List of people from Cheltenham explained

This is a list of Notable Cheltonians, or people from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire by occupational groups, ordered alphabetically. Information not found on a person's Wikipedia page must be referenced:

Arts

• Jake Chapman (born 1966), artist famous for his work with his brother Dinos Chapman, was born in Cheltenham.
• Frances Emilia Crofton (1822–1910), artist, lived in Cheltenham.
• P. J. Crook (born 1945), artist, was born and lives in Cheltenham.
• Clarence Dobell (1836–1917), artist and illustrator, born in Cheltenham.
• Clive Piercy (1955–2017), graphic designer and author, was born in Cheltenham.
• Meredithe Stuart-Smith (born 1957), designer, lives in Cheltenham.

Literature

• Sarah Burney (1772–1844), novelist, retired to Cheltenham in 1841 and died there.
• Claude Reignier Conder (1848–1910), co-authored the work Survey of Western Palestine, on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund
• Geoff Dyer (born 1958), novelist, author and journalist, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• James Elroy Flecker (1884–1915), poet and playwright, was educated at Dean Close School.^[1]
• Winifred Foley (1914–2009), chronicler of the Forest of Dean, retired to Cheltenham in 1998 and died there.
• Stephen Graham (1884–1975) journalist, travel writer and author lived in Cheltenham until the age of 14.
• James Payn (1830–1898), novelist and journal editor, was born in Cheltenham.^[2]
• John Simpson (born 1953), lexicographer, was born in Cheltenham and attended Dean Close School.
• Kate Thornton (born 1973), journalist and television presenter, was born in Cheltenham.

Military service

• Duncan Gordon Boyes (1846–1869), awarded the Victoria Cross, was born in Cheltenham and educated at Cheltenham College.
• Henry Hadley (1863–1914), often deemed "the first British casualty of the First World War", was born in Cheltenham.
• Arthur "Bomber" Harris (1892–1984), commander of Bomber Command in the Second World War, was born in Cheltenham.
• Craig Harrison (born 1974) British Army soldier, held the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat.

Music

• Michael "Würzel" Burston (1949–2011), guitarist for the heavy metal band Motörhead, was born in Cheltenham.
• Jaz Coleman (born 1960), lead singer of Killing Joke, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• 4ft Fingers punk rock band, was formed in Cheltenham in 1996.
• Christopher Gunning (1944–2023), composer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Gustav Holst (1874–1934), composer, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham Grammar School.
• Brian Jones (1942–1969), founder of the Rolling Stones, was born in Cheltenham.
• Dame Felicity Lott (born 1947), opera and concert soprano, was born in Cheltenham.
• Andrew McCrorie-Shand (born 1955), composer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Richard O'Brien (born 1942), creator of the Rocky Horror Show, was born in Cheltenham.
• FKA Twigs (born 1988), singer-songwriter and dancer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Kitty Brucknell (born 1984), singer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Screaming Dead (formed 1980), the band often claimed as the founders of horror punk, was formed in Cheltenham.
• Inkubus Sukkubus (formed 1989), Gothic and Pagan band, was formed in Cheltenham.
• Solemn Sun (formed 2009), punk band formed in Cheltenham.

Public service

• Sir James Tynte Agg-Gardner (1846–1928), brewery owner, Lord of Cheltenham Manor and its Conservative Member of Parliament in 1874–1880, 1885–1895, 1900–1906 and 1911–1928
• Dorothea Beale (1831–1906), headmistress of Cheltenham Ladies' College
  • Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker (1909–2006), Conservative MP for Cheltenham in 1964–1974 and World War II member of the Special Operations Executive Fred G. Hughes (1837–1911), five-times member of Arizona Territorial Legislature, was born in Cheltenham.^[3]
• Charles Irving (1924–1995), Conservative MP for Cheltenham, 1974–1992
• Nigel Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham (1948–2022), Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham (1992–2005)
• Richard Pate or Pates (1516–1588), founder of Pate's Grammar School, was born in Cheltenham.
• Sir John Wood (1870–1933) of the Indian Civil Service was born in Cheltenham.

Sciences and humanities

• Jabez Allies (1787–1856), folklorist and antiquarian, retired and died in Cheltenham.
• Piers Coleman (living), physicist, was raised in Cheltenham.
• Dr Henry Anstey Cookson, pathologist, lived in Cheltenham.
• Napoleon Cordy (1902–1977), Mayanist scholar, was born in Cheltenham.
• Robert Etheridge (1847–1920), Anglo-Australian palaeontologist and curator of the Australian Museum from 1895, was born in Cheltenham.
• Dr Leopold George Hill (1866-1922), physician and medical missionary, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• John H. Mercer (1922–1987), glaciologist and geographer, was born and raised in Cheltenham.

Sports

• Michael Bailey (born 1954), first-class cricketer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Paul Casey (born 1977), professional golfer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Sean Conway, endurance swimmer, lives in Cheltenham.^[4]
• Steve Cotterill (born 1964), footballer and football manager, played for Cheltenham Town F.C. and other League teams.
• Martin Devaney (born 1980), footballer with Cheltenham Town F.C. and other professional teams.
• Eric Dier (born 1994), footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, was born in Cheltenham.
• Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards (born 1963), Olympic ski-jumper, was born in Cheltenham.
• Bob Foster (1911–1982), professional motorcycle racer known as the Cheltenham Flyer, won the 1950 350cc world championship.^[5]
• Matt Gotrel (born 1989), rower, gold medallist in men's eight rowing at the Summer Olympics 2016, was born and lives in Cheltenham.
• Sir Geoff Hurst, international footballer, in 1966 the only man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final, lives in Cheltenham.
• Gilbert Jessop (1874–1955), among the fastest-scoring test cricketers, was born in Cheltenham.^[6]
• Jack Lisowski (born 1991), professional snooker player.
• Claude Myburgh (1911–1987), cricketer and soldier, was born in Cheltenham.^[7]
• William Pollock (1859–1896), chess player, was born in Cheltenham.
• Zac Purchase (born 1986), Olympic gold-medal rower, was born in Cheltenham.
• Mike Summerbee, Swindon Town, Manchester City and England footballer, was raised in Cheltenham.^[8]
• Leon Taylor (born 1977), Olympic silver-medallist diver, was born and educated in Cheltenham.
• Edward Adrian Wilson (1872–1912), explorer who joined Scott on his ill-fated Antarctic Expedition, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham College.
• Sir John Wood (1870–1933), first-class cricketer, was born in Cheltenham.
• Steve 'Lee' Fortey, Former Rugby Union Prop and temporary International Head Coach, Previously played for Worcester Warriors and in 2023 led Gibraltar to a comeback victory over Jamaica, lives in Cheltenham.

Stage

• Ernest Cossart (1876–1951), actor, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham Grammar School.
• Mike Grady (born 1946), character actor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Robert Hardy (1925–2017), actor, was born and raised in Cheltenham.
• Damaris Hayman (1929–2021), character actress, was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College.
• Martin Jarvis (born 1941), actor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Mark Lester (born 1958), who played Oliver Twist in the 1968 film Oliver!, lives in Cheltenham.
• Richard Loncraine (born 1946), film and television director, was born in Cheltenham.
• Arthur Negus, (1903–1985), broadcaster and antiques expert, lived and died in Cheltenham.
• Josh O'Connor, (born 1990), who played Prince Charles in The Crown, was born in Cheltenham.
• Ralph Richardson (1902–1983), actor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Corrinne Wicks (born 1968), actress, was born and raised in Cheltenham.

Trade

• Sir George Dowty (1901–1975), inventor and businessman, set up Dowty Aviation in Cheltenham.
• John Nevil Maskelyne (1839–1917), magician and pay-toilet inventor, was born in Cheltenham.
• Sir Frederick Handley Page (1885–1962), founder of the aircraft maker Handley Page, was born in Cheltenham and attended Cheltenham Grammar School.

See also

• People from Cheltenham
• List of people from Gloucestershire

Notes and References

1. Sayoni Basu, "Flecker, (Herman) James Elroy (1884–1915)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, UK: OUP, 2004) Retrieved 6 March 2017.
2. ODNB: Damian Atkinson, "Payn, James (1830–1898)". Retrieved 14 March 2014, pay-walled.
3. News: Bolt of Lightning Kills Fred G. Hughes Pioneer of Arizona . September 20, 1911 . The Bisbee Daily Review . 2.
4. News: Land's End to John O'Groats swimmer Sean Conway reaches end . 11 November 2013 . . 13 November 2013.
5. Web site: Grace's Guide to British Industrial History: Bob Foster . gracesguide.co.uk . 15 March 2021.
6. http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/149651.html Birth of the man who scored at over 80 runs an hour
7. Web site: Claude Myburgh . CricketArchive . 1 March 2011.
8. Web site: Mike and Nicky Summerbee join Keys and Gray . Talksport . 15 May 2012.