View source for Putney

{{Short description|District of London}}
{{Other places}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| map_type = London
| static_image_name = 
| static_image_caption = Putney Bridge at night
| region = London
| population = 77,140
| population_ref = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]])<ref>All of the wards in the Putney constituency (population 93,396) are part of the town of Putney apart from Southfields (population 16,256)</ref>
| official_name = Putney
| coordinates = {{coord|51.46|-0.22|display=inline,title}}
| london_borough = Wandsworth
| constituency_westminster = [[Putney (UK Parliament constituency)|Putney]]
| constituency_westminster1 = 
| post_town = LONDON
| postcode_area = SW
| postcode_district = SW15
| dial_code = 020
| os_grid_reference = TQ235755
| static_image = File:Putney Bridge at night.jpg
}}

'''Putney''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ʌ|t|n|i}}) is an affluent district in southwest [[London]], England, in the [[London Borough of Wandsworth]], {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=off|spell=on|0}} southwest of [[Charing Cross]]. The area is identified in the [[London Plan]] as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.<ref name=london_plan_f08>{{cite web|url=http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/docs/londonplan08.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229031341/http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/docs/londonplan08.pdf |archive-date=2008-02-29 |url-status=live | author=Mayor of London | publisher=[[Greater London Authority]] | title=London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004) |date=February 2008 | author-link=Mayor of London }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Wandsworth Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg|thumb|A map showing the Putney ward of Wandsworth Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916]]
Putney is an ancient parish which covered {{convert|9.11|km2|sqmi|frac=32|abbr=on}} in the [[Hundred of Brixton]] in the county of [[Surrey]]. Its area has been reduced by the loss of [[Roehampton]] to the south-west, an offshoot hamlet that conserved more of its own [[nucleated village|clustered]] historic core.<ref name=Malden>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43035|title=Parishes: Putney|editor=H.E. Malden |publisher=Institute of Historical Research|date=1912|work=A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4|pages=78–83|access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SRY/Putney/ Entry in the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)], genuki.org.uk; accessed 29 July 2017.</ref>

In 1855 the parish was included in the area of responsibility of the [[Metropolitan Board of Works]] and was grouped into the [[Wandsworth District (Metropolis)|Wandsworth District]]. In 1889 the area was removed from Surrey and became part of the [[County of London]]. The Wandsworth District became the [[Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth]] in 1900. Since 1965 Putney has formed part of the London Borough of Wandsworth in [[Greater London]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.manorfields.co.uk/history/history-putney/|title=The history of Putney &#124; Manor Fields}}</ref>

The [[benefice]] of the parish remains a perpetual curacy whose patron is the [[Worcester Cathedral|Dean and Chapter of Worcester Cathedral]]. The church, founded in the medieval period as a chapel of ease to Wimbledon, was rebuilt in the very early [[Tudor period]] and in 1836 was again rebuilt, and the old tower restored, at an expense of £7,000 (which is approximately {{Inflation|UK|7000|1836|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}) defrayed by subscription, a rate, and a grant of £400 from the Incorporated Society. It has a small [[chantry]] chapel (originally erected by native [[Nicholas West]], Bishop of Ely (d. 1533)) removed from the east end of the south aisle, and rebuilt at the east end of the north side, preserving the old style.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thorne |first1=James |title=Handbook to the Environs of London: Alphabetically Arranged |date=1876 |publisher=[[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] |location=London |oclc=500011461 |page=477|volume=2}}</ref>

In 1684, Thomas Martyn bequeathed lands for the foundation and support of a [[charity school]] for 20 boys, sons of watermen; and by a decree of the court of chancery in 1715, the property was vested in trustees. A charitable [[almshouse]] for 12 men and women, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was erected by Sir Abraham Dawes, who provided it with an endowment.<ref name=lew/>

Putney was the birthplace of [[Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex|Thomas Cromwell]], made [[Earl of Essex]] by [[Henry VIII]]; of [[Edward Gibbon]], author of the ''[[Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'', who was born in 1737; and also of [[Clement Attlee]], [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] 1945–1951 and [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]] 1935 –1955, born in 1883.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/clement-attlee-2/ |title=Clement Attlee |access-date=31 July 2011 |publisher=www.number10.gov.uk. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004063449/http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/clement-attlee-2/ |archive-date=4 October 2011 }}</ref> [[John Toland]], a noted [[free-thinker]], died and was buried at Putney in 1722. [[Robert Wood (antiquarian)|Robert Wood]], under-[[Secretary of State for the Southern Department]], who published ''The Ruins of Palmyra'' about the Roman ruins he visited at [[Baalbek]] in [[Syria]], and other archæological works lies here. [[Pitt the Elder|William Pitt, Earl of Chatham]], died at a house on Putney Heath.<ref name=lew>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51226|title=Putford, East - Pyworthy|author=Samuel Lewis (publisher)|publisher=Institute of Historical Research|date=1848|work=A Topographical Dictionary of England|access-date=4 November 2014|author-link=Samuel Lewis (publisher)}}</ref>

In the 1840s Putney was still a part-wooded, part-agricultural village [[nucleated village|focussed]] closest to the Thames, opposite to Fulham, with which it was connected by a wooden bridge. It was street-lit with gas, partly paved, and well supplied with water.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} In 1840, the [[College for Civil Engineers]] relocated to Putney.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grattan |first1=James |title=Prospectus |date=1 January 1846 |publisher=College for Civil Engineers, and of General Practical and Scientific Education |location=Putney |oclc=810494704}}</ref>

Putney had a second place of worship for Independents, and [[Roehampton]] achieved separate parish status in 1845. The proprietors of the bridge distributed £31 per annum to [[watermen]], and watermen's widows and children, and the parish received benefit from Henry Smith's and other charities.<ref name=lew/><ref name=Malden/> Putney in 1887 covered {{convert|9|km2|sqmi|frac=4|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/20418|title=History of Putney, in Wandsworth and Surrey - Map and description|website=www.visionofbritain.org.uk}}</ref>

===River crossing===
{{main|Putney Bridge}}
Putney appears in the ''[[Domesday Book]]'' of 1086 as ''Putelei'', although this was "probably a mistake of the Norman scribes".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brayley |first1=E. W. |author-link1=Edward William Brayley |title=A Topographical History of Surrey |date=1841 |publisher=Tilt and Bogue |location=London |oclc=963699411 |volume=3|pages=471–2}}</ref> Ultimately the name derives from the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] ''Puttan [[wikt:hyþ|hythe]]'', meaning Putta's landing place.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mills |first1=Anthony David |title=A Dictionary of London Place-names |date=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199566785 |page=200 |edition=2}}</ref> It was noted that it did not fall into the category of local jurisdictions known as a [[manorialism|manor]], but obtained 20 shillings from the ferry or market [[tariff|toll]] at Putney belonging to the manor of [[Mortlake]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm |title=Domeday Sudrie (Surrey) |access-date=21 September 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030192829/http://www.gwp.enta.net/surrnames.htm |archive-date=30 October 2007 }} Garnons Williams Publications.</ref>

The ferry was mentioned in the household accounts of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] (reigned 1272–1307): Robert the Ferryman of Putney and other sailors received 3/6d for carrying a great part of the royal family across the Thames and also for taking the king and his family to [[Westminster]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wadmore |first1=James Foster |editor1-last=Welch |editor1-first=Charles |title=Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society |date=1890 |publisher=[[London and Middlesex Archaeological Society]] |location=London |page=404|volume=6}}</ref>

One famous crossing at Putney was that of [[Cardinal Wolsey]] in 1529 upon his 'disgrace' in falling out of favour with Henry VIII and on ceasing to be the holder of the Great Seal of England. As he was riding up Putney Hill, he was overtaken by one of the royal chamberlains who presented him with a ring as a token of the continuance of his majesty's favour. When the Cardinal had heard these words of the king, he quickly lighted from his mule and knelt down upon both knees, holding up his hands for joy, and said "When I consider the joyful news that you have brought to me, I could do no less than greatly rejoice. Every word pierces so my heart, that the sudden joy surmounted my memory, having no regard or respect to the place; but I thought it my duty, that in the same place where I received this comfort, to laud and praise God upon my knees, and most humbly to render unto my sovereign lord my most hearty thanks for the same".<ref name=british>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45294 |title=Putney |author=Edward Walford |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |date=1878 |work=Old and New London: Volume 6 |access-date=4 November 2014 }}], Putney, [[British History Online]]</ref>

The first bridge of any kind between the two parishes of Fulham and Putney was built during the [[English Civil War|Civil War]]: after the [[Battle of Brentford (1642)|Battle of Brentford]] in 1642, the Parliamentary forces built a [[pontoon bridge|bridge of boats]] between Fulham and Putney. According to an account from the period:<blockquote>The Lord-Generall hath caused a bridge to be built upon barges and lighters over the Thames, between Fulham and Putney, to convey his army and artillery over into Surry, to follow the King's forces; and he hath ordered that forts shall be erected at each end thereof to guard it; but for the present the seamen, with long boats and shallops, full of ordnance and musketeers, lie there upon the river to secure it.<ref>{{Cite book
 | last = Faulkner
 | first = Thomas
 | author-link =
 | year = 1813
 | title = An Historical and Topographical Account of Fulham: Including the Hamlet of Hammersmith

 | publisher = T. Egerton
 | location =
 | isbn =
 | pages =
}}</ref></blockquote>

The first permanent bridge between Fulham and Putney was completed in 1729, and was the second bridge to be built across the Thames in London (after [[London Bridge]]).<ref name="londonist.com">{{cite web|url=https://londonist.com/london/history/secrets-of-putney-bridge|title=8 Secrets Of Putney Bridge|date=29 June 2017|website=londonist.com|access-date=29 March 2018}}</ref>

One story runs that "in 1720 [[Sir Robert Walpole]] was returning from seeing [[George I of Great Britain|George I]] at [[Kingston on Thames|Kingston]] and being in a hurry to get to the House of Commons rode together with his servant to Putney to take the ferry across to Fulham. The ferry boat was on the opposite side, however and the waterman, who was drinking in the Swan, ignored the calls of Sir Robert and his servant and they were obliged to take another route. Walpole vowed that a bridge would replace the ferry."<ref name=dewe>George & Michael Dewe, ''The Predecessor of Putney Bridge – Fulham Bridge 1729–1886'' (1986)<!-- publisher, ISSN/ISBN, page(s) needed --></ref> The Prince of Wales "was often inconvenienced by the ferry when returning from hunting in Richmond Park and asked Walpole to use his influence by supporting the bridge."<ref name=dewe/> The bridge was a wooden structure and lasted for 150 years.<ref name="londonist.com"/> However, by 1886, it was no longer strong enough to withstand increasing road traffic, and was replaced by the stone bridge that stands today.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/putney-bridge/|title=The History of Putney Bridge|date=13 March 2017 |access-date=1 August 2019}}</ref>

===St Mary's Church===
{{main|St Mary's Church, Putney}}
The parish church of [[St. Mary's Church, Putney|St Mary the Virgin]] became the site of the 1647 [[Putney Debates]]. Towards the end of the [[English Civil War]], with the [[Roundhead]]s looking victorious, some soldiers in the [[New Model Army]] staged a minor mutiny amid fears that a monarchy would be replaced by a new dictatorship. A number, known as the [[Levellers]], complained: "We were not a mere mercenary army hired to serve any arbitrary power of a state, but called forth ... to the defence of the people's just right and liberties". 

A manifesto was proposed entitled ''[[An Agreement of the People]]'', and at an open meeting in Putney the officers of the Army Council heard the argument from private soldiers for a transparent, democratic state, without corruption. Proposals included sovereignty for English citizens, Parliamentary seats distributed according to population rather than property ownership, religion made a free choice, equality before the law, conscription abolished and parliamentary elections held every year.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vernon |first1=Elliot |last2=Baker |first2=Philip |title=What was the first "Agreement of he People"? |journal=The Historical Journal |date=2010 |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=39–59 |doi=10.1017/S0018246X09990574 |jstor=25643882 |s2cid=159787293 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25643882 |issn=0018-246X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> While the ideas proved greatly influential, including inspiring much of the language of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]], [[Oliver Cromwell]] would later have the Leveller leaders executed.

The diarist [[Samuel Pepys]] visited St. Mary's Church on several occasions. During one visit on 28 April 1667, he recorded:<blockquote>"and then back to Putney Church, where I saw the girls of the schools, few of which pretty; and there I come into a pew, and met with little James Pierce, which I was much pleased at, the little rogue being very glad to see me: his master, Reader to the Church. Here was a good sermon and much company, but I sleepy, and a little out of order, for my hat falling down through a hole underneath the pulpit, which, however, after sermon, by a stick, and the help of the clerke, I got up again, and then walked out of the church."<ref>[[:s:Diary of Samuel Pepys/1667/April|Diary of Samuel Pepys/1667/April]]</ref></blockquote>

===Open spaces and clean air===
{{more citations needed|section|date=July 2017}}
For centuries, Putney was a place where Londoners came for leisure, to enjoy the open spaces and clean air. Londoners came to Putney to play games. According to John Locke, who writes, in 1679: "The sports of England for a curious stranger to see are horse-racing, hawking, hunting, and bowling; at Putney he may see several persons of quality bowling two or three times a week."

One regular visitor was [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]] who frequently visited Putney from 1579 to 1603, often visiting Mr John Lacy. She was said to "honour Lacy with her company more frequently than any of her subjects", often staying for two to three days.<ref name=british/>

==Putney Heath==
[[File:Putney Heath, Hartley Memorial Obelisk.jpg|thumb|Hartley Memorial Obelisk]]
[[Charles II of England|Charles II]] reviewed his forces on Putney Heath in 1684; in May 1767, [[George III]] reviewed the Guards, and the Surrey Volunteers at the same spot in 1799.<ref name="Geikie, J. C. 1903 p. 85">Geikie, J. C. (1903). ''The Fascination of London: Hammersmith, Fulham and Putney''. London: A & C Black, p. 85.</ref> According to Samuel Pepys, [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] and his brother, the [[James II of England|Duke of York]], used to run horses here.

A stone and brick obelisk was erected on Putney Heath in 1770, marking the 110th anniversary of the [[Great Fire of London]], to coincide with the invention of the Hartley fire plates by [[David Hartley (the Younger)]], near a spot where his fireproof house was built. The obelisk, with ornately detailed foundation stone, is still standing and can be accessed via the car park adjacent to The Telegraph public house, off Wildcroft Road, SW15. The lower part of this house was repeatedly set on fire in the presence, among others, of [[King George III]] and [[Queen Charlotte]], the members of Parliament, the Lord Mayor, and the Aldermen.<ref name="Geikie, J. C. 1903 p. 84">Geikie, J. C. (1903). ''The Fascination of London: Hammersmith, Fulham and Putney''. London: A & C Black, p. 84.</ref> Since 1955 the obelisk has been a Grade II listed building.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-207057-hartley-memorial-obelisk-north-east-of-w|title=Hartley Memorial Obelisk (North East of Wildcroft Manor) - Wandsworth|work=britishlistedbuildings.co.uk}}</ref> The adjacent [[Wildcroft Manor]] was formerly in the ownership of publishing magnate [[Sir George Newnes|George Newnes]], builder of [[Putney Library]]. In 1895 he was created a [[baronet]] "of Wildcroft, in the parish of Putney, in the [[county of London]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26598 |date=15 February 1895 |page=911 }}</ref>

Many duels were undertaken on Putney Heath. In May 1652, [[George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos]], and Colonel Henry Compton fought with Compton being killed in the encounter. On a Sunday afternoon in May 1798 [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]], the then Prime Minister, who lived in Bowling-Green House on the heath, fought a bloodless battle with William Tierney, MP. The house derived its name from the bowling-green formerly attached to it, and for more than sixty years (1690–1750) was the most famous green in the neighbourhood of London. The house had large rooms for public breakfasts and assemblies, was a fashionable place of entertainment, and noted for "deep play." Pitt died in the house in 1806. It was later owned by Henry Lewis Doulton, son of [[Henry Doulton]] of pottery fame. It was demolished and an [[art deco]] style residence rebuilt on the site in 1933. Putney Heath, near the Telegraph pub, was also the venue for the September 1809 [[duel]] between Cabinet ministers [[George Canning]] and [[Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh|Lord Castlereagh]].<ref>Geikie, J. C. (1903), ''The Fascination of London: Hammersmith, Fulham and Putney''. London: A & C Black, pp. 84–86.</ref>

[[Scio House Hospital|Scio House]] was the last villa on Portsmouth Road abutting the heath: it eventually became a hospital and was known as Scio House Hospital for Officers, Putney.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=1948-03-25a.3319.3 |title=Voluntary Hospitals, London|publisher=UK Parliament|date=25 March 1948|access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref> It has since been redeveloped as a gated community of 70 neo-Georgian homes divided between two streets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lyndengate.co.uk/index.html |title=Welcome|publisher=Lynden Gate|access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref>

Putney Heath is around {{convert|400|acre|ha|abbr=off|-1}} less the A3 road in size and rises to {{convert|45|m}} above sea level. Because of its elevation, from 1796 to 1816 Putney Heath hosted a station in the [[Semaphore line|shutter telegraph chain]], which connected the Admiralty in London to its naval ships in [[Portsmouth]]. One of 10 signal stations with telescopes making observation of the next station's signal, a message could be sent from the Admiralty to Portsmouth within 15 minutes.<ref>Wandsworth Council, ''Putney Heath Appraisal & Management Strategy'' (2008), p. 13.</ref> This was replaced by a semaphore station, which was part of a [[semaphore line]] that operated between 1822 and 1847.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetelegraphputney.co.uk/telegraph-history.php|title=The Telegraph, Putney Heath, Telegraph Station History, Telegraph Pub|author=Propeller Communications|work=The Telegraph Putney|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227075329/http://www.thetelegraphputney.co.uk/telegraph-history.php|archive-date=27 December 2013}}</ref>

Putney Heath was for many years a noted rendezvous for highwaymen. In 1795, the notorious highwayman [[Jerry Abershawe|Jeremiah Abershaw]] – also known as Jerry Avershaw – was caught in the Green Man pub (now owned by [[Wandsworth]] pub company [[Young's]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.youngs.co.uk/pub-detail.asp?PubID=405|title=Green Man – youngs.co.uk|access-date=11 September 2011|archive-date=13 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113143858/http://www.youngs.co.uk/pub-detail.asp?PubID=405|url-status=dead}}</ref>) on the northside of the heath where Putney Hill meets Tibbet's Ride. After execution his body was hung in chains on the heath as a warning to others.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harper |first=Charles G|url=https://www.ajhw.co.uk/books/book232/book232d/book232d.html |title=The Portsmouth Road and its Tributaries: To-day and in days of old|page=69 |year=1895 |publisher=Chapman & Hall|location=London}} (Accessed 30 July 2021)</ref> An ancient wood fence cattle pound is located opposite the Green Man, adjacent to two huge plane trees, near the bus terminus. This simple wood fence structure, used historically to contain lost livestock, has been listed as a Grade II listed structure since 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-207108-village-pond-putney|title=Village Pond - Wandsworth - Greater London - England - British Listed Buildings|author=Good Stuff|work=britishlistedbuildings.co.uk}}</ref>

A number of fine homes lined Putney Hill and the north face of the heath, west of the Green Man. All had semi-circular carriageway entrances and exits.<ref name=bailey>Bailey, Keith. ''Old Ordnance Survey Maps, Putney 1913''. South Shields: Godfrey Maps</ref> These included Grantham House, the residence of Lady Grantham; Ripon House, Ashburton House; Exeter House, occupied by the [[Marquis of Exeter|second Marquis of Exeter]]. [[George Cokayne]], author of peerage and baronetage publications, died at Exeter House in 1911.<ref name = Cokayne>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/cu31924092524374|title=Complete baronetage|first=George E. (George Edward)|last=Cokayne|date=17 May 1900|publisher=Exeter: W. Pollard & co., ltd.|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Nearby Gifford House was owned by the J. D. Charrington of brewing fame; and Dover House, was the seat originally of [[Lord Dover]], afterwards of [[Thomas Agar-Robartes, 6th Viscount Clifden|Lord Clifden]]. It was owned at the turn of the 20th century by the famous US financier [[JP Morgan]].<ref>Geikie, J. C. (1903). ''The Fascination of London: Hammersmith, Fulham and Putney''. London: A & C Black, p. 83.</ref>

With the development of transport routes for the growing financial sector, the area became highly desirable for City gents in the 1890s and they were initially known as "outsiders".<ref>Roehampton Cricket Club, ''Towards the Second Century'' (1951), p. 6.</ref> In 1900, social researcher [[Charles Booth (philanthropist)|Charles Booth]] had classified the whole area of Putney Hill and West Hill, leading into Putney Heath, as wealthy or well-to-do. Despite a full array of places of worship, he said it was noted for low [[church attendance]] with all denominations "struggling for the souls of pleasure-seeking Putney... the middle class here are as indifferent as the poor elsewhere."<ref name=bailey/>

The village green at the corner of Wildcroft and Telegraph Roads is used by Roehampton Cricket Club and is one of the oldest cricket teams in London, established 1842. The club has played there continuously since 1859 when lord of the manor, Earl Spencer, suggested it as a new site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roehamptoncricketclub.com|title=Roehampton Cricket Club|work=Pitchero}}</ref> It has two sides in the highly competitive Fullers Surrey County League and a Sunday side that plays on a more social level. In 1900, a decade after the death of his multi-millionaire father [[Junius Spencer Morgan|Junius Morgan]], JP Morgan gained a fondness for the sport and was made an honorary member.<ref>Roehampton Cricket Club, ''Towards the Second Century'' (1951), p. 11.</ref> Antarctic explorer [[Ernest Shackleton|Sir Ernest Shackleton]], the honorary member who presided at the club dinner in 1910, allowed his two young children<ref>[http://www.jamescairdsociety.com/shackleton-news.php?id=105140 "Shackleton News"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227075520/http://www.jamescairdsociety.com/shackleton-news.php?id=105140 |date=27 December 2013 }} James Caird Society</ref> to play cowboys and Indians on the cricket green during the week.<ref>Roehampton Cricket Club ''Towards the Second Century'' (1951), p.4</ref>

The Chelsea Water Company originally owned the reservoir site and allowed construction of the club pavilion on its property.<ref name="Geikie, J. C. 1903 p. 84"/> The reservoir site is now owned by [[Thames Water]]. Cricket matches continued during the war although some games started late or were drawn due to late starts or air raid sirens. Four German [[V-1 flying bomb]]s struck the area in World War II.<ref name=bailey/> One destroyed the club's pavilion, opposite the Telegraph pub, in July 1944, near where the covered water reservoir is located. Wildcroft Road, turning into Portsmouth Road and thus the future A3, was a main thoroughfare into SW London and became a stop-off point for American serviceman who alighted from their jeeps to "taste this crazy cricket game"<ref>Roehampton Cricket Club, ''Towards the Second Century'' (1951), p. 16.</ref>

On the south side of the reservoir, in the triangle of land between Wildcroft Road, Tibbet's Ride and the Green Man, is a large clearing of land. A funfair is set up on the grounds each October, lasting for one week. Ground rent is paid by the touring company to the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators, as part of the income of the charity.<ref>[http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/DocumentList.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=303167&SubsidiaryNumber=0&DocType=AccountList Commons Conservators] {{Webarchive|url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090205012523/http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/DocumentList.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=303167&SubsidiaryNumber=0&DocType=AccountList |date=5 February 2009 }} UK Charity Commission's summary</ref>

==Local character==
Excluding the ''Putney Exchange'' in a survey by the [[New Economics Foundation]] of 27 London high streets in 2005, Putney's ranked fifth most "cloned...[meaning] offering identikit shopping with little local character".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/its-so-wonderful-to-be-here-in-exeter-or-is-this-clapham-3g5q3msz3s6 | work=[[The Times]] | location=London | title=Its so wonderful to be here in Exeter or is this Clapham | first=Valerie | last=Elliot | date=6 June 2005 | access-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211025024334/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/its-so-wonderful-to-be-here-in-exeter-or-is-this-clapham-3g5q3msz3s6 |archive-date=25 October 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Demographics===
A local directory of Putney in 1932 listed a high proportion of residents as being professional, including doctors and lawyers. The area also was home to significant numbers of retired naval officers.<ref name="ThePutney">The Putney Society (2010). ''The Bulletin'', December. p2.</ref>

The [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] showed this professional character still present. Looking at a combination of the electoral wards of East Putney, West Putney and Thamesfield (which comprises North Putney), 46% of residents were classified as higher or lower "managerial, administrative & professional" socio-economic status; 6% were retired. Ethnicity in these wards is 81% white, 8% Asian, 5% black, and 4% of mixed or multiple ethnicities. Sixty-five percent of the population was born in the UK. The most identified religion was Christianity at 56%, with 27% declaring no religion, 8% not stating any religion, 5% Muslim and other religions making up the remainder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloads/file/7876/ward_level_key_statistics_analysis_census_2011/200088|work=Wandsworth Borough Council website|title=Ward Level Key Statistics Analysis Census 2011|access-date=25 February 2013}}</ref> 

The 2011 Census also revealed Thamesfield as having the highest number of Australians and New Zealanders in London, followed by the East Putney ward in second place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hidden-london.com/miscellany/demographics/ |work=Hidden London |title=London's local demographics – Highlights from the 2011 census&#124;|access-date=25 February 2013}}</ref> Putney is also noted for its high concentration of [[South Africans in the United Kingdom|South African residents]]; a survey by [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/05/born_abroad/countries/html/south_africa.stm BBC News] found that Putney had more South African residents than any other region in the UK.

==Politics==
{{Main|London Borough of Wandsworth}}
The [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Putney (UK Parliament constituency)|Putney]] is [[Fleur Anderson]], who has served as the MP for the constituency since the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]], as a member of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]].

==Rowing and the Boat Race==
[[Image:PutneyBridgeAtNight.jpg|thumb|left|[[Putney Bridge]] at night]]
Since the second half of the 19th century, Putney has been a significant centre for [[sport rowing|rowing]]. There are two reasons for this.

First, increasing numbers of steam-powered boats (not to mention the growing levels of sewage being discharged into the river) made leisure rowing on the Thames in central London unpleasant if not impossible. There was much less commercial traffic on the river at Putney (partly because the many buttresses of the original [[Putney Bridge]] restricted the transit of large river boats) ensuring more suitable water for rowing. The river was also cleaner at Putney.

Secondly, the construction of the [[London and South Western Railway]] from [[London Waterloo station|Waterloo]] to [[Putney railway station|Putney]] and the [[District Railway]] to [[Putney Bridge tube station|Putney Bridge]] allowed easy commuting.
[[Image:Putney Bridge.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Putney Bridge]]]]
More than twenty rowing clubs are based on the [[River Thames]] at Putney Embankment in a landscape which now forms part of a Conservation Area identified by the borough council as "unique in London";<ref>[http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloads/download/872/putney_embankment_conservation_area Putney Embankment Conservation Area]. London Borough of Wandsworth</ref> among the largest are [[London Rowing Club]], [[Thames Rowing Club]], [[Imperial College Boat Club]] and [[Vesta Rowing Club]]. [[Leander Club]] owned a boathouse in Putney from 1867 to 1961. The Putney clubs have produced a plethora of Olympic medallists and [[Henley Royal Regatta|Henley]] winners. [[Putney Town Rowing Club]], although retaining Putney's name, has now moved to [[Kew]].

The [[Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race|University Boat Race]], first contested in 1829 in [[Henley-on-Thames]], has had Putney as its starting point since 1845. Since 1856, it has been an annual event, beginning at the [[University Boat Race Stones|University Stone]], just upstream from [[Putney Bridge]].

Several other important rowing races over the [[The Championship Course|Championship Course]] also either start or finish at the stone, notably the [[Head of the River Race]].

==Sculpture==
Next to [[Putney Bridge]] is one of the sites used in the construction of the [[Thames Tideway Tunnel]]. With completion of the project, a new embankment has been constructed with a ventilation column with a poem by Dorothea Smartt running along its length.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Hidden Rivers, Hidden Times, Dorothea Smartt FRSL |url=https://www.bridgetsawyers.com/projects/tidewaypoetry |website=Bridget Sawyers Ltd}}</ref> 

===Putney Sculpture Trail===
[[Alan Thornhill]] lived and worked in Putney for many years and his studio still remains. The sculpture Load<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alanthornhill.co.uk/lg_001.htm|title=Alan Thornhill Sculpture.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216132504/http://alanthornhill.co.uk/lg_001.htm|archive-date=16 February 2009}}</ref> was presented to Putney<ref>[http://www.alanthornhill.co.uk/spirit-in-mass-journey-into-sculpture/ ''Spirit in Mass: Journey into Sculpture'' (2007)]. UK documentary film (PG). Alan Thornhill Sculpture.</ref> on Fools Day and occupies a permanent position near the south-west end of Putney Bridge on Lower Richmond Road. A film, launched at Appledore<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.appledorearts.org/film2008.htm|title=Appledore Arts - Homepage|work=appledorearts.org}}</ref> and Chichester Film Festivals in 2008 documents these celebrations. The acquisition of eight further large works formed a permanent new riverside [[Putney Sculpture Trail]] in the London Borough of Wandsworth, officially unveiled in September 2008.

===Historic links to sculpture and sculptors===
Sir [[Jacob Epstein]] was buried in [[Putney Vale Cemetery]] on 24 August 1959.<ref>Stephen Gardiner, ''Epstein'' (1993), Flamingo Books, {{ISBN|0-00-654598-X}}.</ref>

[[Henri Gaudier-Brzeska]] had a studio in Putney in the last year of his life after moving from 454a Fulham Road. Sydney Schiff went to visit Gaudier there in 1914 to buy the "Dancer", which was later presented to the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]]. Gaudier-Brzeska was killed in France in June 1915.<ref>H. S. Ede, ''Savage Messiah'' (1979), London: [[Gordon Fraser (publisher)|Gordon Fraser Gallery]], {{OCLC|10858485}}; first published Heinemann, 1931.</ref>


== Plaque ==
A commemorative plaque was placed at 2 Colinette Road in remembrance of an anecdote of the British mathematician [[G. H. Hardy]] when he visited Indian mathematician [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]] in hospital.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Marshall |first1=Michael |date=24 February 2017 |title=A black plaque for Ramanujan, Hardy and 1,729 |url=https://goodthinkingsociety.org/a-black-plaque-for-ramanujan-hardy-and-1729/ |access-date=7 March 2019 |website=Good Thinking}}</ref>{{quote|I remember once going to see him when he was ill at Putney. I had ridden in taxi cab number 1729 and remarked that the number seemed to me rather a dull one, and that I hoped it was not an unfavourable omen. "No," he replied, "it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the [[sum of two cubes]] in two different ways."}}

==Transport==
[[File:Putney Railway Station at dusk - March 2011.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Putney railway station]]'s four platforms as viewed from the east]]
Putney is served by mainline [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]] trains to [[London Waterloo station|London Waterloo]] from [[Putney railway station|Putney station]] and by [[London Underground]] from [[East Putney tube station|East Putney]]. The far west of Putney is also served by [[Barnes railway station|Barnes station]], a few hundred yards across the boundary, while [[Putney Bridge tube station]] is across the river in [[Fulham]].

Putney is served by bus routes [[London Buses route 14|14]], [[London Buses route 22|22]], [[London Buses route 37|37]], [[London Buses route 39|39]], [[London Buses route 74|74]], [[London Buses route 85|85]], [[London Buses route 93|93]], [[London Buses route 220|220]], [[London Buses route 265|265]], [[London Buses route 270|270]], [[London Buses route 378|378]], [[London Buses route 337|337]], [[London Buses route 170|170]] [[London Buses route 424|424]], [[London Buses route 430|430]] and [[London Buses route 485|485]] and [[Night buses in London|night buses]] 14, N22, 37, N74, 85, 93 and 220.

[[Putney Pier]] is served by [[London River Services|River Bus 6]] to/from [[Blackfriars Millennium Pier]], weekday peak periods only (Average 24 boats per week day).<ref>{{Cite web |title=RB6 river route |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/river-bus/route/rb6/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |publisher=Transport for London |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Quotes==
{{blockquote|And thus we take leave of Putney, one of the pleasantest of the London suburbs, as well as the most accessible. The immense increase in the number of houses in late years testifies to its popularity; but there is still an almost unlimited extent of open ground which cannot be covered; and with wood and water, common and hill, there will always be an element of freshness and openness in Putney seldom to be obtained so near London.|J. C. Geikie|''The Fascinations of London'', 1903<ref>Geikie, J. C. (1903). ''The Fascination of London: Hammersmith, Fulham and Putney''. London: A & C Black, p. 94.</ref>}}

==Notable residents==
{{main|:Category:People from Putney}}
[[File:EdvardBenesBluePlaqueGwendolenAvenue 01.jpg|thumb|Edvard Beneš blue plaque, 26 Gwendolen Avenue, Putney]]
Listed in alphabetical order of last name:
*[[Stefan Abingdon]], musician, of the band [[The Midnight Beast]]
*[[J. R. Ackerley]], author and literary editor of ''[[The Listener (magazine)|The Listener]]'' lived at Star and Garter Mansions from 1941 until his death in 1967
*[[William Adams (locomotive engineer)|William Adams]], locomotive engineer<ref name="Ellis">{{cite book |last1=Ellis |first1=Hamilton |title=The South Western Railway |date=1956 |publisher=George Allen & Unwin Ltd |page=157 }}</ref>
*[[Gerry Anderson]] and [[Jim Henson]], television puppeteers, at different times leased the same workshop (since demolished) in Rotherwood Road, Putney
*[[Clement Attlee]], [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] 1945–1951 and [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]] 1935 –1955, born in Putney in 1883<ref name="auto"/>
*[[Milicent Bagot]], British intelligence officer
*[[Edvard Beneš]], second [[President of Czechoslovakia]], lived in Gwendolen Avenue during his exile in London from October 1938 to the end of [[World War II]]
*[[Marc Bolan]], singer and leader of the band [[T.Rex (band)|T.Rex]] lived at 6a Schubert Road, Putney and died in a car crash in near-by [[Barnes, London|Barnes]]<ref>{{Citation |title=Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine |date=2023-06-04 |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marc_Bolan%27s_Rock_Shrine&oldid=1158475029 |work=Wikipedia |access-date=2023-06-21 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Peter Bonetti]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] and [[Dundee United F.C.|Dundee United]] footballer, was born in Putney
*[[Richard Branson|Sir Richard Branson]], British entrepreneur
*[[Peter Brett]], American writer{{cn|date=January 2025}}
*[[Pierce Brosnan]], Irish actor best known for playing James Bond, attended school in Putney<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/28/pierce-brosnan-ovalhouse-theatre-appeal-james-bond|title=From Brixton with love: Brosnan's new mission is to save community theatre|first=Vanessa|last=Thorpe|date=28 May 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=29 March 2018}}</ref>
*[[Dustin Demri-Burns]], actor and comedian, attended school in Putney {{cn|date=May 2022}}
*[[Anna Calvi]], singer and songwriter
*[[Rosa Nouchette Carey]], writer of children's novels, died at her home in Keswick Road, Putney in 1909<ref>{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32288|title=Rosa Carey|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/32288}}</ref>
*[[Christopher Chope]], Conservative MP for [[Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)|Christchurch]], was born in Putney
*[[Nick Clegg]], former [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]] (2010–15) and Leader of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] (2007–15) lived in Putney before moving to California to work at Facebook<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/26/nick-clegg-swaps-putney-townhouse-7million-california-mansion/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/26/nick-clegg-swaps-putney-townhouse-7million-california-mansion/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Nick Clegg swaps Putney townhouse for £7million California mansion ahead of new Facebook role|last=Lumley|first=Sarah|date=26 January 2019|work=The Telegraph|access-date=29 December 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
*[[Tom Courtenay|Sir Tom Courtenay]], actor 
*[[Thomas Cromwell]], chief minister for [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] and architect of the [[English Reformation]], was born in Putney around 1485
*[[Taio Cruz]], British R&B singer
*[[John Deacon]], former bass guitarist of the band [[Queen (band)|Queen]], lives in west Putney
*[[Catherine Maria Fanshawe]], poet, died at Putney Heath in 1834
*[[Jason Flemyng]], actor, born in Putney
*[[E. M. Forster]], author, lived at 22 Werter Road, Putney
*[[Henry Fuseli]], Swiss-born British artist, professor of painting and keeper of the [[Royal Academy]]<ref name=british/>
*[[Constance Garnett]], translator of ''[[War and Peace]]'', ''[[Anna Karenina]]'', ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'', and other Russian literary works
*[[Edward Gibbon]], historian, born in Putney, had local telephone exchange named in recognition
*[[Peter Green (musician)|Peter Green]], singer/guitarist and co founder of the band [[Fleetwood Mac (band)|Fleetwood Mac]] lived on Lytton Grove during his youth
*[[Francis North, 4th Earl of Guilford|Maria, Countess of Guilford]], resident of Putney Hill, 1825<ref name=british/>
*[[Kenelm Lee Guinness]], racing driver, started the KLG spark plug factory in [[Putney Vale]] and lived in Kingston Hill
*[[Peter Hain]], Labour Party MP, lived in Putney in the late-1960s
*[[Ralph Hill (music critic)|Ralph Hill]], music critic, lived at 39 Hazlewell Rd in the 1940s until his death in 1950. He founded the Putney Gramophone Society<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://putneysociety.org.uk/84230469/10Bulletin_Archive/PutSoc_April2010.pdf|title=Putney Society Bulletin, April 2010}}</ref>
*[[Ashley Horne]], of the band [[The Midnight Beast]]
*[[Joan Howson]] (1885–1964) was a British stained glass artist who lived in Deodar Road
*[[Konnie Huq]], television presenter of the children's television programme ''[[Blue Peter]]''
*[[Penny Irving]], actress (appearances include ''[[The Benny Hill Show]]'' and ''[[Are You Being Served?]]'')
*[[General Sir Mike Jackson]], Chief of the General Staff, 2003–06, lived, and attended primary school, in Putney<ref>Jackson, M., ''Soldier: The Autobiography'', London: Random House Group Ltd, 2007, p. 23</ref>
*[[Arthur Jeff]], British statesman and co-founder of Putney School of Art and Design
*[[Grace Jones]], singer and actress
*[[Joe Joyce (boxer)]], British Boxer, went to Elliott School
*[[Robin Knox-Johnston]], yachtsman, born in Putney
*[[Gunji Koizumi]], introduced judo to the United Kingdom
*[[Simon Lane]], YouTuber and member of the [[Yogscast]]
*[[Caroline Langrishe]], actress lives in Putney
*[[Simon Le Bon]], lead singer of [[Duran Duran]], has a home in Upper Richmond Road,<ref>See [[Charles Booth (philanthropist)]]'s map for an indication of building cost of this street.</ref> with his wife, [[Yasmin Le Bon|Yasmin]]
*[[Laurie Lee]], author, lived and worked as a builder's labourer in Putney during the 1930s
*[[Charles Lightoller|Commander Charles Lightoller]], the most senior officer to survive the [[RMS Titanic|Titanic disaster]], lived at 60A Upper Richmond Road<ref name="ThePutney" />
*[[David Luiz]], [[Chelsea F.C.]] and [[Brazil national football team|Brazilian international]] footballer
*[[James Macpherson]], translator and author of the [[Ossian|Ossian Poems]]
*[[David McKee]], creator of ''[[Mr Benn]]'', lived at 54 Festing Road ("at 52 Festive Road"), subsequently re-broadcast. Outside engraved paving slab<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8375309.stm |work=BBC News |title=Street pays tribute to Mr Benn |date=26 November 2009}}</ref>
*[[Sue Handscomb|Sue McNuff]] née Handscomb, Olympic rower,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rowingstory.com/people/sue-mcnuff/|title=Sue McNuff (née Handscomb)|date=30 January 2018}}</ref> was brought up in Putney
*[[JP Morgan]], US financier, occupied Dover House, Putney<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol4/pp78-83|title=Parishes: Putney - British History Online|website=www.british-history.ac.uk|access-date=29 March 2018}}</ref>
*[[Sir George Newnes|George Newnes]], publishing magnate, lived at Putney
*Sir [[Sidney Nolan]], one of Australia's leading artists of the 20th century, known for his paintings of [[Ned Kelly]], who lived at 79 Deodar Road.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frost |first=Stefan |date=10 March 2022 |title=Putney Society unveils blue plaque for artist Sir Sidney Nolan |url=https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/10032022-putney-society-unveils-blue-plaque-for-artist-sir-sidney-nolan |access-date=6 November 2022 |website=SW Londoner}}</ref>
*Cpt. [[Lawrence Oates]] Antarctic explorer, born and raised in Putney
*[[Edna O'Brien]] Irish author of [[The Country Girls]] and more lived in Putney in the 1960s<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/10/14/edna-obrien-is-still-writing-about-women-on-the-run|title=Edna O'Brien Is Still Writing About Women on the Run|first=Ian|last=Parker|magazine=The New Yorker|date=4 October 2019 }}</ref>
*[[Dick Pepper]] (1889–1962), banjo-player and writer, was born in Putney
*[[Catherine Louisa Pirkis]] (1839–1910), author of Victorian detective fiction, lived in Putney as an adult
*[[William Pitt the Younger]], Prime Minister, lived and died in Bowling-Green House at Putney Heath<ref name="Geikie, J. C. 1903 p. 85"/>
*[[Roy Plomley]] OBE (1914–1985), broadcaster, lived at 91 Deodar Road.
*[[Richard Pollard (MP)|Sir Richard Pollard]], (1505–1542), MP for Taunton (1536) and Devon (1539, 1542), resided chiefly at Putney
*[[David Rock (architect)]], former [[Royal Institute of British Architects|RIBA]] president, lived in West Row, Westleigh Avenue
*[[Ellen Mary Rope]] (1855–1934), a British sculptor who lived in Deodar Road
*[[M. E. Aldrich Rope|Margaret Edith Rope]] (1891–1988) was an English stained-glass artist who lived in Deodar Road
*[[Justin Rose]], golfer, has a flat in Putney<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/12/14/sgmair14.xml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070118233454/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/12/14/sgmair14.xml | url-status=dead | archive-date=18 January 2007 | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=Rose now wedded to success | first=Lewine | last=Mair | date=14 December 2006 | access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref>
*[[Ronald Ross|Sir Ronald Ross]], discoverer of malaria transmission by mosquitoes, lived and died at Bath House, Putney Hill<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timeline.lshtm.ac.uk/1920.html|title=1920 History Timeline - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine - LSHTM|work=lshtm.ac.uk|access-date=13 February 2012|archive-date=28 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228233128/http://timeline.lshtm.ac.uk/1920.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Fred Russell (ventriloquist)|Fred Russell]], known as the "Father of Modern Ventriloquism", remembered by blue plaque, lived in Lower Richmond Road near Putney Bridge
*[[Abdus Salam]], theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate, lived at Campion Road for almost 40 years and was honoured by an English Heritage blue plaque in 2020<ref name="Blue Plaque">{{cite web |url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/abdus-salam/?s=09 |website=English Heritage |title=English Heritage at Putney, London Borough of Wandsworth|access-date=1 December 2020}}</ref>
*[[Ruth Sanger]] (1918–2001), Australian expert on blood groups, died in Putney
*[[Harry Gordon Selfridge]], founder of Selfridges department store, lived in Putney and died in a flat on Putney Heath in 1947
*[[Shas Sheehan]], Liberal Democrat politician and life peer
*[[Sophie Simnett]], actress
*[[Freda Skinner]], (1911–1993) sculptor and woodcarver, lived at 79 Deodar Road, Putney<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1210260572 |title=Miss Freda N. Skinner - Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951 |website=sculpture.gla.ac.uk |access-date=2018-12-16 |archive-date=17 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217110613/https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1210260572 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[A. W. Smith]], market gardener<ref name="Gables-Smith">{{Cite book|title="The great A.W. Smith"|last=E.|first=Lucas, Alfred|date=2000|publisher=Gables Publishing in association with Feltham Notes History Group|others=Calder, R. J., Feltham Notes History Group.|isbn=0953816508|location=Ashford|oclc=59576929}}</ref>
*[[Oswald Stoll|Sir Oswald Stoll]], Australian-born British theatre and film magnate, lived at 33 Putney Hill<ref name="ThePutney" />
*[[Algernon Charles Swinburne]], poet and Nobel prize nominee, lived and died at [[The Pines, Putney|The Pines]] at the foot of Putney Hill<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk|title=FreeBMD Home Page|work=freebmd.org.uk}}</ref>
*[[Daley Thompson]], former decathlete
*[[Gabriel Thomson]], actor, attended Elliott School
*[[Alan Thornhill]], sculptor whose nine large works form the permanent [[Putney Sculpture Trail]] along the Thames
*[[Harry Tincknell]], racing driver
*[[Fernando Torres]], former Spanish International footballer, played for [[Chelsea F.C.]]{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
*[[Caroline Townshend|Caroline Charlotte Townshend]] (1878–1944) was a British stained glass artist who lived in Deodar Road
* Sir [[Alliott Verdon-Roe]], pioneer aviator and founder of aircraft manufacturer [[AVRO]]
*[[Dennis Waterman]], actor grew up in Putney and attended Granard School
*[[Theodore Watts-Dunton]], who looked after Swinburne
*[[Nigel Williams (author)|Nigel Williams]], author
*[[Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley]], author of ''[[Frankenstein]]'', lived in Putney at Layton House in 1839, and White House in 1843
*[[Jack Whitehall]], comedian
*[[Michael Whitehall]], talent agent
*[[Leonard Woolf]], husband of [[Virginia Woolf]], grew up in Putney
*[[Tony Wright (actor)|Tony Wright]], film star, lived in Chartfield Avenue
*[[Peter Zinovieff]], British composer, musician and inventor. founder in 1969 of [[Electronic Music Studios]] (EMS), world famous for some of the most innovative and earliest synthesizers
*[[Sofka Zinovieff]], daughter of [[Peter Zinovieff]], writer, grew up in Putney

==Nearest places==
{{Geographic location
|title = '''Destinations from Putney'''
|Northwest = [[Hammersmith]]
|North     = [[Fulham]]
|Northeast = [[Fulham]]
|West      = [[Barnes, London|Barnes]], [[East Sheen]]
|Centre    = Putney
|East      = [[Wandsworth]]
|Southwest = [[Roehampton]], [[Putney Vale]]
|South     = [[Wimbledon Common]], [[Southfields]]
|Southeast = [[Earlsfield]]
}}Nearby settlements include [[Hammersmith]], [[Fulham]], [[Barnes, London|Barnes]], [[East Sheen]], [[Roehampton]], [[Petersham, London|Petersham]], [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]], [[Southfields]], [[Earlsfield]] and [[Wandsworth Town]].

==See also==
{{Portal|London}}
*[[Little Australia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}

{{LB Wandsworth}}
{{London Districts}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Putney| ]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Districts of London on the River Thames]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Wandsworth]]
[[Category:Major centres of London]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in the London Borough of Wandsworth]]