List of Old Abingdonians
Old Abingdonians are former pupils of Abingdon School or, in some cases, Honorary Old Abingdonians who have been awarded the status based on service to the School. The Old Abingdonians also run the Old Abingdonian Club which is an organisation hosted by the school. It was founded in 1743.
Born in the 12th century
- St Edmund Rich , Archbishop of Canterbury, 1233–1240
Born in the 16th century
- John Roysse, mercer, re-endowed Abingdon School in 1563
- Sir John Mason, diplomat, spy, and Chancellor of Oxford University
- Thomas Tesdale, maltster and benefactor, established the Tesdale Ushership
- John Blacknall, Land and mill owner and founder of Blacknall bequest
- Sir John Bennet, Chancellor of the Diocese of York, Judge and politician
- William Bennet, MP and founder of the Bennet scholarship
- Sir Thomas Smith,, Judge and Member of Parliament
- John Bennet, composer
- Christopher Tesdale, member of the Westminster Assembly, of Divines
- Robert Payne, English cleric and academic
Born in the 17th century
- Clement Barksdale, religious author, polymath and Anglican priest
- Henry Langley, nonconformist minister and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- Walter Dayrell, Archdeacon of Winchester
- Sir Edward Turnour, Speaker of the House of Commons
- Sir John Holt, Lord Chief Justice
- Walter Harte Prebendary of Bath and Wells and a principal pillar of the Nonjuring schism cause
- Colonel James Bringfeild,, equerry to Prince George of Denmark and Aide-de-camp to the Duke of Marlborough
- Colwell Brickenden, Clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- William Hunt, Archdeacon of Bath
- James Jennings, MP and Landowner
- Matthew Panting, Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- Joseph Cox, High Sheriff of Berkshire
- Phanuel Bacon, playwright, poet and author
Born in the 18th century
- Philip Morant, historian
- John Ratcliffe, Clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- Francis Ayscough, courtier, and Dean of Bristol
- Richard Brickenden, Archdeacon of Wiltshire
- Sir John D'Oyly, 4th Baronet, 4th baronet of Chislehampton
- William Walker, Principal of New Inn Hall
- John Nourse, bookseller
- William Adams, Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- William Horton, leading military aide and builder of Horton House
- Lord James Beauclerk, Bishop of Hereford, 1746-1787
- Daniel Dumaresq, St Petersburg Academy of Sciences, educationalist
- John Howe, 2nd Baron Chedworth
- James Dashwood, politician
- Sir Thomas Head, High Sheriff of Berkshire
- Richard Graves, clergyman, writer and translator
- John Morton, MP
- Henry Howe, 3rd Baron Chedworth
- Thomas Whorwood of Holton, High Sheriff of Oxfordshire.
- Philip Wenman, 6th Viscount Wenman, politician
- Sir Robert Jenkinson, 5th Baronet, 5th Baronet of Walcot and Hawkesbury
- James Dawkins, antiquary and Jacobite
- John Tracy, Viscount and Warden of All Souls College
- William Hawkins, clergyman, poet and dramatist
- Sir Charles Bagot Chester, 7th Baronet, 7th Baronet of Chicheley
- Clement Saxton, High Sheriff of Berkshire
- John Loder, Clergyman, landowner and founder of the Old Berkshire Hunt
- Sir Henry Atkins, 5th Baronet of Clapham
- Sir Richard Atkins, 6th Baronet of Clapham & High Sheriff
- Henry Dawkins, Member of the Parliament
- William Newcome, Bishop and Archbishop of Armagh
- Edward Morant,, Member of the Parliament
- Sir Henry D'Anvers, 4th Baronet, 4th Culworth baronet
- William Huddesford, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum
- Henry Leigh Tracy, 8th Viscount Tracy, 8th Viscount Tracy
- John Clarke, Provost of Oriel College, Oxford
- Sir Michael D'Anvers, 5th Baronet, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
- Sir Justinian Isham, 7th Baronet, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
- James Gerard, Warden of Wadham College, Oxford
- John Smyth, Clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- John Bush , High Sheriff of Oxfordshire
- William Sergrove, Clergyman and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- Sir Francis Clerke, 7th Baronet, Baron, killed at Battles of Saratoga
- Thomas Stock social reformer, established first Sunday school in England
- Sir William Clerke, 8th Baronet, Baron and clergyman
- George Knapp, British Member of Parliament for Abingdon
- William Wiseman Clarke, High Sheriff of Berkshire
- Thomas Dudley Fosbroke,, antiquary
- George William Hall, Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
- Major-General John Tombs, British East India Company and Indian Army
- Clement Hue, physician
- George Rowley, Master of University College, Oxford
Born in the 19th century
- Sir William Boxall, painter, director of the National Gallery
- William Alder Strange, headmaster and author
- Major-General Sir Henry Tombs VC KCB , Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross
- James Brooks, Gothic Revival architect
- Henry Rudge Hayward, Archdeacon of Cheltenham and Cirencester
- William Collinson Sawyer, Bishop of Grafton and Armidale, New South Wales
- Edward Ede, cricketer, Hampshire CCC
- George Ede, cricketer, captain, Hampshire CCC & Grand National winner 1868
- William Henry Richardson, historian
- Edward Dorrien Newbolt, British Army officer
- Arthur Edwin Preston, mayor of Abingdon, Master of Christ’s Hospital
- Colonel Lacey Robert Johnson, Canadian Pacific Railway pioneer
- Louis Davis, Arts and Crafts stained glass artist.
- Harry Redfern, architect
- Charles Harvey Dixon, politician
- Harold Gilman, painter, founder member of the Fitzroy Group
- Oswald Couldrey, author and watercolourist
- Norman Riches, cricketer, captain, Glamorgan CCC
- Willoughby Weaving, First World War poet
- John William Duncan, Welsh field hockey international
- Richard Rice,, 1912 Summer Olympics athlete
- Tracy Philipps, intelligence officer, later colonial official and conservationist
- Thomas Malcolm Layng, Deputy Chaplain-General to the Forces, 1945, and Archdeacon of York
- Henry Medd, architect and church designer in Delhi
- Sir Michael Bruce, author, traveller and adventurer
- Eric Whelpton, author and traveller
- John Theobald Milne, an English fighter pilot and flying ace
- Nigel Bruce, actor
Born in the 20th century
Academic and Education
- Cecil Davidge, lawyer and academic of Keble College, Oxford
- Colin Ronan, British author and specialist in the history and philosophy of science
- Michael Bateman, journalist and author
- Sir Eric Anderson, Teacher and educator
- Frank Jeal, zoologist and Trinity lecturer
- Bryan Kibble, British physicist, inventor of the Kibble balance
- Mark Bretscher, biological scientist, FRS
- Michael Fortescue, professor and academic
- Sir Chris Dobson, professor and academic, FRS
- Roger Ainsworth, professor and Master of St Catherine's College, Oxford
- Sir John Hills, professor and academic
- Angus McPhail, teacher and former warden of Radley College
- Nicholas Lemoine, professor and academic
- John Dewar,, academic and law specialist
- Andrew Robson, international bridge player, teacher and columnist
- Ben Macintyre, author and journalist
- Andrew Fisher, physicist
- Timothy Bugg, professor and academic
- Peter Haynes, professor and academic
Arts
- Raymond Stross, film producer and director
- Michael Grigsby, film maker
- Tom Kempinski, playwright and actor
- Martin Lisemore, television producer
- Christopher Wray actor and businessman
- Nicholas Loukes, actor
- Eddy Joseph, sound engineer
- Anthony Fawcett, writer, art critic, and a former personal assistant to John Lennon
- Michael Holding,, filmmaker and director
- Thomas Dolby, musician and producer
- Robin Kermode, communication coach and former actor
- Russell Taylor, writer, journalist and composer
- Simon West, actor
- Martin Hyder, actor & writer
- Toby Jones, actor
- Tom Hollander, actor
- Philip Selway, member of Radiohead
- Ed O'Brien, member of Radiohead
- Thom Yorke, member of Radiohead
- Colin Greenwood, member of Radiohead
- Jonny Greenwood, member of Radiohead
- Nigel Powell, musician
- Andy Yorke, musician
- David Pringuer, musician
- David Mitchell, comedian and actor
- Rob Walker, sports commentator and television presenter
- Dawson Bros., comedy writers
- Michael Bartlett, playwright and actor
- Joseph Kennedy, actor
- Wayne Yip, film and TV director
- Jonny Donahoe, comedian and writer
- Jamie Anderson, producer
- Tim Dawson, screenwriter
- Alex Mugnaioni, actor
- Edward Wilson , actor
- Toby Marlow, writer and composer
- Kit Young, actor
Business
- John William Greening MBE, benefactor and philanthropist
- Bruce Duncan Guimaraens, port wine maker, head of Guimaraens Taylor Fonseca, Oporto
- Sir Vivian Ramsey, former High Court judge
- Matthew Harding businessmen and vice-chairman of Chelsea Football Club
- Tim Parker, Chairman of the National Trust
- Sir Robert Pasley, Pasley baronets and CFO of Cell C
- James Allison, designer, engineer, and technical director of Mercedes
- Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA
- Philip Johnson, lead architect for the London Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games
Government
- Hugh Lunghi, British military interpreter and Foreign Office
- Sir Andrew Foster, British public servant
- John Beyer, former government ambassador
- Sir Paul Robert Virgo Clarke KCVO, government official
- Sir Kim Darroch KCMG, senior British diplomat
- Sir Nicholas Kay KCMG, British diplomat
- Richard Tauwhare, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands
- The Hon.Jonathan Hamberger, government official awarded Public Service Medal
- Richard McMahon, Bailiff of Guernsey
- Clive Alderton LVO, British diplomat
Military
- Terence Charley, Japanese prisoner of war
- Brigadier Tony Clay OBE, CBE, British Army officer
- Major General Walter Courage MBE, CB, retired British Army officer
- Christopher John Pickup OBE, LVO, retired British Army officer
- Commodore David Brice, retired Royal Navy officer
- Brigadier Christopher Winfield CBE, retired British Army officer
- Michael Philip Westwood OBE, retired Royal Air Force officer
- Air Vice Marshall Steven Nicholl CBE, retired Royal Air Force officer
- Jonathan Frere MBE, retired British Army officer
- Commodore Alistair Halliday, Royal Navy officer
- Brigadier Robert Bowkett, British Army officer
- Colonel David Eccles OBE, CBE, British Army officer
- Brigadier Nick Pond, MBE, British Army officer
Politics
- Edward Castle, Baron Castle, British journalist and politician
- Sir George Sinclair, colonial administrator and Conservative MP for Dorking
- Roger Blackmore, political and Lord Mayor of Leicester
- Robert Hayward, Baron Hayward OBE, Conservative MP for Kingswood
- Peter Bradley, Labour MP for the Wrekin
- Francis Maude, Baron Maude of Horsham,, Conservative MP for Warwickshire North, then Horsham, Chairman of the Conservative Party
Sporting
- Dick Eason, University boat race blue
- Sir David Tanner CBE, British Olympic rowing coach
- Michael Hill, English cricketer
- Angus McPhail, English cricketer
- Michael Howat, English cricketer
- Mark Andrews, University boat race rower
- Graham Halsey, England U-23 and Harlequins rugby player
- Graham Scott, Premier League referee
- Justin Frishberg, Paralympic Games wheelchair rugby player
- Martin Haycock, University boat race cox
- Phil Baker, rowing world championship medallist
- Alex Greaney, University boat race cox
- Ben Gannon, professional cricketer
- Nicholas Drake, England rugby sevens and London Irish
- Jon Dunbar, international rugby union player
- Robin Bourne-Taylor, Olympic rower
- George Whittaker, rower
- Kieran Roche, EHL premier division hockey player
- Nick Brodie, University boat race cox
- Toby Roche, EHL premier division hockey player
- Matthew Rossiter, international and European champion rower
- Oliver Cook, international and world champion rower
- Alex Fisher, professional footballer
- Chris Newman, field hockey international
- Nathaniel Watkins, professional cricketer
- Jamie Cook, university boat race rower
- Felix Newman, University boat race rower
- Ian Middleton, university boat race cox
- Theo Brophy-Clews, rugby union player
- Will Carter Keall, EHL premier division hockey player
- Magnus Gregory, England international canoeist
- Charlie Quarterman, professional cyclist