List of Old Shirburnians

• Alan Turing, mathematician, instrumental figure at Bletchley Park, father of Artificial Intelligence and the first modern computer. • Alfred North Whitehead, mathematician and philosopher • F. Sherwood Taylor chemist, Curator of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford and Director of the Science Museum • Francis John Lys, Provost of Worcester College, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford • Harold Temperley, historian and former Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge • John Newsom-Davis, neurologist • Michael McCrum, former Headmaster of Eton College, former Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University until 2004. • Richard Atkinson, prehistorian and archeologist • Timothy Garton Ash, historian and author • Sir Colin Lucas, former Master of Balliol College and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University until 2001. • Sir Derman Christopherson, former Vice-Chancellor of Durham University and Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge • Sir Malcolm Pasley Bt, literary scholar • Dr John Boys Smith, Master of St John's College, Cambridge and Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge • Hugh Thomas, Lord Thomas of Swynnerton, historian ==Entertainment and the arts==

• Hugh Bonneville, actor - Downton Abbey, Paddington • Christopher Bowerbank, architect and raconteur • Clive Carey, baritone singer and composer • Charles Collingwood, actor • Charlie Cox, actor - Daredevil • Sir Richard Eyre, film and theatre director, artistic director of the National Theatre 1988–97 • Phil Harvey, manager and creative director of rock band Coldplay. • Sir Michael Hopkins, architect • Jeremy Irons, actor - Reversal of Fortune, The Lion King • Rupert Maas English painting specialist & gallery owner • Chris Martin, lead singer of rock band Coldplay • Ian Messiter, creator of Just a Minute • John Le Mesurier, actor, for example in Dad's Army • Herbert Arnould Olivier, artist • Lance Percival, actor • Jon Pertwee, actor • Jonathan Powell, Controller of BBC One (1987–1992) • Albert Reginald Powys, architect and longtime Secretary of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings • James Purefoy, actor • Roland Young, actor ==Military==

• Admiral Sir Horace Law, Commander in Chief Naval Home Command 1971–1972 • Admiral Sir James Perowne, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe 1998–2002 • Brigadier Hugh Bellamy, commander of 6th Airlanding Brigade during the Rhine Crossing and Operation Varsity, the famous airborne assault. • Captain Keith Muspratt, World War One flying ace • Field Marshal Sir Claud Jacob, WW1 Commander • Flight Lieutenant Carl Raymond Davis, Battle of Britain flying ace • General Sir Charles Monro, 1st Baronet, Commander in Chief India 1916–1920, Governor of Gibraltar 1923–1928 • General Sir Jeremy Blacker, Master-General of the Ordnance 1991–1995 • General Sir John Wilsey, Commander in Chief Land Command 1995–1996 • General Sir Nicholas Parker, former Commander in Chief Land Command and former Deputy Commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan • Vice Admiral Andrew Burns, former Fleet Commander 2021–2025 • Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Applin, developer of machine gun tactics and Conservative MP. • Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Spicer, CEO of Aegis Defence Services • Lieutenant General David Leakey, retired, former Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod 2010–2018 • Lieutenant General Sir Martin Garrod, former Commandant General Royal Marines 1987–1990 • Lieutenant General Sir Steuart Pringle, former Commandant General Royal Marines until 1984 • Major General Julian Thompson, Commander of Royal Marines (3 Commando Brigade) in the Falklands War • Major General Patrick Cordingley, Commander Desert Rats (and overall British Commander) in the Gulf War • Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick, former Major-General Commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District • Major General Sir Roy Redgrave, former Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong • Major General Rupert Jones, Deputy Commander Operation Inherent Resolve 2016–2017 ==Intelligence==

• Sir Christopher Curwen, British Intelligence Officer & former Head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). • Sir David Spedding, former Head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) ==Diplomacy and colonial administration==

• Sir Alan Campbell, diplomat • Sir Brian Barder, former UK High Commissioner to Australia • Sir Donald MacGillivray, last British High Commissioner in Malaya • Sir Hugh Norman-Walker, colonial administrator • Sir John Weston, former UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations • Sir Timothy Daunt, former UK Ambassador to Turkey and current Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man • Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, former Governor-General of New Zealand. ==Clergymen==

• Reverend Edwin Curtis, former Archbishop of the Indian Ocean • Reverend Rico Tice, priest and writer • Reverend David Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool, well-known former Bishop of Liverpool and England cricketer • Reverend Forbes Horan, former Bishop of Tewkesbury • Reverend Geoffrey Lunt, former Bishop of Ripon • Reverend Henry Henn, former Bishop of Burnley • Reverend Henry Whitehead, former Bishop of Madras • Reverend Neville Lovett, former Bishop of Salisbury • Reverend Paul Barber, former Bishop of Brixworth • Reverend Peter Mumford former Bishop of Truro 1981-9 • Reverend Piers Holt Wilson, former Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness 1943–52 • Arthur William Upcott, eminent priest and educationalist, and Archdeacon of Hastings 1920–22. • Reverend Benjamin Lewers, former Provost of Derby Cathedral • Reverend Frank Bennett, former Dean of Chester and eminent Anglican scholar • Reverend David Payne ==Broadcasting==

• Tom Bradby, TV journalist and ITV News Political Editor • Alistair Bunkall, TV journalist and Sky News Defence Correspondent • Simon McCoy, TV journalist and BBC News news presenter • Nick Thorpe, TV, radio and print journalist, and BBC News Central Europe Correspondent (1996–); formerly BBC Budapest Correspondent ==Politics==

• William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, 18th Century politician • Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, Secretary of State for the Colonies 1954-9 • Charles Beauclerk, Earl of Burford, peer • Thomas Buchanan, Under-Secretary of State for India 1908-9 • Sir Christopher Chataway, long-distance runner and Education Minister 1962–4. • Andrew Duff, Former MEP • William Forsyth, Former Conservative MP • Denzil Freeth, Former Conservative MP • Aidan Hartley, Kenya-born journalist, author and film-maker • Stanley Johnson, politician, writer, farmer and father of Boris Johnson • Robert Key. Former Member of Parliament. • Michael Marsham, 7th Earl of Romney (1910-2004), hereditary peer who served in the House of Lords. • Peter Oborne, journalist, author and political commentator • John Pardoe, Former Liberal MP • Mark Todd, Former Labour MP • Paul Tyler, Baron Tyler of Linkinhorne, Former Liberal MP and Chairman ==Writers and poets==

• Alec Waugh, author • Anthony Lane, film critic • Anthony Summers, author and Pulitzer Prize finalist • Arnaldo Cortesi, journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner • Arthur Waugh, author, critic and publisher • Cecil Day-Lewis, poet • David Cornwell, (a.k.a. John le Carré), writer, for example of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy • John Cowper Powys, author, lecturer and philosopher • Jon Stock, journalist and author • Robert McCrum, writer and editor • Tim Heald, journalist and author • Warren Chetham-Strode, author and playwright ==Sport==

• James Adams, cricketer • John Bain (1854–1929), England footballer and 1877 FA Cup Finalist • Peter Donald, cricketer • David Fursdon, cricketer and current Lord-Lieutenant of Devon • Mervin Glennie, cricketer • Ted Glover, cricketer • Nick Greenstock, former England Rugby Union centre • George Hargrave, cricketer • Will Homer, rugby union • Tom James, rugby union • Robin Kreyer, cricketer • Sir Francis Lacey, cricketer and Secretary of the MCC • Jeremy Quinlan, cricketer • Justin Ricketts, cricketer • Robert Rydon, cricketer • Ollie Sale, cricketer • John Tallent, former England International and RFU President • Sir Hugh Vincent, rugby player (Wales) • Algernon Whiting, cricketer ==Other==

• Sir Nathaniel Highmore, Government barrister and civil servant • Sir Alastair Pilkington, director of the Bank of England • Sir Thomas Villiers, businessman and politician prominent in Ceylon • Sir Geoffrey Briggs, Chief Justice of Brunei and of Hong Kong, 1973-9 • Lieutenant Commander Peter Twiss first person to exceed 1,000 miles per hour • Mack Rutherford, youngest person to fly solo around the world • Charles Palmer, engineer and survivor of the siege of Lucknow • King Mswati III, king of Swaziland. Attended Sherborne International College • His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar. Attended Sherborne International College • Ronald Cunningham, (a.k.a. The Great Omani), escapologist • Nigel Dempster, journalist • Franklin Adin Simmonds, orthopaedic surgeon • John Insall, American, orthopaedic surgeon • Frederick Slessor, railway engineer • Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim, regent and crown prince of Pahang, Malaysia • James Daunt, founder of Daunt Books ==Victoria Cross holders==

Five Old Shirburnians have been awarded the Victoria Cross, to whom a memorial plaque was commissioned, the unveiling of which took place in the School Chapel on 19 September 2004. • Rear Admiral Henry James Raby VC won in the Crimean War, when he was a lieutenant in the Naval Brigade. Raby was the first man to actually receive the medal, with Queen Victoria pinning it onto him in the first investiture. • Brigadier General Sir Arthur George Hammond VC won in the Second Afghan War, when he was a captain in the Bengal Staff Corps, Indian Army • Major General Charles Edward Hudson VC won in the First World War, when he was a temporary lieutenant colonel in the Sherwood Foresters • Major Edward Bamford VC won in the First World War, when he was a captain in the Royal Marine Light Infantry • Captain John Hollington Grayburn VC granted posthumously and he was gazetted captain; won in the Second World War, as a lieutenant in the Parachute Regiment ==See also==