The following is a list of people who were born in the London Borough of Merton, or have dwelt within the borders of the modern borough (in alphabetical order):

A Khalid Abdalla – actor, The Kite Runner and United 93 Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot – commander of the Royal Navy in North America during the American War of Independence Bob Astles – former associate of Ugandan presidents Milton Obote and Idi Amin Ray Austin – TV and film director, actor, stuntman; born in Merton

B Barloc of Norbury Ben Barnes – actor, The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian Cyril Barton – posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross during World War II Ian Bazalgette – posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross during World War II Sir Joseph Bazalgette (1819–1891) – civil engineer; his creation in the mid-19th century of the sewer network for central London eliminated cholera epidemics Siobhan BenitaRoss, Matt"Interview: Siobhan Benita ", Civil Service World interview, 27 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-13. – former civil servant Dave Benson-Phillips – children's television presenter, lived in Cannon Hill Lane Bernard Braden – TV personality, mainly of the 1960s Jo Brand – comedian, lived in Mitcham Martin Brett (Brett Martini) – musician, voice of Beehive Richard Briers – actor Raymond Briggs – cartoonist Steve Brookstein – winner of the first series of TV talent show The X Factor James Brunlees – engineer, lived at Argyle Lodge, Parkside Roy Budd – jazz musician Josephine Butler – feminist campaigner of the Victorian era, Blue Plaque at 8 North View, Wimbledon Common

C Jane Campbell, Baroness Campbell of Surbiton – British peer and commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Anthony Caro – sculptor, born in New Malden in 1924 George Edward Cates – World War I Victoria Cross recipient Ernst Boris Chain – joint winner of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of penicillin; Blue Plaque at 9 North View, Wimbledon Common Mavis Cheek – novelist born and brought up in Wimbledon Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough – close friend of Queen Anne Danny Cipriani – rugby player Norman Coburn – actor, played Donald Fisher in Australian soap opera Home and Away Vernon Corea – radio broadcaster Annette Crosbie – actress, screen wife of Victor Meldrew in the BBC TV sitcom One Foot in the Grave Ambrose Crowley – ironmaster Steve Curtis – eight-time World Offshore powerboat racing champion

D Sean Davis – footballer, played for Bolton Wanderers, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth Clint Dempsey – footballer, during his playing career at Fulham Sandy Denny – singer, born at the Nelson Hospital Laurence Doherty – winner of thirteen Wimbledon tennis championships and two Olympic gold medals Reginald Doherty – winner of twelve Wimbledon tennis championships and three Olympic gold medals John Donne – Jacobean poet Hugh Dowding – commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain in 1940, Blue Plaque at 3 St Mary's Road Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville – home secretary and secretary of state for War to William Pitt the Younger, resident of Cannizaro House

F The Field Mice – pop group Michael Fielding – The Mighty Boosh comedian; Noel's younger brother Noel Fielding – The Mighty Boosh comedian Mike Fillery – footballer Ford Madox Ford (1873–1939) – author; works include The Good Soldier and Parade's End

G Paul Geraghty – author, illustrator David Gibson – cricketer John William Godward – painter Good Shoes – indie music band Charles Patrick Graves – journalist Robert Graves – poet Deryck Guyler – actor

H Victoria Hamilton – actress George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen – prime minister 1852–55; resident of Cannizaro House Florence Harmer – historian, born in Mitcham Will Hay – actor Tubby Hayes – jazz musician Georgette Heyer – novelist, born and grew up in Wimbledon; wrote her first five novels there; a later novel, Pastel, is set in a suburb very like Wimbledon Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha – while minister of transport, 1934–37, he introduced the driving test and the Belisha Beacon; then secretary of state for war, 1937–40 John Horne Tooke – politician, lived at Chester House on Wimbledon Common Neil Howlett – opera singer, born in Mitcham Thomas Hughes – author of Tom Brown's Schooldays, written in Wimbledon James Hunt – 1976 Formula 1 World Champion

J Vinnie Jones – former footballer and film actor

K Barbara Kelly – TV personality Hetty King – music hall artiste and male impersonator; a blue commemorative plaque was erected on her home in Palmerston Road, Wimbledon by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America in November 2010 Lorelei King – actress Maxwell Knight – spymaster David Kynaston – author, historian

L Jay Laga'aia – actor Don Lang – Britain's answer to Bill Haley; with his band, a mainstay of Britain's first television rock and roll programme Six-Five Special Libera – boy vocalists; regular contributors to the BBC's Songs of Praise TV programme; have toured extensively throughout the world; have released several chart-topping albums; based at St Phillip's Parish Church in Norbury Glen Little – footballer Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer – scientist and astronomer; joint discoverer of helium

M M.I.A. – singer-songwriter and rapper Alexander Maconochie – founder of the Royal Geographical Society; penal reformer Frederick Marryat – author, Blue Plaque at Gothic Lodge, 6 Woodhayes Road; also lived at Wimbledon House John Martyn – singer-songwriter Master Shortie – MC Tony McGuinness – musician, Above and Beyond Mat McNerney – singer-songwriter, guitarist, grew up in Wimbledon and attended Donhead Catholic Prep School and Wimbledon College Will Mellor – actor Thomas Ralph Merton – physicist Sally Morgan – celebrity psychic medium Mud – glam rock group Marcus Mumford – musician, Mumford & Sons Gillian Murphy – dancer, American Ballet Theatre John Murray III (1808–1892) – publisher; significant publications include Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species; built a house called "Newstead" at Somerset Road

N Lord Horatio Nelson – admiral; his estate, Merton Place, included part of Wimbledon at the eastern end of the Broadway, though strictly he was a resident of Merton, the neighbouring parish

O Mikel John Obi – Chelsea FC defensive midfielder

P F. W. J. Palmer – engineer, born here Alan Pardew – football manager Michelle Paver – author, Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham – lord chancellor Augustus Porter – socialite Chris Powell – manager of The Championship football club Charlton Athletic, former footballer, grew up in Mitcham Sir William Henry Preece – developed English telephone system; Blue Plaque at Gothic Lodge, 6 Woodhayes Road Robert Prizeman – classical crossover music composer; choirmaster of Libera and St Phillip's Parish Church, Norbury; composed the BBC's Songs of Praise signature music Steve Punt – comedian

R Oliver Reed – actor Diana Rigg – actress Laura Robson – Junior Wimbledon tennis champion Annie Ross – jazz singer Rox – musician Margaret Rutherford – actress, Blue Plaque at 4 Berkeley Place

S Sampha – singer-songwriter, known for collaborative work with SBTRKT, Jessie Ware and Drake Arthur Schopenhauer – philosopher, Blue Plaque at Eagle House where he lived in 1803 Ridley Scott – film director, Blade Runner and Gladiator Jay Sean – R&B singer Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia – guest at a house in Parkside while in exile from Ethiopia owing to the Italian invasion; his statue stands in Cannizaro Park Brian Sewell – art critic and media personality Slick Rick (Richard Walters) – rapper, hip-hop musician, born in Mitcham but moved to the Bronx, New York Shane Smeltz – New Zealand footballer: lived in Mitcham when he played for AFC Wimbledon Mark Edgley Smith – composer Alex Stepney – former Manchester United footballer and 1968 European Cup winner Steve-O – Jackass performer Bert Strudwick – cricket wicket-keeper Graham Stuart – footballer Dave Swarbrick – fiddler of Fairport Convention

T Jamie T – singer-songwriter and musician Arnold Toynbee (1852–1883) – economic historian, Blue Plaque at 49 Wimbledon Parkside Joseph Toynbee (1815–1866) – surgeon, Blue Plaque at 49 Wimbledon Parkside Ralph Tubbs – architect; his buildings include the Dome of Discovery and Charing Cross Hospital John Mosely Turner – supercentenarian

W Terri Walker – R&B and soul singer Max Wall – actor, comedian and entertainer David Walliams – actor, comedian, TV sensation, children's book writer, awarded OBE Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (1730–1782) – twice prime minister William Allison White – recipient of the Victoria Cross William Wilberforce (1759–1833) – 19th-century anti-slavery campaigner Nigel Winterburn – football player Jamie Woon – singer-songwriter

Y Young MC (Marvin Young) – hip-hop musician, born in Wimbledon and moved to Queens, New York

Z Faryadi Sarwar Zardad – Afghan warlord; later tried for war crimes, convicted and imprisoned

References