Local characters

Information about local people in history

William Hawke

Hawke was the second man to be called the Flying Highwayman, a nickname earned by fast riding and daring leaps over turnpike gates.
T.E. Lawrence

In the 1920s "Lawrence of Arabia" was a household name. His exploits as an intelligence officer and saboteur in the desert had been seized upon by the media. He was a glamorous figure. But Lawrence was a complex man. Weary of fame, he decided to enlist as an ordinary man in the armed forces.
Roger Crab

The Hermit of Ickenham was born in Buckinghamshire around 1621.
Robert Redman

Bob Redman was a famous Uxbridge character of the 18th and early 19th century.
George Orwell

In 1932 Eric Blair was just starting his career as the writer, "George Orwell", a name inspired by the river Orwell in Suffolk.
William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was born in Hull on the 24th August 1759. He became the MP for his home city and was a leading campaigner in parliament for the abolition of slavery.

William Hawke