Notable inhabitants
Sciences
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John Hilton Grace - Mathematician
John Hilton Grace was a leading British mathematician. The Grace–Walsh–Szego theorem is named in part after him. He was born in Halewood, and was brought up on Okell's Farm. He was educated at the village school and the Liverpool Institute, before studying Maths at Cambridge. He was later was made a Fellow of Peterhouse and became a Lecturer of Mathematics at Peterhouse and Pembroke colleges. His nephew (below), his younger sister's son, was the animal geneticist, Alan Robertson FRS.
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Alan Robertson OBE FRS FRSE - Geneticist
Alan Robertson was an English population geneticist who grew up on Okell's Farm in Halewood and was educated at the local church primary school. He acquired an international reputation, receiving state and academic honours from Europe, America and Asia.
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Politics
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Edward Whitley M.P.
Edward Ewart Whitley, a resident of The Grange, Halewood, was an English solicitor and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1892.
In 1866 he became a member of the Corporation of Liverpool, elected Mayor of Liverpool in 1868 and became a Justice of the Peace. In 1880 Whitley was elected as one of three Members of Parliament (MPs) for Liverpool. He was then elected MP for Everton between 1885 and 1892.
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Edwin Darlington, Companion of the Indian Empire - Civil Servant
Edwin Darlington was a retired civil servant who spent most of his career working for the Indian Civil Service.
Before his retirement he was awarded the Companion of the Indian Empire in the Jubilee Honours List of June 1897 for services rendered.
He then came to live at The Grange during the first years of the twentieth century.
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Industrialists
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Harold Brocklebank
Harold Brocklebank was the son of Thomas Brocklebank who created the shipping empire. Harold and his wife were the first residents of The Grange in Higher Road. In 1911 he was appointed Chairman of Brocklebank Line.
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Daniel Montgomery McKechnie
Daniel McKechnie was the son of chemical manufacturer Duncan McKechnie, who lived with his family in The Grange until his passing. McKechnie Brothers was one of the most well known chemical companies in the country.
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Military
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Captain Charles Claude Whitley MC
Charles Claude Whitley was born in The Grange, Halewood, on 9 October 1888, and baptised in St Nicholas on 11 February 1889. When war broke out he enlisted in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in September 1914. In 1915 he was made Second Lieutenant, and in October 1916 was awarded the Military Cross. He was promoted to Captain in 1917, before being killed in action on 11 April 1917. He was buried in Hibers Trench Cemetery, Wancourt in France and remembered on the Broughton War Memorial.
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Sport
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Lady Mary Peters LG, DBE, CBE, MBE
Mary Peters was born in Higher Road, Halewood, and attended Kingsthorne County Primary School in Hunt's Cross. In the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Peters competing for Great Britain and Northern Ireland won the gold medal in the women's pentathlon. In addition to her earlier honours she was appointed a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter (LG) in 2019.
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Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham (born 22 November 1944) is a Scottish retired professional footballer who played for Liverpool from 1964 to 1972 making 101 appearances and scoring 31 goals. He lived in Woodlands Road, Halewood, during his time with Liverpool.
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Dave Jones
Dave Jones, former Everton F.C. full back and Premiership manager of Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, lived in Halewood and attended the Halewood County Secondary School.
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Steve McMahon
Steve McMahon, the former Everton F.C. and Liverpool F.C. midfielder, was born and brought up in Halewood.
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Aaron Cresswell
Aaron Cresswell, born and raised in Halewood, is an English professional footballer who plays left back for Premier League club West Ham United. After attending Liverpool FC’s academy as a youngster, Cresswell made his first-team debut for Tranmere Rovers in 2008 making 70 league appearances, before signing for Ipswich Town in 2011. He made 138 appearances for Ipswich scoring six goals, before joining West Ham United in July 2014. He made his international debut for England in November 2016 in a friendly against Spain at Wembley Stadium.
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Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Katarina Johnson-Thompson is an English track and field athlete specialising in the heptathlon and pentathlon. Katarina was raised in Halewood and attended St Mark's Catholic Primary School on Fir Avenue. She won the gold medal at the 2019 World Championships and broke the British record with a score of 6,981 points, which ranks her at No. 6 on the all-time heptathlon lists. She also holds the British record of 5,000 points for the women's pentathlon and won gold in that event at the 2015 and 2019 European Indoor Championships, as well as the 2018 World Indoor Championships. In the long jump, she was the 2012 World Junior Champion and the 2014 World Indoor silver medalist. She also holds the British high jump records with 1.98 m outdoors (2016) and 1.97 m indoors (2015). Katarina again won the heptathlon Gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August retaining her title.
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Ryan Edwards
Originally from Halewood, Ryan Edwards (born 7 October 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish Premiership club Dundee United. Edwards started a two-year scholarship with Blackburn Rovers in 2010 and was captain of their squad that reached the final of the 2011–12 FA Youth Cup. Following this, in May 2012, Edwards signed his first professional contract on a two-year deal. After moves to Plymouth Argyle, and Blackpool FC, he joined Dundee United in 2020.
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Entertainment
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George Harrison MBE
When back in Liverpool, George lived in 174 Mackets Lane, just within the border of Halewood with his family between 1962 and 1965 (pictured outside the house).
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Gil Norton
Record producer Gil Norton - a well-known name in the industry and originally from Halewood, has produced a plethora of incredible rock albums, both in the UK and in the US. Beginning work as an engineer at Liverpool’s Amazon Studios in Simonswood, Gil went on to work with groups such as Echo & the Bunnymen, Pixies, Foo Fighters, Feeder, The Triffids, Del Amitri, James, Counting Crows and many more.
(And back in his Halewood days, almost formed a band playing bass with this author in our teens!)
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Michael Starke
Actor Michael Starke, brought up in Halewood, is best-known for his role as 'Sinbad' in Brookside, which he played for sixteen years.
In 2007, he joined the cast of ITV soap Coronation Street, playing Jerry Morton, and has also made appearances in Doctors, Casualty and Benidorm, as well as performing at the Royal Court and at Liverpool Playhouse. In 2021, Starke appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.
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Josh Bolt
Actor Josh Bolt attended Halewood College and has appeared in Nowhere Boy, Shameless, Accused, Scott and Bailey, Benidorm, Catch-22 and Last Tango in Halifax.
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Fred Lawless
Playwright Fred Lawless moved to Halewood as a child and lived there until his early twenties, attending St. Mark's Primary School in Leathers Lane, and Wade Deacon Grammar School (with this author). Fred first trained as a hotel manager, and founded one of the UK’s first kissagram companies, Champagne-a-Gram, before becoming a writer of stage, screen and radio. His credits include the BBC soap EastEnders, many of the Royal Court’s annual Christmas shows, and BEST!, a fictional tale of The Beatles and their first drummer Pete Best staged at the Everyman.
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Richard Beesley
Brought up in Hollies Road, Halewood, the son of Pam and Tommy Beesley MBE, Richard attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he graduated with a degree and post-grad diploma in Jazz. Since then, he has forged a career as one of the most sought-after session players, playing saxophone and clarinet, both in the studio and on tour with a long list of well known artists.
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Community
A number of Halewood residents have been recognised in the Honours List for services to the Halewood community;
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Matron Gertrude Riding O.B.E.
Hospital matron Gertrude Riding, who was brought up in Halewood and lived in Bailey's Lane, worked at Mill Road Hospital from 1910 and appointed Matron in 1927. In 1941, she became Matron for Alder Hey until her retirement in 1948. She became well-known for her actions during the Blitz when the hospital was bombed and took the lives of many patients.
According to historian Mike Royden, in Merseyside at War, Gertrude was later awarded an OBE for her services, and despite injury which resulted in the loss of an eye, 'she was instrumental in releasing a nurse who was trapped and she endeavoured, before she finally collapsed, to help another injured member of staff.'
Her story has also been featured on Channel 5's The Blitz: Britain on Fire, which also featured Mike Royden. (Liverpool Echo)
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Canon Reverend Owen Vyvian Eva M.B.E.
The Reverend Owen Eva was vicar (later Canon) of St. Nicholas Church, Halewood for twenty-five years from 1961 until his retirement in 1986. He oversaw the opening of the joint Church of England / Methodist Church of St Mary in Leather's Lane, Halewood and the opening of the new Church of England school in the village and the Secondary Modern in Wood Road (later known as Halewood Grange).
He served with the 9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, 18th Infantry Div in Singapore, Malaya in WWII and became a prisoner of war in Changi Camp and put to work on the Burma Thailand Railway.
He was later awarded the M.B.E. for his service to the community of Halewood.
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Sheila Bersin M.B.E.
Sheila Bersin worked for many years as a librarian in Halewood Library. In retirement she became a Pensioners' champion and was awarded an MBE for services to the community in Halewood and Knowsley.
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Tommy Beesley M.B.E.
Tommy, often with wife Pam in support, has spent many years working tirelessly for the community of Halewood, volunteering and helping in many good causes. His dedication was recognised in the New Year’s Honours on 1 Jan 2010, when he was awarded the M.B.E. 'for services to the community in Halewood, Liverpool.'
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Harry Birch B.E.M.
Halewood Town and Borough Councillor Harry Birch was awarded the BEM in the January 2019 New Years Honours list. A well deserved honour for a true gentleman who spent many years working for the community of Halewood, volunteering and helping in many good causes. Harry's father-in-law was Harry Allen whose biography including his family's life and times in 20th century Halewood can be found
here.
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St Nicholas Centre, Halewood |
Plaque on the wall in the centre
(many thanks to Tommy Beesley) |
And my parents, Bill and Hazel Royden, who contributed to the church and community from 1959. My father Bill Royden served on numerous committees and served as sidesman and Treasurer for St Mary's during its formative years (and during rebuilding after it was destroyed by fire). And later at St Nicholas Church, where he was instrumental in seeing through the project to build the St Nicholas Centre next to the church. He passed away in 1998. Near his resting place in St Nicholas, a tree, now flourishing, was planted in his memory (a plaque marks the tree).
My mother Hazel was also very active with the church and its various groups, including the W.I., counselling with Listening Ear, and served as chair for the Mother's Union. She passed in 2013 and both are interred together in St Nicholas churchyard.
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