Famous People From Hackney

Actress Athene Seyler was popular and durable on the British stage, especially in comedy. Her career started in 1908. Seyler appeared in silent films during the 1920s. She played small parts in "The Mill on the Floss" (1937) and "The Citadel" (1938). Seyler gained attention with her sharp performance in Anthony Asquith's "Quiet Wedding" (1940), taking scenes from top character actors. Seyler also performed similar comedy in "Dear Octopus" (1943).

John Diamond (May 10, 1953 – March 2, 2001) was an English journalist and broadcaster. He married food writer and TV cook Nigella Lawson in 1992. They stayed together until his death from cancer in 2001.

Harry Melbourne Wilcox (January 17, 1878 – July 21, 1937) was an English professional footballer. Wilcox scored 66 goals in 174 appearances in the Football League. He played for Small Heath, Preston North End, Leicester Fosse, and West Bromwich Albion.

Joshua Field FRS (1786 – August 11, 1863) was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer. Field was born in Hackney in 1786. His father, John Field, became Master of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors. Field studied under dockyard engineer Simon Goodrich from 1803 to 1805. Samuel Bentham, the Inspector-general of naval works, commissioned Field. Field worked with Samuel Goodrich to develop tools for mass-producing ship's blocks at Portsmouth Dockyard. These block mills needed ten unskilled men to replace 110 skilled craftsmen.

Geoffrey "Geoff" McQueen (July 24, 1947 – July 6, 1994) was a television screenwriter. McQueen created Thames Television's long-running police procedural, The Bill. He also wrote popular comedies like Give us a Break, Big Deal, and Stay Lucky. McQueen worked as a carpenter and joiner. He worked abroad for many years before writing began in 1978. His first success came in 1982 with an episode of The Gentle Touch he wrote. He wrote for shows including Boon and two Jim Davidson sitcoms. McQueen died on July 6, 1994, age 46, from an aneurysm. His wife Jan survived him.

Edward Ernest Malin (born October 1894 in Hackney, London; died March 1, 1977 in Ealing, London) was a British actor. Malin is most famous for playing the mute, geriatric Walter in the sitcom Nearest and Dearest. He also had a notable role in A Night to Remember (1958). Edward Malin died at the King Edward Memorial hospital in Ealing, London, at age 82 on March 1, 1977. Malin lived at the actors' retirement home of Denville Hall, Northwood, Middlesex, for several years. His funeral occurred on March 8, 1977, at Golders Green Crematorium, London.

Grace Aguilar (June 2, 1816 – September 16, 1847) wrote novels, poetry, and writings about Jewish history and religion. She wrote since childhood, but much of her work appeared after her death. Her best known works include the novels *Home Influence* and *A Mother's Recompense*. Aguilar was the eldest child of Sephardic Jewish refugees from Portugal who settled in the London Borough of Hackney. An early illness meant her parents educated her, especially her mother, who taught her Judaism. Later, her father taught the history of Spanish and P.

Alan Henry Spenner (May 7, 1948 – August 11, 1991) played bass for Wynder K. Frog, the Grease Band, Spooky Tooth, ABC, David Coverdale, David Soul, Joe Cocker, Kenny Loggins, Lynda Carter, Peter Frampton, Ted Nugent, Mick Taylor, China Crisis, Murray Head, Kokomo, Roxy Music, and played on the original 1970 concept album *Jesus Christ Superstar*. Spenner played bass live at Woodstock in 1969 with Joe Cocker and the Grease Band; the performance appears on The Woodstock Directors Cut DVD. In 1975, he played on Bryn Haworth's album *Sunny Side of the Street*. He played in August 1982.

Sir Ralph Sadlier PC, Knight banneret (1507 – March 30, 1587; also spelled Sadleir, Sadler), was an English statesman. He served Henry VIII as Privy Councillor, Secretary of State, and ambassador to Scotland. Sadlier served Edward VI. After signing the document settling the crown on Jane Grey in 1553, he retired to his estates during Mary I's reign. Elizabeth I restored Sadlier to royal favor, where he served as a Privy Councillor and rejoined Anglo-Scottish diplomacy. He became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in May 1568.

Christopher Belton (born August 25, 1955, in Hackney, London, UK) writes fiction and non-fiction and translates Japanese to English from Yokohama, Japan. Belton moved to Japan in 1978 with his Japanese wife. After four years in London between 1983 and 1987, he has lived in Japan since. Becoming freelance in 1991, Belton has published over 60 books as an author and more than 70 as a translator. He is well known in Japan for his work in literature, English learning, and the publishing industry.

Hetty Bower was a British political activist and suffragette. She devoted her life to political campaigning starting in the early 1920s. Before the UK NHS, she stated our parents had to choose medicine or bread, and we should not return to those times. She marched against welfare cuts, austerity, and the closure of Whittington Hospital in North London.

Albert Abraham Goodman (September 3, 1890 – December 7, 1959) played professional football. He played for London Fields, Tufnell Park, Tottenham Thursday, Maidstone United, Croydon Common, Tottenham Hotspur, Margate, Charlton Athletic, Gillingham, Clapton Orient, and Guildford City.

William Bower (September 18, 1887 – February 1954) was a footballer. He began his career at Peel Institute, playing football and cricket. Bower then played in the Football League for Clapton Orient and later for New Brompton. In 1921, he became their trainer/manager, and in 1947, he served as their groundsman.

Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Crane Richmond OBE B.Sc., A.R.C. F.R.Ae.S. (1893–1930) was an English engineer and airship designer. He served first with the Royal Naval Air Service, then the Royal Air Force. Richmond designed the Royal Airship Works R101 airship. He died October 5, 1930, when the airship crashed over France on its first flight.