List of people from the London Borough of Ealing

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

B

• Michael Balcon, film producer at Ealing Studios. He is commemorated with a blue plaque.

• Will Barker, a pioneer of British cinema, lived and worked at Ealing Green for many years.

• Osmond Barnes, as Chief Herald of India proclaimed Queen Victoria Empress of India at Delhi in 1877. In retirement he lived in Ealing at 40, Mount Park Road.

• Trevor Baylis, inventor, was born on 13 May 1937 in Kilburn, London but grew up in Southall.

• Sanjeev Bhaskar, comedian, was born in Ealing.

• Alan Blumlein, electronics engineer, who made contributions to high-definition TV, radar, sound reproduction – including stereo sound – and telephony, lived in Ealing between 1933 and 1942. He was killed in 1942 in an aeroplane crash testing the H2S radar. He is commemorated with a blue plaque.

• Lillian Board MBE, a double European gold medallist and an Olympic silver medallist, lived in Ealing from 1956 to 1970. Two streets in the borough of Ealing are named in her honour: Lillian Board Way, in Greenford, and Lillian Avenue (near Acton Town London Underground station).

• Gary Bond, the actor, died in Ealing.

• Lady Byron (Lord Byron's widow) of Fordhook House, Ealing, founded Ealing Grove School in 1834—the first industrial school of its type. In 1860 C. N. Atlee, a former headmaster of the Lady Byron school set up the Byron House School in St. Mary's Road (South Ealing Road). The site has evolved through many changes into the present-day University of West London. At the main entrance is a blue plaque dedicated to Lady Byron and her pioneering, enlightened approach to education.

• Dorita Fairlie Bruce was a British children's author, most notably of the Dimsie books published between 1921 and 1941. Dorothy Morris Fairlie Bruce, as was her original name, was born in Palos in Spain on May 20, 1885. In about 1895 the family moved to Ealing, NW London, where Dorita was to live until 1949.

C

• Daniel Casey actor (Midsomer Murders)

• Dorothea Chambers who won 7 Wimbledon Ladies Singles championships between 1903 and 1918, lived at 7 North Common Road in Ealing. A commemorative blue plaque was placed on her home in 2005 by English Heritage.

• Pat Chapman, founder of the Curry Club and author of 36 food books, was born in Ealing in 1940 and lived at 32 Eaton Rise until 1979. His first primary school was Durston House. His mother owned and ran a maternity nursing home (Prescott House) at 34 Eaton Rise between 1942 and 1953.

• Julian Clary went to St Benedict's School, a Roman Catholic school in Ealing, London.

• Peter Crouch spent his childhood living in Pitshanger Village, attending North Ealing Primary School and Drayton Manor High School.

F

• Henry Fielding (1707–54), the playwright, novelist and magistrate, leased a country house and farm at Fordhook, Ealing, from the summer of 1752 or possibly 1753. (The house was north of the Uxbridge Road near the Acton boundary.) It has been claimed that his novel "Tom Jones" was partly written here but this is unlikely as the first edition was published in February 1749 (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

G

• The science fiction and fantasy writer Jonathan Green lives and works in Ealing.

H

• Ellie Harrison, artist was born and grew up in Ealing. Her famed project "Gold Card Adventures" using Ealing Broadway as its starting point.

• Arthur Haynes, comedian, lived in Gunnersbury Avenue (at 74). He is commemorated with a blue plaque.

• Hồ Chí Minh (née Nguyễn Sinh Cung), revolutionary/politician, worked in the kitchens of the Drayton Court in 1914.

• Thomas Huxley, biologist, "Darwin's Bulldog", was born in Ealing in 1825.

J

• Sid James, the actor and comedian, lived at number 35 Gunnersbury Avenue. There is a blue plaque on the front of the house recording the fact.

K

• Jay Kay of pop band Jamiroquai is also a former resident. He lived on Grange Road (W5) and played some of his first gigs in The Haven, a pub on Spring Bridge Road (now converted to offices) and Broadway Boulevard (now Club Karma) He attended Twyford Church of England High School in Acton.

• Shappi Khorsandi, stand-up comedian, grew up in Ealing after leaving Iran.

• Neil Kinnock, former European commissioner and leader of the Labour Party, and his wife, Glenys Kinnock, who is a member of the European Parliament, have their London home in Ealing.

L

• John Lindley, botanist is commemorated with a blue plaque.

• Ada Lovelace who was England's first computer programmer and has the programming Language 'ada' named after her. She lived with her mother, Lady Noel Byron.

M

• Paul McGrath, former Aston Villa, Manchester United, Derby County and Republic of Ireland International footballer, was born in Ealing in 1959.

• John McVie, bass guitarist and half-namesake of Fleetwood Mac. Born in Ealing and attended Walpole Grammar School.

• Freddie Mercury, rock-musician, singer and songwriter, studied at Ealing Art College.

• Mitch Mitchell (1946–2008) Drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was born and grew up in Ealing.

• Matt Monro: English ballad singer of the 1960s. He sold more than 100 million records.

N

• Nguyễn Sinh Cung - see Hồ Chí Minh, above.

O

• Elsie Jeanette Oxenham (real name Dunkerley) (25 November 1880 – 9 January 1960), was an English girls' story writer, who took the name Oxenham as her pseudonym when her first book, Goblin Island, was published in 1907. Before she was two years old the family moved to Ealing, West London, where they lived for nearly forty years. She and her sisters went to private schools and attended Ealing Congregational Church.

P

• Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, went to St Benedict's School in Ealing.

• Murray Perahia, pianist and conductor, lives in Ealing.

• Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister from 1809 until 1812 lived at Elm Grove, a large house at the south-west corner of Ealing Common. Perceval was shot dead in the lobby of the House of Commons in May 1812 by John Bellingham. Bellingham was tried, found guilty and hanged just seven days later. He is commemorated with a blue plaque.

• Fred Perry, English tennis player, lived in Brunner Road, Ealing. He is commemorated with a blue plaque.

R

• Frank Richards, who is most remembered for writing Billy Bunter, lived in a house that once stood in what is now part of Ealing Shopping Centre. The site is marked with a blue plaque.

S

• Nevil Shute the aeronautical engineer and novelist, remembered for such books as A Town Like Alice and On the Beach, was a past resident (16 Somerset Rd).

• Ronald Skirth, conscientious objector and author of First World War memoir The Reluctant Tommy, lived in Ealing for over fifty years.

• Elisabeth Sladen, actress, lived in Ealing; she died in Southall in 2011.

• Ernest Smythe, cricketer and Indian Army officer.

• Dusty Springfield, acclaimed British soul singer, grew up in Ealing.

• Andrew Strauss, England cricket captain, currently lives in Ealing.

• P.F. Strawson, English philosopher, Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at the University of Oxford, Magdalen College was born in Ealing.

• Phil Swern, English record and radio producer, best known for producing Pick of the Pops and Sounds of the 60s on BBC Radio 2; and for producing "We Do It" for R&J Stone in 1976, and "Black Pearl" for Horace Faith in 1970.

T

• Colin Thompson, the children's author, was born in Ealing on October 18, 1942 at the Old Court Nursing Home, Hanger Lane. He attended Savernake Kindergarten, Durston House School and Ealing Art School.

• Pete Townshend, rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, lived in Ealing Common with his parents; he attended Ealing Art School.

W

• Bombardier Billy Wells the heavyweight boxing champion, lived and died here on 11 June 1967, aged 77. His ashes were laid to rest in the crypt of St. Mary's Church in neighbouring Hanwell. Wells was also famous for being the first person to fill the role of the "gongman" – the figure seen striking the gong in the introduction to J. Arthur Rank films.

• William Willett, promoter of British Summer Time, is commemorated with a blue plaque.

Y

• William Yeames, artist, is commemorated with a blue plaque.

Musical groups

• Brand New Heavies, acid jazz group, were formed in Ealing.
• Furniture, New Wave, Synthpop group were formed in Ealing in 1979.
• White Lies, indie band, live in and are from Ealing.

Shops

• The first Waitrose started by Wallace Waite and Arthur Rose was in Acton and used to be marked with a blue plaque.