List of people from Sunderland

This is a list of famous or notable people born in, or associated with, Sunderland or the wider City of Sunderland in North East England.

Notable people from Sunderland

Arts

Debbie Arnold (1955–), actor
Griselda Allan (1905–1987), artist
Audrey Amiss (1933–2013), artist
Marion Angus (1865–1946), Scottish poet writing in Scots, born in Sunderland
James Baxter, actor
Emeli Sandé (singer)
Ernie Lotinga (actor)
James Bolam (1935–), actor
Alan Browning actor, born Alan Brown
Bernard Comrie (1947–), linguist
Ida Cook (1904–1986), Righteous among the Nations; as Mary Burchell, romance novelist
Terry Deary (1946–), author
Mike Elliott, comedian, actor and radio presenter
Edward Gregson, composer
James Herriot (pen name of James Alfred Wight) (1916–1995), veterinary surgeon and author
Melanie Hill (1962–), actress
Nat Jackley, comedian
Jools Jameson (1968–), game developer
Bobby Knoxall, comedian
Gina McKee (1964–), actress
Gibb McLaughlin (1884–1960), actor, born George Gibb McLaughlin
Christine Norden (1924–1988), actress, born Mary Lydia Thornton
David Parfitt, an Oscar-winning film producer
Sheila Quigley, novelist
Rob Rackstraw (1965-), voice actor
Ronald Radd (1929–1976), actor
Callum Keith Rennie (1960–), film and television actor
Richard Riddell (2000-), film and television actor
Maurice Roëves (1937–2020), actor
William Russell actor and the first actor of three actors to appear as Doctor Who Companion
Clarkson Stanfield, painter
Mary Stewart, novelist
Tom Taylor, playwright and editor of Punch
Alan Temperley born 1936, children's and young adults author, works include Harry and the Wrinkles, The Deck Boy, Scar Hill.
Bobby Thompson, comedian, the 'Little Waster'
William Lindon-Travers, actor, screenwriter, director and animal rights activist, known professionally as Bill Travers
Linden Travers, actor
Graham Wallas, author and academic
Alison Wright (1976–), actress
Michael Young (1966–), industrial designer

Industry

Sir Robert Appleby Bartram (1835–1925), shipbuilder
William Reid Clanny (1770–1850), inventor and physician
John Cryan (born 1960), banker
Sir Tom Cowie, entrepreneur and philanthropist
George Daniels, world-famous horologist and inventor of the co-axial escapement
Sir Edward Temperley Gourley, coalfitter, shipowner and politician
Sir William Halcrow, civil engineer
Thomas Elliott Harrison, railway engineer
George Burton Hunter, shipbuilder and innovator
Patrick Meik and Charles Meik, civil engineering brothers
Sir William Mills, inventor of the Mills Bomb (hand grenade)
William Pile, shipbuilder
Sir Joseph Swan, inventor of the electric light bulb
Harry Watts, shipyard worker and multiple life-saver

Military and services

Robert Appleby Bartram (1894–1981), colonel and shipbuilder
Gertrude Bell (1868–1926), colonial administrator
PC Keith Blakelock (1945–1985), police officer
Sir Lawrence Andrew Common (1889–1953), Army officer and shipping director
Jack Crawford (1775–1831), sailor
Sir Henry Havelock (1795–1857), Major-General
Captain Richard Avery Hornsby, navy captain
Joseph Robert Kayll (1914–2000), WW2 RAF flying Ace
John Lilburne 'Free-born John', civil war figure
Alan Parnaby (1916–1974), cricketer and British Army officer
Ernest Vaux (1865–1925), Army Officer and Brewer
Robert Nairac (1948–1977), Army Officer

Music

Don Airey, musician, keyboardist with Deep Purple
Sir Thomas Allen, baritone
Eric Boswell, songwriter (Little Donkey)
Mark Brydon, one half of electro outfit Moloko
Bryan Ferry, singer, musician, and songwriter. Lead singer with Roxy Music
Muriel Foster, contralto
Frankie Stubbs, Singer, Guitar player, Leatherface, punk rock band
Frankie & The Heartstrings, indie rock band
The Futureheads, indie rock band
Eve Gallagher, singer
Kenickie, 1990s pop band
Lauren Laverne, ex-lead singer of Kenickie, later radio and TV presenter^[1]
Jez Lowe, folk singer, songwriter and broadcaster
Bob and Alf Pearson, singers, pianist (Bob) and variety performers^[2]
Alan Price, singer, musician, and songwriter. Keyboard player with The Animals
Emeli Sandé, musician
David A. Stewart (1952–), musician and songwriter, most notably as one half of the band Eurythmics
The Toy Dolls, punk rock band
Baz Warne, guitarist with The Stranglers
Faye Fantarrow (2002-2023), singer, songwriter^[3]

Politics

Hilary Armstrong, Member of Parliament, Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 2006–07
Sir Theodore Doxford, shipbuilder and politician
George Hudson, Member of Parliament and railway financier
Sir Edward Temperley Gourley, coalfitter, shipowner and politician
John Stapylton grey Pemberton (1860–1940), MP and Vice-Chancellor of Durham University
Bridget Phillipson, Labour Party MP
Jonathan Reynolds, Labour Party MP
Sir Luke Thompson, coal merchant and politician
Joseph Havelock Wilson, Trade union leader, Liberal Party politician, and campaigner for the rights of merchant seamen.

Sport

Charles W. Alcock: Cricketer and Football administrator.
Allan Ball (born 1943), ex-professional footballer and now Honorary Director of Queen of the South F.C.
Gordon Bradley (1933–2008), footballer and manager^[4]
Raich Carter (1914–1994), footballer and manager
Nigel Clough (born 1966), former football player and manager
Ralph Coates (1946–2010), former football player
Kevin Dillon (English footballer) (born 1959), former football player and manager
Randolph Galloway (1896–1964), former football player and manager of clubs like Valencia and Sporting Lisbon
Michael Gray (born 1974), (footballer)
Billy Hardy (born 1964), boxer who became Commonwealth featherweight champion
Mick Harford (born 1959), former football player and manager
Micky Hazard (born 1960), former football player
Jordan Henderson (born 1990), footballer Sunderland A.F.C, Liverpool F.C-Current and England national football team
Lee Howey (born 1969), footballer Sunderland A.F.C
Steve Howey (born 1971), footballer Newcastle United
Jordan Pickford (born 1994), footballer Sunderland A.F.C, Everton F.C-Current and England national football team
Robert William "Bob" Jefferson (born 1882), footballer
Tony Jeffries (born 1985), boxer, Olympic Bronze medalist
Ernie Johnson (born 1948), jockey who won the 1969 Epsom Derby
Alan Kennedy: Footballer, Liverpool F.C.
Paul Kitson, ex-professional footballer
Billy Marsden (born 1901), football player for England national football team
Clive Mendonca, ex-professional footballer
Jimmy Montgomery (born 1943), former football player (goalkeeper) and 1973 FA Cup winner
Bob Paisley (1919-1996) Footballer, Three times European Cup winning manager.
Mick Parkin (born 1995), mixed martial artist in UFC
Alan Parnaby (1916–1974), cricketer and British Army officer
Ross Pearson (born 1984), mixed martial artist in UFC
Harry Potts (1920–1996), former football player and manager
Harold Reay (1896-1959), footballer
Giovanni Reyna (born 2002), footballer For BVB and USA National Team
Lee Rushworth (born 1982), cricketer
Jill Scott (born 1987), football player for England women's national football team and Manchester City L.F.C.
Bob Willis (1949–2019), cricketer
Stephanie Houghton (born 1988), football player for England women's national football team and Manchester City L.F.C.

Other

Kate Adie, former BBC Chief News Reporter
Jessica Andrews, novelist
St Bede, monk
Sir Joseph Swan, inventor of the incandescent light bulb
George Binns, New Zealand chartist leader and poet
St Benedict Biscop (628?–690)
Abel Chapman (1851–1929), hunter and naturalist
George Clarke, architect, television presenter
James Watson Corder (1868–1953), historian of local family history
Charlotte Crosby, television personality
John Cryan, physicist and bank manager ^[5]
Peter Gibbs, weather forecaster
Jane Grigson, cookery writer
Andreas Høivold, professional poker player
Gareth Pugh (born 1981), fashion designer
Denise Robertson, novelist and TV agony aunt
Gordon Scurfield, biologist and author, active in Australia, with expertise in botany and ecology
William Shanks, amateur mathematician, worked out the value of Pi to 707 decimals
John Sowerby, botanist, writer and early member of the Alpine Club
Chris Steele, TV doctor
Ernest George Frederick Vogtherr (1898–1973), a New Zealand bacon curer, businessman and art collector^[6]

Notable residents

Charlie Buchan, footballer
Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland
Frank Caws, architect
Brian Clough, footballer, manager and European Cup winner
Steve Cram, Olympic Athlete and TV presenter
Bernard Gilpin, Apostle of the North, Rector of Houghton-le-Spring, Archdeacon of Durham
Sir William Herschel, composer and astronomer, discoverer of Uranus
William Reid Clanny, Irish physicist
Thomas Essomba, boxer
Charlie Hurley, footballer
Alex Kapranos, musician/singer
Roy Kent, footballer
Si King, television presenter, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers
Lola Montez, adventuress
Chris Mullin, civil liberties campaigner and Labour MP
Jimmy Nail, actor/singer
Robert Nairac (1948–1977), Army Officer
William Paley, rector of Bishopwearmouth, wrote on intelligent design as opposed to evolution
Frank Pick, industrial designer
Niall Quinn, footballer
Don Revie, footballer and England manager
George Reynolds, businessman and former chairman of Darlington FC
William Sancroft, later Archbishop of Canterbury, was briefly Rector of Houghton-le-Spring
Len Shackleton, footballer
Michael Short, engineer and Professor
Peter Smith (1956-2025), computer scientist
Vivian Stanshall and his wife Ki Longfellow, found the Baltic Trader "Thekla" and sailed her to Bristol where she became the Old Profanity Showboat
Hope Winch (1894-1944), pharmacist and academic
Shammai Zahn, rabbi of Sunderland and head of Sunderland Yeshiva

References

^ Ellen, Barbara (18 March 2007). "Blonde ambition". The Observer. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
^ "Biography of a Water Rat". www.gowr.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
^ "Faye Fantarrow: 'Onwards and upwards' after initial treatment". 27 January 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
^ "NASL–Gordon Bradley". (NASL) jerseys. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
^ "Riding With the King · Handelsblatt Global Edition". Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.
^ Vogtherr, Gordon. "Ernest George Frederick Vogtherr". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.

[1] Ellen, Barbara (18 March 2007). "Blonde ambition". The Observer. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 19 May 2007.

[2] "Biography of a Water Rat". www.gowr.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2019.

[3] "Faye Fantarrow: 'Onwards and upwards' after initial treatment". 27 January 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

[4] "NASL–Gordon Bradley". (NASL) jerseys. Retrieved 9 February 2025.

[5] "Riding With the King · Handelsblatt Global Edition". Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.

[DNZB_Vogtherr-6] Vogtherr, Gordon. "Ernest George Frederick Vogtherr". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

List of people from Sunderland

Hub talks

List of people from Sunderland

List of people from Sunderland

Hub rules

List of people from Sunderland

Hub overview

Add your contribution

Inside this hub

Media Collections

Timelines

Articles

Notes collections

Notes

Days in Chronicle

Root Wikipedia Article

List of people from Sunderland

Notable people from Sunderland

Arts

Industry

Military and services

Music

Politics

Sport

Other

Notable residents

References

Add your contribution

Related Hubs