Famous Old Westminsters (OWW)

Westminster School boasts an impressive number of famous Old Westminsters - both past and present. These include:

1500

Ben Jonson (1573-1637)

Poet and dramatist.

Charles Chauncy (1592-1672)

President of Harvard 1654-72.

George Herbert (1593-1633)

Poet & public orator, Cambridge 1619-27.

1600

John Dryden (1631-1700)

Poet and dramatist. Poet Laureate.

John Locke (1632-1704)

Philosopher.

Christopher Wren (1632-1723)

Original fellow of the Royal Society. Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College and Oxford Architect.

Robert Hooke (1635-1703)

Inventor, mechanic, architect, astronomer. Spiral spring to regulate watches, principle of the arch. Author of Micrographia.

George Jeffreys, 1st Baron (1648-1689)

Lord Chief Justice of the Bloody Assize. Lord Chancellor. Died a prisoner in the Tower.

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Composer

Charles Montagu, Earl of Halifax (1661-1715)

Orator and financier. Originator of the Bank of England and the National Debt.

Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle (1693-1768)

First Lord of Treasury 1754-6. Prime Minister.

Henry Pelham (1696-1754)

First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer 1743-54. Prime Minister.

1700

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Methodist preacher and writer of over 6000 hymns.

James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl (1715-1763)

First Lord of the Treasury. Prime Minister for five days in 1757.

Thomas Gage (1721-1787)

General. C in C North America. Governor of Massachusetts 1774.

John Burgoyne (1723-1792)

Lieutenant-General. Dramatist. Surrendered British Army at Saratoga.

Richard, Earl Howe (1726-1799)

Admiral of the Fleet.

Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquis of Rockingham (1730-1782)

Prime Minister.

Warren Hastings (1732-1818)

Governor-General of Bengal.

Edward Gibbon, FRS (1737-1794)

Historian.

William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (1738-1809)

Prime Minister.

Arthur Middleton (1742-1787)

Signatory of Declaration of Independence.

Charles Pinckney (1746-1825)

ADC to Washington 1777. Defeated by Jefferson in 1804 in contest for Presidency.

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)

Philosopher.

Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin (1766-1841)

Ambassador to Constantinople. Bringer of the Elgin Marbles to Britain.

Henry Paget, 1st Marquis of Anglesey (1768-1854)

Cavalry and horse artillery at Waterloo, where he lost a leg.

Robert Southey (1774-1843)

Poet Laureate 1813.

Fitzroy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788-1855)

Lost his right arm at Waterloo. C in C in the Crimea.

John Russell, 1st Earl (1792-1878)

Introduced the Reform Bill 1831. Prime Minister.

1800

Benjamin Hall (1802-1867)

Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings. ‘Big Ben’ named after him in 1856.

George Henty (1832-1902)

Author of over 80 popular books for boys.

A A Milne (1882-1953)

Author and journalist.

1900

Henry Tizard (1885-1959)

Scientist and inventor.

Adrian Boult (1889-1984)

Conductor.

John Gielgud (1904-2000)

Actor and director.

H A R (Kim) Philby (1912-)

Journalist. Defected to USSR 1963.

Angus Wilson (1913-1992)

Novelist.

Norman Parkinson (1913-)

Photographer.

Sir Andrew Huxley(1917-)

Scientist.

Sir Peter Ustinov (1921-2004)

Actor, writer and director.

Michael Flanders (1922-1975)

Writer and entertainer.

Donald Swann (1923-1994)

Musician and entertainer.

Tony Benn (1925-)

Politician.

Peter Brook (1925-)

Theatre director.

Nigel Lawson (1932-)

Politician.

Anthony Howard (1934-)

Journalist.

Roger Norrington (1934-)

Musician.

Colin Redgrave (1939-)

Actor.

Dan Topolski (1945-)

Rower.

Andrew Lloyd-Webber (1948-)

Composer and producer.

John Brown (1953-)

Publisher.

Stephen Poliakoff (1952-)

Playwright.

Imogen Stubbs (1961-)

Actress.

Matt Frei (1963-)

TV journalist.

Gavin Rossdale (1965-)

Lead singer of Bush.

Helena Bonham-Carter (1966-)

Actress and model.

Ruth Kelly MP (1968-)

Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

Joe Cornish (1968-)

TV comedian/presenter.

Adam Buxton (1969-)

TV comedian/presenter.

Louis Theroux (1970-)

Broadcaster.

Dido Armstrong (1971-)

Pop singer.

Martha Lane-Fox (1973-)

Founding director of lastminute.com.