List of people from Rochdale

This is a list of people from Rochdale, in Greater Manchester. The demonym of Rochdale is Rochdalian, however, this list may include people from Heywood, Littleborough, Middleton, Milnrow and Wardle, all from the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. This list is arranged alphabetically by surname:

Table of 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 See also • References

B

• Colin Baker – actor known for playing Doctor Who on television[1]
• Samuel Bamford – radical and writer; born in Middleton[2]
• Lizzy Bardsley – gained fame from appearing on Channel 4's Wife Swap in 2003[3][4]
• Christine Bottomley – actress known for her roles on Early Doors, Heartbeat and as Shoo Coggan on BBC drama, Hope Springs[5]
• John Bright – radical; Liberal statesman associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League

Stuart Bithell – Olympic Silver Medallist – Men's 470 sailing at the London 2012 summer Olympics

C

• Robert Chadwick – American politician; Pennsylvania State Representative for Delaware County from 1881 to 1888[6]
• Steve Clayton – Rochdale-born author and drummer in Tractor; co-founder with Chris Hewitt and Jim Milne of Tractor Sound Studios, marked in Heywood by a blue plaque; his albums under the name Tractor and his book under the name Stephen Clayton received critical acclaim
• Brian Clegg – science writer; born in Rochdale[7]
• Louise Cliffe – model and actress from Middleton[8]
• John Collier – Urmston-born 18th-century caricaturist and satirical poet; brought up and spent all his adult life in Milnrow[9][10]
• Jake Cody – professional poker player, winner of the triple crown
• Steve Coogan – Middleton-born and brought up comedian[11]
• Jack Crabtree – contemporary artist; born in Rochdale[12]
• Lisa Cross – IFBB professional bodybuilder

D

• Craig Dawson – professional footballer, Rochdale, West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers and England U21

E

• Kelvin Earl – Littleborough born rugby league footballer of the 1970s. He played at club level for Rochdale Hornets (two spells), St. Helens, Bradford Northern, and Swinton
• G. H. Elliott – music hall singer and recording star
• Don Estelle – Crumpsall-born actor and singer who lived for much of his life in Rochdale[13]

F

• Roger Fenton – Heywood-born pioneering war photographer; his work on the Crimean War is particularly acclaimed; a blue plaque marks his former home[14]
• Gracie Fields – real name Grace Stansfield; actress, singer and comedian[15]
• Darrell Fitton – electronic musician from Rochdale, England. Most of his work is recorded under recording monikers Bola and Jello,
• Paul Flowers – banker, also known as the Crystal Methodist; councillor in the town in 1988–92[16]
• Anna Friel – stage and screen actress[17]

G

• Alfred Henry Gill (1856–1914) – MP for Bolton, 1906–1914. In first group of 29 Labour MPs to enter Parliament.
• Julie Goodyear – television actress and personality, best known for her portrayal of Bet Lynch in Coronation Street[18]

H

• Trevor Hoyle – novelist, radio dramatist, broadcaster whose literary work is set in the northwest

J

• Anna Jacobs – novelist[19]
• Barb Jungr – singer, songwriter and musician[20]
• Sajid Javid – Politician and current Home Secretary for the Conservative Government

K

• Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth, 1st Baronet – politician and educationalist[21]
• Andy Kershaw – BBC music broadcaster
• Liz Kershaw – BBC music broadcaster
• Walter Kershaw – artist[22]
• Heather Knight - cricketer

L

• Donald Love – professional footballer

M

• Bob Mason – actor
• Joseph Massey – cricketer
• Dwight McNeil – footballer, first teenager to score a Premier League goal for Burnley F.C.
• Vance Miller – controversial entrepreneur from Rochdale[23][24]
• Jim Milne – lead guitarist and vocalist in Tractor and co founder of Tractor Sound Studios – see John Peel blue plaque in Heywood
• John Milne – Liverpool-born, Milnrow-brought up professor, geologist and mining engineer who invented a pioneering seismograph (known as the Milne-Shaw seismograph) to detect and measure earthquakes[25][26]

O

• Bill Oddie – naturalist, comedian, musician and actor[27]

R

• Francis Robert Raines – former Anglican vicar of Milnrow; antiquary; edited 23 volumes for the Chetham Society publications[28]

S

• Lisa Stansfield – Grammy Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning R&B and soul singer; brought up in Heywood[29]
• Joseph Smith (born 1849) – steeplejack known as "the Best Steeplejack in the World"; born in Coventry[30]

See also

• List of people from Greater Manchester

References

Notes

1. Colin Baker biography
2. Spence, Peter (September 2004). "Bamford, Samuel (1788–1872)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
3. Hopton, Katie (14 October 2003). "Wife-swap Lizzy insists: 'I'm a star'". Rochdale Observer. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
4. "'Wife Swap' star's benefit charge". BBC News. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
5. Shed Productions (4 July 2009). "Hope Springs Interview: Christine Bottomley". hopesprings.uk.com. Retrieved 4 July 2009.]
6. Wiley, Samuel T. (1894). Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. New York: Gresham Publishing Company. pp. 205-206. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
7. Brian Clegg biography
8. "Jetsetting Louise still has a bond with home". Manchester Evening News. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
9. Hignett (1991), p. 39.
10. Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (N.D.), p. 33.
11. Kenny, Laura (11 October 2007). "Soccer star parents in robbery terror". Middleton Guardian. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
12. Jack Crabtree at Art In Wales Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
13. Byrne, Michael (5 August 2003). "Farewell to screen star 'Lofty' Don". Rochdale Observer. M.E.N. Media. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013.
14. "Plaque marks Fenton birthplace". Heywood Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. 31 March 2004. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
15. Gracie Fields biography
16. Steve Chilton (22 November 2013). "Red Button: The 'crystal Methodist' and the three-way tussle to be Coventry MP". coventrytelegraph.net. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
17. Anna Friel biography
18. "Riding plans for Goodyear". Heywood Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. 17 May 2006. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
19. Rochdale Observer, 6 February 2004, "Sister act keeps Anna back home"
20. http://www.barbjungr.co.uk
21. James Kay-Shuttleworth biography Archived 30 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
22. Walter Kershaw: 'Britain's first graffiti artist'
23. Anthony, Andrew (3 June 2007). "Sisters are doing it for themselves". The Observer. London. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
24. Billen, Andrew (29 May 2007). "Last night's TV". The Times. London. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
25. McKeegan, Alice (27 October 2007). "Famous scientists on road to name wrangle". Rochdale Observer. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
26. Hignett (1991), p. 38.
27. "Science & Nature – Bill Oddie". BBC.
28. "Early Ministers of Milnrow". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerk Project. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
29. Holman, Vicki (7 June 2006). "Playing Pooh in the school play was my big break". Heywood Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
30. Appleton, Dave (28 July 2007). "Jack of tall trade – and masterful too". Rochdale Observer. M.E.N. Media.

Bibliography

• Hignett, Tim (1991). Milnrow & Newhey: A Lancashire Legacy. Littleborough: George Kelsall Publishing. ISBN 0-946571-19-8.
• Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (n.d.). Metropolitan Rochdale Official Guide. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Limited.