.
5. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/13357/Sir-John-William-Alcock Sir John William Alcock
6. News: Obituary: Don Arden . . 25 July 2007. Garth. Cartwright. 8 January 2008.
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418041133/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ar/anthony-arthur-1.html Anthony Arthur
8. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-arthurs-mn0001009725 Biography of George Arthurs - All Music website
9. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Bristol-table-football-player-wins-World-Cup-Britain/story-11270965-detail/story.html Bristol table football player wins World Cup for Britain
10. News: Heroes and villains: Mike Atherton . Guardian News and Media. Observer Sports Monthly . 7 August 2005. 8 May 2010.
11. http://www.normanbeaker.com/ Norman Beaker Band | Official Band Website
12. http://www.blueshalloffame.com/Artists_Exhibit_Pages/Norman_Beaker_Exhibit.html Norman Beaker Legendary Blues Artist Exhibit in the Blues Hall of Fame ®
13. Web site: Max Beesley Biography. Starpulse.com.
14. Web site: Success at RDDC. Rossendale Dance and Drama Centre. 6 October 2020.
15. http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/First-Team/Web-Brown.aspx Wes Brown
16. Web site: Sport.co.uk meets... Darren Campbell. Sport.co.uk. Digital Sports Group.
17. Web site: TheSyndicateProject. Forbes. February 19, 2022.
18. Web site: Two Biographies. John Cassidy: Manchester Sculptor. 15 May 2009.
19. Web site: Branaghan. Sim. Biography: Tom Chantrell and the World of British Film Posters. Tom Chantrell Posters. 28 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170728093130/http://www.chantrellposter.com/biography. 28 July 2017. en. November 2011. live.
20. https://archive.org/details/lancashireillus00allegoog/page/n249 Lancashire Illustrated page 79
21. Web site: Saira Choudhry talks Acting, TV shows and Diversity. Desi Blitz. Kearney. Sarah-Louise. 15 February 2017 . 23 November 2022.
22. Web site: Central Illustration: Stanley Chow . 7 January 2016.
23. Book: Taylor, Miles . Cobden, Richard (1804–1865) . 2004 . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . . 27 July 2011 . http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5741. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography .
24. Web site: Player profile: Roy Collins. ESPN. Cricinfo. 30 November 2011.
25. Pigott. Donald. 1988. Obituary: Verona Margaret Conway: (1910–1986). Journal of Ecology. 76. 1. 288–291. 2260470. 0022-0477.
26. News: Seeds of sanity. . Clare. Kermond. 15 July 2004. 30 August 2009.
27. http://www.joydiv.org/iancurtis.htm#biog Ian Curtis biography
28. http://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/about-us/bishop/bishop-of-shrewsbury Bishop of Shrewsbury
29. Web site: How Bugzy Malone Became Grime's King of the North. Noisey. 2017-09-12.
30. Web site: Arthur Delaney. MillenniumART.
31. News: Dixon set for 600th game . ES London. London Evening Standard.
32. Web site: About DJ Semtex . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120102091809/http://djsemtex.wordpress.com/about/ . 2 January 2012.
33. Virginia Blain, Patricia Clements and Isobel Grundy: The Feminist Companion to Literature in English. Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Present Day (London: Batsford, 1990), p. 345.
34. News: Judy Finnigan: This much I know. . 7 October 2012.
35. News: Wayne Fontana, British singer who topped US charts with Game of Love, dies aged 74. . 7 August 2020.
36. News: Oasis' Noel Gallagher slams Mick Hucknall after Manchester comment . NME.com . 22 November 2008.
37. Web site: Garrett, George William Littler (1852–1902). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. 2004 . 23 October 2012.
38. News: Doves. guardian.co.uk . 31 March 2010.
39. Web site: Trevor Griffiths . 19 November 2011.
40. News: Nick Grimshaw: Meet BBC's It-boy . Guardian News and Media. guardian.co.uk . 14 September 2008.
41. Web site: Player profile: Andrew Hall. CricketArchive. 4 February 2012.
42. Web site: Biography: Arthur Harden . Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media.
43. Web site: Benjamin Heywood.
44. Web site: Statue of Oliver Heywood, Albert Square, Manchester.
45. Web site: From There to Here star Bernard Hill: Manchester always was a dirty, dangerous town. 8 October 2015.
46. News: English headmaster and writer Ray Honeyford dead. Telegraph. 8 February 2012. 5 July 2012. London.
47. Web site: The 405 meets Shotty Horroh. 29 March 2019.
48. Web site: Joy Division Biography. AllMusic. 28 June 2013.
49. Web site: New Order Biography. AllMusic. 28 June 2013.
50. Web site: Mick Hucknall – Biography on Bio.. 10 March 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130330234948/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/mick-hucknall.html. 30 March 2013.
51. Web site: Birth details at freebmd.org.uk. freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2012. 1 January 2013.
52. News: Howard Jacobson Wins the Booker Prize . BBC News . 12 October 2010.
53. News: Davy Jones of The Monkees dies aged 66 . . 1 March 2012.
54. Web site: Brian Kidd -Assistant Manager. 19 November 2011. Manchester City FC.
55. Web site: Frank Foo Foo Lamarr . queermusicheritage.com . 20 June 2022.
56. News: Lord Lever, Millionaire Adviser To British Laborites, Dies at 81 . The New York Times. 8 August 1995 . Richard W. Stevenson.
57. News: Mr Supersaver's on a mission . Taylor . Paul . Manchester Evening News . 21 February 2007 . 4 September 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121024032119/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/236770_mr_supersavers_on_a_mission_ . 24 October 2012 .
58. Web site: David Lloyd George . BBC Wales . November 2009 . 21 December 2008 . 8 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100108055712/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/halloffame/public_life/lloydgeorge.shtml . dead .
59. News: Obituary: Sunny Lowry . . David . Ward . 27 February 2008.
60. Web site: Race-row comedian Bernard Manning dies. Irish Independent. 19 June 2007. 19 June 2007.
61. Web site: Marples, (Alfred) Ernest, Baron Marples (1907–1978), politician and businessman . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 22 April 2015.
62. News: How we met: Johnny Marr & Bernard Sumner. . Laurence . Phelan . 18 July 1999.
63. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/600154532/Mellor-happy-to-be-coaching-for-RSL.html Mellor happy to be coaching for RSL - Deseret News
64. http://www.tv2.no/nyheter/innenriks/hevder-norsk-islamist-ser-etter-ny-brud-i-sverige-3626290.html Hevder norsk islamist ser etter ny brud i Sverige
65. http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/669917-morrissey-celebrates-50th-birthday Morrissey celebrates 50th birthday
66. http://mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/13063908-music-bible-nme-apologises-smiths-legend-morrissey-over-article-which-suggested-he- Music bible NME apologises to the Smiths' legend Morrissey over article which suggested he was racist
67. Web site: Daniel Moult Biography . DanielMoult.com.
68. Web site: Gary "Mani" Mounfield. Pride of Manchester.
69. http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2008/02/04/profile_matt_oconnor_feature.shtml BBC - London - News - Profile: Matt O'Connor
70. Web site: An Idiot Abroad: Official Karl Pilkington Bio. Sky 1 HD.
71. News: The artist as media activist . 10 October 2012. artsHub. 16 May 2012.
72. Book: John C. Polanyi Biography. BookRags.com.
73. Web site: Dr. Simon Powell - Radiation Oncology - New York, NY. www.castleconnolly.com. 2018-10-09.
74. Book: Lindop, Grevel . Quincey, Thomas Penson De (1785–1859) . 2004 . . . 27 July 2011. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7524.
75. Web site: Marc Riley – Fancy A Brew . Planetbods.
76. News: 'The Smiths are NOW …': a revealing interview from the vaults with Morrissey and Marr. . 4 October 2011.
77. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/entertainment/s/1406296_video_shaun_ryder__the_mild_man_of_rock_n_roll Video: Shaun Ryder - The mild man of rock ‘n’ roll
78. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/apr/21/madchester-manchester-interviews-hook-ryder Madchester remembered: 'There was amazing creative energy at the time'
79. Web site: Peter Saville. Design Museum. 8 April 2010.
80. News: Wembley, End of an Era . BBC Sport. 1 October 2000.
81. News: John Thaw obituary . https://web.archive.org/web/20091213190740/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-thaw-729775.html . dead . 13 December 2009 . The Independent. 23 February 2002 . Vallance, Tom.
82. Web site: J. J. Thomson . NobelPrize.org. 23 February 2002.
83. News: Danny Welbeck signs for Brighton. BBC. 18 October 2020.
84. Bradshaw, L. D. (1985) Origins of Street Names in the City of Manchester; Radcliffe: Neil Richardson,
85. News: Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Michael Wood, television historian . . 30 August 2007.
86. News: The Stone Roses: a potted history. . 7 April 2011.