Leeds Grammar School - Notable Alumni

Notable Alumni

Alumni from Leeds Grammar School are called "Old Leodiensians" or "Old Leo's". Notable Old Leo's include:

• Thomas Adam (1701–1784) - Church of England clergyman and religious writer.
• Thomas T Adamson-Coumbousis - Channel 4 News, TV Reporter/Producer
• John Berkenhout (1726–91) - English physician, naturalist and miscellaneous writer
• Sir Basil Davenport Blackwell (1922–2003) - Engineer and industrialist. Former chief executive of the Westland Group.
• Robin Blaze - countertenor
• Jon Blundy FRS (b. 1961) - geologist, Professor of Petrology at University of Bristol
• Albert Braithwaite, Conservative M.P.
• William Henry Brookfield (1809–74) - Inspector of Schools, and chaplain-in-ordinary to Queen Victoria.
• William Arthur Brown (b. 1945) - Master of Darwin College, Cambridge
• Sir Stephen Brown KCVO - Group Chief Executive of British Trade International, former ambassador
• Charles West Cope (1811–1890) Victorian era painter of genre and history scenes
• Keith Cox (1933–1998) geologist and academic at the University of Oxford.
• Robert Crosthwaite (1837–1925) inaugural Bishop of Beverley
• Geoffrey Crowther, Baron Crowther (1907–1972) - economist, editor of The Economist.
• Barry Cryer - Comedian and comedy writer
• Alan Davidson - author, diplomat, food writer.
• Howard Devoto - Ex-lead singer of Buzzcocks, Magazine and Luxuria.
• Lord "Jack" Diamond (John Diamond) (1907–2004) - Politician, Member of parliament, and leader of the Social Democratic Party in the House of Lords.
• George Dixon - MP for Birmingham, also Edgbaston. Educationalist
• Jeremy Dyson - scriptwriter especially for The League of Gentlemen.
• Ralph Emmerson (1913–2008) - Bishop of Knaresborough from 1972 to 1979
• Ernest Farrar (1885–1918) - composer
• Robin Flower (1881–1946) - poet
• John Freeborn (b. 1919) - Battle of Britain RAF pilot
• Richard Harrington (b. 1957) - UK Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford, 2010 -
• Tony Harrison (b. 1937) - poet
• Sir John Hawkshaw (1811–91) - Engineer (railways, canals, tunnels)
• George Henderson (1854–1903) - British soldier and military author most famous for his work regarding the American Civil War and Thomas J. Jackson
• Sir Jack Hibbert - director of the Central Statistical Office, 1985-92.
• Ken Hodcroft - Chairman of Hartlepool United F.C.
• George Edward Holderness - eminent Anglican priest in the second half of the 20th century
• Arthur Michael Hollis - eminent Anglican clergyman in the mid 20th century.
• John Ireland (1879–1962) - composer
• Samuel W. Johnson (1831–1912) - mechanical engineer
• Donald Kaberry, Baron Kaberry of Adel (1907–91) - politician, Member of Parliament for Leeds North West
• Sir Gerald Kaufman (b. 1930) - Member of Parliament
• Reverend Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy (Woodbine Willy) - priest and counsellor in World War I
• William Ryott Maughan (1863–1933) - English-born Australian politician
• Alston James Weller May - 2nd Bishop of Northern Rhodesia
• Joseph Milner (1744–97) - English evangelical divine
• Colin Montgomerie (attended circa 1980-82) - Golf Professional
• Patrick Munro (1883–1942) Conservative M.P. and international rugby union player
• William Nicholson, 1st Baron Nicholson (1845–1918) - Field Marshal
• Richard Peacock (1820–89) - Engineer; railway locomotive designer
• Christopher Price - politician
• Joseph Bancroft Reade FRS (1801–70) - Clergyman, amateur scientist and pioneer of photography
• James Buchanan Seaton Archdeacon of Johannesburg and later Bishop of Wakefield
• Sydney Selwyn (1934–1996), British physician, medical scientist and notable expert in the history of medicine.
• Guy Sigsworth - electronica producer and was member of the band Frou Frou
• John Smeaton (1724–94) - civil and mechanical engineer famous for building the third Eddystone Lighthouse, and for many other engineering projects.
• Barnett Stross (1899–1967) - doctor and politician
• Dave Syers (b. 1987) - Professional footballer for Bradford City
• Godfrey Talbot - war-time BBC correspondent; later the BBC's first officially-accredited royal correspondent.
• Ralph Thoresby (1658–1724) - Merchant, dissenter, and author of the first history of Leeds, Ducatus Leodiensis, in 1715
• John Rowe Townsend - children's writer
• Lawrence Wager (1904–65) - geologist, explorer and mountaineer

• Nigel Waterson (b. 1950) - Member of Parliament for Eastbourne
• Philip Wilby (b. 1949) - composer
• Ricky Wilson - Lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs