This page is a summary of the famous names associated with Maidenhead. If you think a name is missing from this list, get in touch at info@maidenheadheritage.org.uk
A
Edward Andrews
A fine boatman, and the founder of one of the most significant boathouses on the Thames…read more.
Gerry Anderson
Creator of Thunderbirds, one of the true greats of childrens’ television started his career in Maidenhead…read more.
William and Nancy Astor
An American couple who brought high society to Maidenhead…read more.
B
Bert Bushnell
Maidenhead rower who won a gold medal at the 1948 ‘austerity Olympics’…read more.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
One of the greatest engineers of the Victorian era, designer of Maidenhead’s railway bridge…read more.
Jonathan Bond
Maidenhead boatbuilder whose customers included the Prince of Wales… read more.
The Baylis Family
Owners of the Maidenhead Advertiser for 130 years…read more.
C
Charles Cooper
A brickmaker who left his distinctive mark on Maidenhead, especially on its rooftops…. read more.
Sophie Christiansen
Multiple gold medal winning Paralympian in equestrian sports…read more.
D.
Claude Duval
A gentleman highwayman who operated in the Maidenhead area...read more.
Diana Dors
Labelled ‘the British Marilyn Monroe’, Diana Dors brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to her home village of Bray…read more.
Lord Desborough
A generous benefactor for Maidenhead, and a tireless contributor to public life… read more.
E
Albert Edwards
A boatman from Maidenhead, Albert won many punting championships on the River Thames…read more.
F
Baroness Shreela Flather
A key figure in Maidenhead civic life, Shreela Flather became the first female Asian mayor in Britain…read more.
William Thomas Forshaw VC
Recipient of the Victoria Cross, buried in Touchen End cemetery…read more.
G
Joyce Grenfell
A comedienne who, for a generation, symbolised a quintessential Englishness…read more.
Julian Grenfell
Soldier and poet, tragically killed in the Great War…read more.
Katherine Grainger
At the Rio 2016 Olympics local resident Katherine Grainger became Britain’s greatest female Olympian athlete by winning her 5th medal, a silver in the double sculls with her partner Victoria Thornley…. read more.
H
John Hibbert
A great example of Victorian philanthropy, St Marks hospital church is one of John’s many gifts to Maidenhead…read more.
I
Ebenezer Iremonger
One of the key figures in the early years of policing in Maidenhead, Ebenezer was highly respected by all for the zeal and fairness with which he carried out his duties…read more.
J
Amy Johnson CBE
Famous for her mysterious death, Amy Johnson was also a key figure in the ATA at White Waltham…read more.
Jerome K Jerome
Comic writer who popularised the River Thames in his best-known work…read more.
K
Christine Keeler
One of the 20th Century’s great scandals began at Cliveden Manor…read more.
L
William Lassell
William Lassell, who lived at Ray Lodge, was a distinguished amateur astronomer who discovered moons of Saturn and Neptune…read more.
M
Derek Meddings
A pioneer in the field of special effects…read more.
Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss, a local boy from Bray, has been described as the best driver never to win the world championship…read more.
N
Ivor Novello
One of the great entertainers of the early 20th Century, his house in Maidenhead became a theatre school after his death…read more.
James Nicholson VC
The only Battle of Britain pilot and the only RAF Fighter Command pilot to win the VC during World War II…read more
William Nicholson
Maidenhead’s shopping centre is named after a Victorian brewer called William Nicholson…read more.
O
John O’Farrell
Bestselling author, scriptwriter and political activist…read more.
Lucian Oldershaw MA JP
The Mayor who announced to the people of Maidenhead that World War 2 was over…read more.
P
James Pearce MA JP
A five-time mayor of Maidenhead, James Peace gifted Kidwells park and many buildings to the town…read more.
R
Edwin Rogers
Founder of the first steam laundry in Maidenhead…read more.
S
Stanley Spencer
A renowned artist who became synonymous with his home village of Cookham…read more.
Thomas Stuchberry
The mayor who unveiled the memorial to the dead of the First World War…read more.
T
Frederick Thomas Turk
For over 40 years, Frederick Turk was the Royal Swan Master, playing a key role in the annual ceremony of Swan Upping on the Thames at Maidenhead…read more.
V
Tony Vandervell
This local businessman turned his hobby of motor racing into a world class sporting venture…read more.
W
Robert Walker A local shopkeeper who took an active interest in local civic life…read more.
Kate Winslet A multi-award winning actress who studied her craft in Maidenhead…read more.
