Who is Barnsley's Most Famous Son?

Straight forward question, who do you think is the most famous/renown person to come from this town, ever?

 

Do you mean.....

Famous for what they do or who they are in their own right, or famous as a son of Barnsley?

On both counts actually, my vote would be Michael Parkinson. Although I think he's a bit of a lovely person.

 

RE: Do you mean.....

I was thinking that Joseph Locke, who in his time was one of the most important people in Britain, was born 200 years ago this month and unless I've missed summat, apart from a small gala in the park named after him, hardly a mention. Nothing at all in the Chron (though that doesn't surprise me).
Parky would have been my second choice by the way, then Dickie Bird, Biff Byford and that lad from Pop Idol.

 

There's a Joseph Locke exhibition at Cannon Hall

http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/tourism/events/detail.asp?id=2900&from=week

 

RE: Do you mean.....

Joseph Locke - Important - Yes. Deserved To Be Famous - quite possibly. Famous - No.

Dickie Bird - Not quite as well known as Parkie as it is restricted to people who know sport in the main when you get out of the area, but everybody knows parky.

"Lad from Pop Idol" - unintentionally proved a point there I think! Modern 3 second "fame".

 

Biff Byford

Never heard of him!.

You don't mean Biffa Bacon do you!ff

 

PS Although Locke Park was dedicated to him

He wasn't actually from Barnsley. He was born in Atercliffe and didn't move to Barnsley until he was 5.

 

WINDY !!!............no question....no doubt.....fabulous and extraodinary

 

Arthur Scargill was quite famous/infamous. Is everyone forgetting the great Geoff Boycott?

 

Strictly speaking

Boycott was born in Fitzwilliam, as was Sir Larry Lamb Lamb who was credited with inventing modern British tabloid journalism when he took a broadsheet newspaper and 'transformed' it into 'The Sun'

 

Maybe Harry Worth ?

or Charlie Williams ?

 

Stan Richards?

 

My choice

would be Joseph Locke who was considered by his contempories a better engineer than both Stephenson and Brunel. His wife bought Locke Park and donated it to the town.
Runner up would be Samuel Joshua Cooper, who at least gave the town something by purchasing the old Holgate Grammar School building and donating it to Barnsley.

 

Joseph Locke..top call..unsung genius

 

RE: Do you mean.....

Born is Sheffield, mate.

 

RE: PS Although Locke Park was dedicated to him

Should have read this before I posted. Ah well.

 

Locke Park was donated to the borough by his wife after his death

And I was going to say that he spent his formative years in Barnsley and call him an adopted dee-dah grasping at straws but since discovered he buggered off to live in Honiton , Somerset...****.

 

Famous people born in Barnsley

Famous people from Barnsley include Obadiah Walker, Joseph Locke, Joanne Harris, Joe Brammer, Michael Parkinson, Geoffrey Boycott, Brian Glover, Darren Gough, Harold Bird, Mick McCarthy, Arthur Scargill, Kate Rusby, Jenni Murray, Charlie Williams, Stan Richards, John Mayock and Sam Nixon. Obadiah Walker (1616 - January 21, 1699) was a British academic and Master of University College, Oxford from 1676 to 1688. ... Joseph Locke, railway engineer Joseph Locke (9 August 1805- 18 September 1860) was a notable British civil engineer of the 19th century, particularly associated with railway projects. ... Joanne Michèle Sylvie Harris (born July 3, 1964) is an British author. ... Michael Parkinson CBE (born March 28, 1935) is a British broadcasting legend. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Brian Glover (April 2, 1934 - July 24, 1997) was a British actor. ... Darren Gough (born September 18, 1970, Monk Bretton, Barnsley, Yorkshire) is an English cricketer. ... Harold Dennis Bird (born April 19, 1933) is a retired cricket umpire, probably the best known and loved the sport has seen. ... Mick McCarthy (born February 7, 1959) was a professional football player in Britain and Europe before moving into club management with Millwall, the Republic of Ireland, and currently Sunderland. ... Arthur Scargill Arthur Scargill (born January 11, 1938) was leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1981 to 2000 and is presently (2003) the leader of the Socialist Labour Party, a political party he founded in 1996. ... Kate Rusby. ... Stan Richards (8 December 1930 - 11 February 2005) was a north-country British television actor, best known for his portrayal of the loveable rogue and ex-gamekeeper, Seth Armstrong, in popular ITV soap serial Emmerdale (formerly Emmerdale Farm), a role he played exclusively from May 1978 until his death of... Sam Nixon was a finalist on the Pop Idol television series in 2003. ...

They missed Harry Worth born in Birdwell

 

Joseph Bramah deserves a look

http://www.pioneers.historians.co.uk/bramah.html,

I think the local phrase "its a Bramah" used to describe something thats well made comes from the mans genius at inventing stuff.

 

James Hudson Taylor

Born on Cheapside. He founded the China Inland Mission, which I believe became one of the biggest and probably most influencial missionary organisations in Victorian times and continues today- but under a different name.

Not known that widely in this country but among the evangelical movements in China and North America he is regarded as a pace setter.

I believe that CIM was the first protestant missionary organisation to make an impact in mainland china- and they insisted that their workers dressed like the chinese and aimed to integrate within the community.

Also refused to have collections at his meetings to aid his work and completely relied on 'faith'. Which meant that he believed that God would meet all his financial needs.