List of Old Abingdonians

Last updated March 06, 2025

Old Abingdonians are former pupils of Abingdon School or, in some cases, Honorary Old Abingdonians who have been awarded the status based on service to the School.^[1] The Old Abingdonians also run the Old Abingdonian Club (OA club), an organisation hosted by the school. It was founded in 1743.^[2]

Born in the 12th century

St Edmund Rich (St Edmund of Abingdon) (c.1174–1240), Archbishop of Canterbury 1233–1240 (may have attended Abingdon)

Born in the 16th century

Sir John Bennet (1552–1627), Chancellor of the Diocese of York, Judge and politician
William Bennet (1553–1609), MP and founder of the Bennet scholarship
John Blacknall (1583–1625), land and mill owner and founder of Blacknall bequest
Sir John Mason (1502–1566), diplomat, spy, and Chancellor of Oxford University
Robert Payne (1596–1651), English cleric and academic
John Roysse (1500–1571), mercer, re-endowed Abingdon School in 1563
Sir Thomas Smith, (1556?–1609), Judge and Member of Parliament
Christopher Tesdale (1592–1655), member of the Westminster Assembly, of Divines
Thomas Tesdale (1547–1610), maltster and benefactor, established the Tesdale Ushership

Born in the 17th century

Sir Edward Turnour SirEdwardTurnour.jpg — Sir Edward Turnour

Phanuel Bacon (1699–1783), playwright, poet and author
Clement Barksdale (1609–1687), religious author, polymath and Anglican priest
Colwell Brickenden (1663–1714), clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
Colonel James Bringfeild, (1656–1706), equerry to Prince George of Denmark and Aide-de-camp to the Duke of Marlborough
Joseph Cox (1697–1753), High Sheriff of Berkshire
Thomas Daffy (1617–1680), inventor of Daffy's Elixir
Walter Dayrell (1610–1684), Archdeacon of Winchester
Walter Harte (1650–1735) Prebendary of Bath and Wells and a principal pillar of the Nonjuring schism cause
Sir John Holt (1642–1710), Lord Chief Justice
William Hunt (1669–1733), Archdeacon of Bath
James Jennings (1670–1739), MP and landowner
Henry Langley (1610–1679), nonconformist minister and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
Matthew Panting (1682–1739), Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
Sir Edward Turnour (1617–1686), Speaker of the House of Commons

Born in the 18th century

Edward Morant Edward-morant-and-his-son-john.jpg!Large.jpg — Edward Morant

William Adams (1706–1789), Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
Sir Henry Atkins (1726–1742), 5th Baronet of Clapham
Sir Richard Atkins (1728–1756), 6th Baronet of Clapham & High Sheriff
Lord James Beauclerk (1709–1787), Bishop of Hereford, 1746–1787
Richard Brickenden (1701–1779), Archdeacon of Wiltshire
Sir Charles Bagot Chester, 7th Baronet (1724–1755), 7th Baronet of Chicheley
John Bush (High Sheriff) (1745–?), High Sheriff of Oxfordshire
John Clarke (1732–1781), Provost of Oriel College, Oxford
William Wiseman Clarke (1759–1826), High Sheriff of Berkshire
Sir Francis Clerke, 7th Baronet (1748–1777), baron, killed at Battles of Saratoga
Sir William Clerke, 8th Baronet (1751–1818), baron and clergyman
Sir Henry D'Anvers, 4th Baronet (1731–1758), 4th Culworth baronet
Sir Michael D'Anvers, 5th Baronet (1738–1776), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
James Dashwood (1715–1779), politician
Henry Dawkins (1728–1814), Member of Parliament
James Dawkins (1722–1757), antiquary and Jacobite
Sir John D'Oyly, 4th Baronet (1702–1773), 4th baronet of Chislehampton
William Horton (c.1708–1749), leading military aide and builder of Horton House
Daniel Dumaresq (1712–1805), St Petersburg Academy of Sciences, educationalist
Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, (1770–1842), antiquary
James Gerard (1741–1783), Warden of Wadham College, Oxford
Richard Graves (1715–1804), clergyman, writer and translator
George William Hall (1770–1843), Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
William Hawkins (1722–1801), clergyman, poet and dramatist
Sir Thomas Head (1715–1779), High Sheriff of Berkshire
Henry Howe (1716–1781), 3rd Baron Chedworth
John Howe (1714–1762), 2nd Baron Chedworth
William Huddesford (1732–1772), Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum
Clement Hue (1779–1861), physician
Sir Justinian Isham, 7th Baronet (1740–1818), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
Sir Robert Jenkinson, 5th Baronet (1720–1766), 5th Baronet of Walcot and Hawkesbury
George Knapp (1754–1809), British Member of Parliament for Abingdon
John Loder (c.1726–1805), clergyman, landowner and founder of the Old Berkshire Hunt
Edward Morant, (1730–1791), Member of Parliament
Philip Morant (1700–1770), historian
John Morton (c. 1716–1780), MP
William Newcome (1729–1800), Bishop and Archbishop of Armagh
John Nourse (1705–1780), bookseller
John Ratcliffe (1700–1775), clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
George Rowley (1782–1836), Master of University College, Oxford
Clement Saxton (1724–1810), High Sheriff of Berkshire
William Sergrove (1746–1796), clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
John Smyth (1744–1809), clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
Thomas Stock (1750–1803), social reformer, established the first Sunday school in England
Major-General John Tombs (1777–1848), British East India Company and Indian Army
Henry Leigh Tracy, 8th Viscount Tracy (1732–1797), 8th Viscount Tracy
John Tracy (1722–1793), Viscount and Warden of All Souls College
William Walker (1704–1761), Principal of New Inn Hall
Philip Wenman, 6th Viscount Wenman (1719–1760), politician
Thomas Whorwood (1718–1771), High Sheriff of Oxfordshire.

Born in the 19th century

Sir William Boxall (1800–1879), painter, director of the National Gallery
James Brooks (1825–1901), Gothic Revival architect
Sir Michael Bruce (1894–1957), author, traveller and adventurer
Nigel Bruce (1895–1953), actor
Oswald Couldrey (1882–1958), author and watercolourist
Louis Davis (1860–1941), Arts and Crafts stained glass artist
Charles Harvey Dixon (1862–1923), politician
John William Duncan (1885–1963), Welsh field hockey international
Edward Ede (1834–1908), cricketer, Hampshire CCC
George Ede (1834–1870), cricketer, captain, Hampshire CCC & Grand National winner 1868
Harold Gilman (1876–1919), painter, founder member of the Fitzroy Group
Henry Rudge Hayward (1831–1912), Archdeacon of Cheltenham and Cirencester
Colonel Lacey Robert Johnson (1858–1915), Canadian Pacific Railway pioneer
Thomas Malcolm Layng (1892–1958), Deputy Chaplain-General to the Forces, 1945, and Archdeacon of York
Henry Medd (1892–1977), architect and church designer in Delhi
John Theobald Milne (1895–1917), English fighter pilot and flying ace
Edward Dorrien Newbolt (1843–1889), British Army officer
Tracy Philipps (1888–1959), intelligence officer (Arab Bureau), later colonial official and conservationist
Arthur Edwin Preston (1853–1942), mayor of Abingdon, Master of Christ’s Hospital
Harry Redfern (1861–1950), architect
Richard Rice, (1886–1939), 1912 Summer Olympics athlete
William Henry Richardson (1836–1909), historian
Norman Riches (1883–1975), cricketer, captain, Glamorgan CCC
William Collinson Sawyer (1832–1868), Bishop of Grafton and Armidale, New South Wales
William Alder Strange (1813–1874), headmaster and author
Major-General Sir Henry Tombs VC KCB (1824–1874), Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross
Willoughby Weaving (1885–1977), First World War poet
Eric Whelpton (1894–1981), author and traveller

Born in the 20th century

Members of the band Radiohead Radiohead.jpg — Members of the band Radiohead

Roger Ainsworth+ (1951–2019), professor and Master of St Catherine's College, Oxford
Sir Clive Alderton KCVO (born 1967), British diplomat and courtier
James Allison (born 1968), designer, engineer, and technical director of Mercedes
Sir Eric Anderson+ (1936–2020), teacher and educator
James Anderson-Besant (born 1998), British organist and choir director
Jamie Anderson (born 1985), producer
Mark Andrews (1959–2020), University boat race rower
Phil Baker (born 1975), rowing world championship medallist
Michael Bartlett (born 1980), playwright and actor
Michael Bateman (1932–2006), journalist and author
John Beyer (born 1950), former diplomat
Roger Blackmore (born 1941), politician and Lord Mayor of Leicester
David Bobin (1945–2017), sports journalist
Robin Bourne-Taylor (born 1981), Olympic rower
James Bowler (born 1973), civil servant
Peter Bradley (born 1953), Labour MP for the Wrekin
Mark Bretscher (born 1940), biological scientist, FRS
Nick Brodie (born 1986), University boat race cox
Theo Brophy-Clews (born 1997), rugby union player
Will Carter Keall (born 1997), EHL premier division hockey player
Edward Castle, Baron Castle (1907–1979), British journalist and politician
Terence Charley (1916–2008), Japanese prisoner of war
Sir Paul Robert Virgo Clarke KCVO (born 1953), government official
Brigadier Tony Clay OBE, CBE (1930–2015), British Army officer
Jamie Cook (born 1992), University boat race rower
Oliver Cook (born 1990), international and world champion rower
Cecil Davidge (1901–1981), lawyer and academic of Keble College, Oxford
Sir Kim Darroch KCMG (born 1954), senior British diplomat
Dawson Bros., comedy writers
Tim Dawson (born 1988), screenwriter
John Dewar, (born 1959), academic and law specialist
Michael Dewar, (born 1997), Scottish rugby player
Thomas Digby (born 1998), world champion rower
Sir Chris Dobson (1949–2019), professor and academic, FRS
Thomas Dolby (born 1958), musician and producer
Jonny Donahoe (born 1983), comedian and writer
Nicholas Drake (born 1975), England rugby sevens and London Irish
Jon Dunbar (born 1980), international rugby union player
Dick Eason (1902–1978), University boat race blue
Colonel David Eccles OBE, CBE (born 1957), British Army officer
Edward Wilson (Eddie Eyre) (born 1988), actor
Anthony Fawcett (born 1948), writer, art critic, and a former personal assistant to John Lennon
Alex Fisher (born 1990), professional footballer
Andrew Fisher (born 1965), physicist
Michael Fortescue (born 1946), professor and academic
Sir Andrew Foster (born 1944), British public servant
Justin Frishberg (born 1972), Paralympic Games wheelchair rugby player
Ben Gannon (born 1975), professional cricketer
Alex Greaney (born 1975), University boat race cox
Theo Green (born 1973), film composer, Oscar winner
John William Greening MBE (1922–2010), benefactor and philanthropist
Colin Greenwood (born 1969), member of Radiohead
Jonny Greenwood (born 1971), member of Radiohead
Magnus Gregory (born 1998), England international canoeist
Michael Grigsby (1936–2013), film-maker
Bruce Duncan Guimaraens (1935–2002), port wine maker, head of Guimaraens Taylor Fonseca, Oporto
Graham Halsey (born 1960), England U-23 and Harlequins rugby player
Matthew Harding (1953–1996), businessmen and vice-chairman of Chelsea Football Club
Martin Haycock (born 1973), University boat race cox
Nick Hayes (born 1982), writer, illustrator, and campaigner
Robert Hayward, Baron Hayward OBE (born 1949), Conservative MP for Kingswood
Michael Hill (born 1951), English cricketer
Sir John Hills, (1954–2020) professor and academic
Michael Holding, (born 1958), filmmaker and director
Tom Hollander (born 1967), actor
Michael Howat (born 1958), English cricketer
Martin Hyder (born 1961), actor and writer
Adam Janisch (born 1975), English cricketer
Philip Johnson (born 1972), lead architect for the London Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games
Toby Jones (born 1966), actor
Eddy Joseph (born 1945), sound engineer
Sir Nicholas Kay KCMG (born 1958), British diplomat
Tom Kempinski (1938–2023), playwright and actor
Joseph Kennedy (born 1981), actor
Robin Kermode (born 1958), communication coach and former actor
Bryan Kibble (1938–2016), British physicist, inventor of the Kibble balance
Martin Landray, physician, epidemiologist and data scientist
Nicholas Lemoine, (born 1957) professor and academic
Martin Lisemore (1939–1977), television producer
Matthew Lodge (born 1968), diplomat
Hugh Lunghi (1920–2014), British military interpreter and Foreign Office
Ben Macintyre (born 1963), author and journalist
Richard McMahon (born 1962), Bailiff of Guernsey
Angus McPhail (born 1956), cricketer and warden of Radley College
Toby Marlow (born 1994), writer and composer
Francis Maude (born 1953), MP for North Warwickshire and Horsham, Chairman of the Conservative Party
Ian Middleton (born 1995), university boat race cox
David Mitchell (born 1974), comedian and actor
Chris Newman (born 1990), field hockey international
Felix Newman (born 1993), University boat race rower
Air Vice Marshal Steven Nicholl CBE (born 1946), retired Royal Air Force officer
Ed O'Brien (born 1968), member of Radiohead
Tim Parker (born 1955), former chairman of the National Trust
Sir Robert Pasley (born 1965), Pasley baronets and CFO of Cell C
Christopher John Pickup OBE, LVO (born 1942), retired British Army officer
Nigel Powell (born 1971), musician
David Pringuer (born 1972), musician
Charlie Quarterman (born 1998), professional cyclist
Sir Vivian Ramsey (born 1950), former High Court judge
Markus Reitzig (born 1972), organisational scientist
Andrew Robson (born 1964), international bridge player, teacher and columnist
Kieran Roche (born 1983), EHL premier division hockey player
Toby Roche (born 1988), EHL premier division hockey player
Colin Ronan (1920–1995), British author and specialist in the history and philosophy of science
Matthew Rossiter (born 1989), international and European champion rower
Graham Scott (born 1968), Premier League referee
Philip Selway (born 1967), member of Radiohead
Sir George Sinclair (1912–2005), colonial administrator and Conservative MP for Dorking
Raymond Stross (1916–1988), film producer and director
Sir David Tanner CBE (born 1947), British Olympic rowing coach
Richard Tauwhare (born 1959), Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Fin Taylor (born 1990), stand-up comedian
Russell Taylor (born 1960), writer, journalist and composer
Rob Walker (born 1975), sports commentator and television presenter
Timothy Walker (born 1958), botanist and former Horti Praefectus of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum
Nathaniel Watkins (born 1991), professional cricketer
Michael Philip Westwood OBE (born 1944), retired Royal Air Force wing commander
George Whittaker (born 1981), rower
Richard Wilson (born 1968), CEO of TIGA
Brigadier Christopher Winfield CBE (born 1944), retired British Army officer
Christopher Wray (1940–2014) actor and businessman
Wayne Yip (born 1981), film and TV director
Andy Yorke (born 1972), musician
Thom Yorke (born 1968), member of Radiohead
Kit Young (born 1994), actor

The symbol + denotes Honorary status.

Born in the 21st century

Charlie Atkinson (born 2001), rugby player

References

↑ "Old Abingdonians". Abingdon School Archives. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
↑ "Old Abingdonians". Abingdon School.

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[1] "Old Abingdonians". Abingdon School Archives. Retrieved 17 September 2024.

[2] "Old Abingdonians". Abingdon School.

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