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Famous Names
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- Saffron Walden has a plaque commemorating one of the Marian martyrs burned here in 1555, John Newman.
- Democracy was born in Saffron Walden during the Civil War when Oliver Cromwell came to Saffron Walden to hear the grievances of the Army in 1647.
- The 16th century poet/ astrologer Gabriel Harvey was born in Walden, as was the founder of Player's tobacco company, John Player.
- Rab Butler, 'the greatest prime minister we never had' is buried in the church of his former constituency.
- Henry VIII's chancellor, Thomas Audley owned Audley End near the town.
- Robert Fitzwalter, one of the barons appointed to ensure that the Magna Carta was adhered to, is buried at Little Dunmow.
- John Cutte, who led Marlborough's attack at the Battle of Blenheim, was born in Arkesden in 1661.
- The builder of the first Eddystone lighthouse, on which he met his end in 1703, Henry Winstanley lived at Littlebury.
- Lionel Lukin, inventor of the first lifeboat, was born in 1742 in Great Dunmow, where he tested his invention on Doctor's Pond.
- George Wombwell from Duddenhoe End was owner of Wombwell Menagerie, one of the earliest travelling zoos: one of his animals, Wallace the lion, on display in Saffron Walden Museum, is featured in the poem 'Albert and the Lion'.
- The Countess of Warwick was the 'Darling Daisy' of Little Easton Lodge, mistress of Edward VII.
- Dick Turpin was born in 1705 at Hempstead, which earlier had been the residence of William Harvey, physician to Kings James I and Charles I, and who discovered the circulation of the blood.
- The noted chronicler, William Harrison, lived at Radwinter.
- Gustav Holst wrote part of the Planets Suite while living in Thaxted, the tune used for the hymn 'I vow to thee my country'. Thaxted was also the foundation of the Morris Ring in 1934 by Rev Conrad Noel.
- The Bardfield artists, Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious, were noted designers and artists of the 20th century.
- Most recently, the TV celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, grew up in Clavering, where he learned to cook at his parents' pub, The Cricketers.
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Further details can be obtained by contacting the chairman at chairman@ulhr.org.uk
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