Wallingford History Gateway
Wallingford History Gateway |
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Characters MPs
A list of some of the key people who played a part in Wallingford's history, with links to further information.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Michael Davie (1924-2005) Michael Davie was a senior editor of The Observer and editor of The Melbourne Age. He worked on the Observer for 35 years. He died in Wallingford.
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Hugh the younger Despenser (1286-1326) Hugh the younger Despenser became royal chamberlain in 1318.
As a royal courtier, he became a favourite of Edward
II, despite the opposition of Edward’s wife Queen
Isabella and the barons, and a reputation for extreme cruelty. He was given
Wallingford Castle along with many other titles. When Isabella and Roger
de Mortimer seized power from Edward, Wallingford was regained, and Isabella
issued a declaration from the castle putting a price on Hugh’s head in 1326.
Hugh was later arrested, tried and executed.
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Thomas Digges (1546-1595) A mathematican and astronomer who became MP for Wallingford in
1572.
He is credited with developing the reflecting telescope. He championed the ideas
of planetary motion of Copernicus. He described the earth thus: "This ball
every 24 hours by naturall, uniforme and wonderful slie and smooth motion
rouleth rounde, making with his Periode our naturall daye, whereby it seems to
us that the huge infinite immoveable Globe should sway and tourne about."
He also wrote on platonic and Archimedean solids.
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Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke (1810-1869) He was son of another Charles Wentworth, proprietor and editor
of The Athenaeum. The younger Charles was chairman of the council of the
Society of Arts, and played a key role in the Royal Horticultural Society and
other bodies. In 1841 he co-founded The Gardeners' Chronicle. He was a
major promoter of the Great Exhibition in 1851 and 1862, but declined a
knighthood offered as a result. He became MP for Wallingford in 1865.
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Charles Wentworth Dilke |
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Joanna Drew (1929–2003) Joanna Drew, director of the Hayward Gallery in London and champion of modern art, was born in India. She lived in Wallingford.
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Edmund Dunch (1657-1719) MP for Wallingford, 1715-1719.
Dunch was one of the Kit-Kat Club, a group with strong political and literary
associations, committed to the furtherance of Whig objectives. His family came
from Little Wittenham (his father Hungerford Dunch (1639-1680) was an MP), where
he is buried. He was known as a Whig, a wit and a gambler. Many of Edmund’s
forebears had been parliamentarians, particularly in William Dunch (1508-1597),
auditor to the Mint for Henry VIII and Edward IV, represented Wallingford
(1563), and was High Sheriff of Berkshire (1569-1570). It was William who bought
the manor of Little Wittenham in 1552, which was the family seat. His son Sir
Edmund Dunch represented Wallingford in 1571 and was High Sheriff of Berkshire
(1586-1587). His son Sir William Dunch (1578-1611) represented Wallingford in
1603. He married Mary Cromwell in 1599, the daughter of Sir Henry Cromwell and
aunt to Oliver Cromwell. It is believed that the variant name for Wittenham
Clumps (Mother Dunch’s Buttocks) is associated with her. William’s brother
Samuel (1592-1666) represented Wallingford in 1620. William’s son Edward
(1603-1678) was governor of Wallingford Castle, and later became Baron Burnel,
though he lost this title at the Restoration (this being the only title
conferred by the Protector and not confirmed by Charles II). He too represented
Wallingford in 1627 and 1640, and was High Sheriff of Berkshire. Edward’s son
Hungerford Dunch (1639-1680) was returned for Wallingford in 1660 but elected
for Cricklade. Hungerford’s son was Edmund Dunch (1657-1719).
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Edmund Dunch |
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