List of residents of the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man off the coast of Great Britain has been home to various notable people, including the following who were either born or raised on the island or moved there at some point.

Born or raised on the island

*Samantha Barks, "I'd Do Anything" contestant
*The Bee Gees were all born on the island. Maurice Gibb returned for a spell during the 1970s, as did Barry Gibb where he wrote the music for the film "Saturday Night Fever". Robin Gibb and his wife bought property in the west of the island in January 2007.
*T.E. Brown, poet, scholar and theologian was born and lived much of his life on the island apart from his education at Oxford University and the more than thirty years he spent as a schoolmaster in England.
*Robert Henry Cain was an Oil Company Executive who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during "Operation Market Garden" in September 1944. He was the father of Frances Catherine Cain, wife of Jeremy Clarkson (see below).
*Mark Cavendish, sprint cyclist, Tour de France and Giro d'Italia stage winner, Madison World Champion
*Fletcher Christian, leader of the Mutiny on the Bounty, lived in Douglas and attended St Bees School. His father, [http://www.thepeerage.com/p11907.htm#i119066 John Christian] , was descended from a long line of Manx gentry. His great-great grandfather Illiam Dhone, [ [http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/worthies/p064.htm pp64-67 Chap 3, Manx Worthies - William Christian (Illiam Dhone) ] ] [ [http://www.mcb.net/manxmen/dhone.html William Christian (Illiam Dhone) ] ] led an uprising against English rule over the island and was executed in 1663.
*Christine Collister, British folk and jazz singer.
*Frank Kermode, noted literary critic. His memoir, "Not Entitled", includes a depiction of his childhood on the island.
*Sir Charles Kerruish OBE LLD CP MLC, longest serving Commonwealth Speaker ever as Speaker of the House of Keys from 1962 to 1990. Also first ever President of Tynwald and non gubernatorial Head of the Legislature and first ever Chairman of the Executive Council - again the first ever non gubernatorial Head of the Executive.
*Nigel and Bryan Kneale, brothers who were raised on the island and achieved fame as a screenwriter and sculptor respectively.
*David Knight Dirtbike racer, World Enduro Champion and GNCC champion in the USA.
*Archibald Knox artist, prominent in the Art Nouveau movement and well known for his celtic designs for Liberty.
*Alex Lloyd, racing driver and winner of the 2003 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, is from the island.
*Harry Manx, musician
*Elizabeth Holloway Marston, credited with the invention of superhero Wonder Woman
*Randolph Quirk, Lord Quirk, an eminent linguist.
*Mark Wilks, Speaker of the House of Keys, later Governor of St Helena.
*Kevin Woodford, TV chef best remembered for starring in Can't Cook, Won't Cook.

Moved to the island

*Lillian Beckwith, author of a series of semi-autobiographical books about her experiences in the Isle of Skye and Isle of Soay
*Charles Birkin (1907-1986), 5th baronet and author of short horror stories
*Jeremy Clarkson, journalist and broadcaster, bought a lighthouse home in the south-east of the island (Langness) which he shares with his Manx-born wife Francie and their children.
*Florrie Forde (1876 – 1940), known as "The Queen of Music Hall" performed at the Derby Castle ballroom stage from 1900 to 1937 (excluding the war years) and had a bungalow at Niarbyl Bay on the west coast of the island where she spent her Sundays relaxing.
*George MacDonald Fraser, the journalist, author, and screenwriter lived on the island. The title of his 2002 memoirs, "Light's on at Signpost", is a reference to the Isle of Man TT races.
*Neil Hodgson, the SBK|2003 Superbike World Champion lives in Ramsey on the Isle of Man.
*Justin Jackson is a professional footballer, who has played for numerous English league and non-league clubs including Bolton Wanderers, Halifax Town, Rushden & Diamonds, Doncaster Rovers and Morecambe.
*Andy Kershaw, the BBC Radio presenter has a home in Peel on the Island.
*Charlotte Lamb, prolific and bestselling romantic novelist (1937 – 2000), best-known for writing over 150 Mills & Boon novels, lived on the island from 1977 until her death in October 2000.
*Nigel Mansell, the British racing driver lived in Port Erin on the Isle of Man for many years, and was a Special Constable there throughout his Formula One career. After retirement from Formula One, he moved to Florida in the USA where he continued with a brief but successful career in Indy Car Racing. Mansell moved back to the UK soon after to buy a golf club in Devon. Although still based primarily in Devon, he has since bought another home on the Isle of Man.
*Bill Naughton, novelist and screenwriter lived for many years in Bolton before moving to the Isle of Man with his wife Erna in the late 1950s.
*John Rhys-Davies is a Welsh actor and has lived on the island for a number of years. He is best known for his acting roles in "Indiana Jones" as Sallah, in "Sliders" as Professor Arturo and in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy as Gimli.
*Ronnie Ronalde, Music Hall performer famous for his singing, whistling, yodelling and imitations of bird song lived for a number of years on the island with most of his immediate family.
*Mollie Sugden, an actress known mainly for her role as Mrs. Slocombe on the British comedy "Are You Being Served?" has a home on the north-west coast of the island.
*James Toseland, the SBK|2004 and SBK|2007 Superbike World Champion has a home in Ramsey.
*Rick Wakeman, Ex-keyboard player in rock bands Yes and Black Sabbath, lived on the Island for a number of years, and still owns property there.
*Adam Wakeman, Musician and son of Rick Wakeman (see above). Adam began his musical career playing keyboards with his father Rick, before venturing out on a minor solo career. He followed this up as a session musician and back up band member, working with such artists as Atomic Kitten, Victoria Beckham and Annie Lennox. From there he became a full time member of Ozzy Osborne's backing band, and is now the keyboard player with Black Sabbath. A familial "full circle" given that his father was the keyboard player for the same band back in the 1970's.
*Alan Warner, novelist and screenwriter, moved to the Isle of Man from the UK in 1989, and lives a modest and semi-reclusive lifestyle at his lighthouse home in the north of the Island.
*Sir Norman Wisdom, comedian and actor, is a long-term resident of the island.

References