West Kensington - Notable People

Notable People

  • Edward Burne-Jones, architect, resided at the Grange, North End Crescent, West Kensington.
  • William Crathern, composer, was organist of St Mary's, West Kensington (at that time known as "North End").
  • Gustav Holst, composer, music director at St Paul's Girls School, an independent school on the south side of Brook Green, 1905–1934; for his pupils he wrote the St Paul's and Brook Green suites, the latter being his last composition in 1933; the girls from St.Paul's formed the choir in the first public performance of Neptune from the Planets Suite.
  • Peg Entwistle, Broadway actress whose 1932 suicide from atop the Hollywood Sign forever tagged her as "The Hollywood Sign Girl", had her earliest childhood at 53 Comeragh Road.
  • Estelle, rapper, was born and raised in West Kensington; her song "1980" was written about growing up in the area.
  • Tom Felton, actor, was born there
  • Marcus Garvey, Pan Africanist, founder of the Black Star Line shipping company and the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League, lived and died in West Kensington.
  • Mahatma Gandhi, lived on 20 Barons Court Road (West Kensington) while studying law.
  • Henry Rider Haggard, author, lived for several years in Gunterstone Road and wrote King Solomon's Mines and She while there.
  • Stephen Hester, chief executive, Royal Bank of Scotland
  • James Hunt, Formula 1 champion, lived in Normand Mews, 1980-82.
  • Konnie Huq, TV presenter, owns property in the area.
  • James MacLaren, architect, designed 22 and 22A Avonmore Road for sculptor HR Pinkes.
  • Freddie Mercury, pop singer, and Mary Austin lived at 100 Holland Road, W14.
  • Sir Stirling Moss, Formula 1 champion, was born in West Kensington
  • David Reuben, businessman, has lived at the same West Kensington house for the past 20 years.
  • Queen (band) shared a flat at 36 Sinclair Road
  • William Butler Yeats lived in Edith Villas with his family in 1867.
  • Michael Winner

Read more about this topic:  West Kensington

Famous quotes containing the words notable and/or people:

    “In one notable instance, where the United States Army and a hundred years of persuasion failed, a highway has succeeded. The Seminole Indians surrendered to the Tamiami Trail. From the Everglades the remnants of this race emerged, soon after the trail was built, to set up their palm-thatched villages along the road and to hoist tribal flags as a lure to passing motorists.”
    —For the State of Florida, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)

    “Isn’t it strange that its easier to be gentle with the feelings of people we care less about than those of our children, whom we love so much?”
    —Stephanie Martson (20th century)