List of people from Cheltenham
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This is a list of Notable Cheltonians, or people from
Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
in Gloucestershire by occupational groups, ordered alphabetically. Information not found on a person's Wikipedia page must be referenced:


Arts

*
Jake Chapman Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (born 1966) and Konstantinos "Dinos" Chapman (born 1962) are British visual artists, often known as the Chapman Brothers. Their subject matter tries to be deliberately shocking, including, in 2008, a series of works that ...
(born 1966), artist famous for his work with his brother
Dinos Chapman Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (born 1966) and Konstantinos "Dinos" Chapman (born 1962) are British visual artists, often known as the Chapman Brothers. Their subject matter tries to be deliberately shocking, including, in 2008, a series of works that ...
, was born in Cheltenham. *
Frances Emilia Crofton Frances Emilia Crofton née Dunn (1822 – 23 October 1910), known professionally as Mrs William Crofton, was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish landscape painter of the picturesque style who flourished in the mid-19th century. In 1854 she publ ...
(1822–1910), artist, lived in Cheltenham. *
P. J. Crook Pamela June Crook (born 1945), known professionally as P J Crook, is an English painter and sculptor. Her shows have appeared in London, France, the United States, Japan, Canada, and Estonia. Her professional name "P J Crook" lacks full stops; ...
(born 1945), artist, was born and lives in Cheltenham. * Clarence Dobell (1836–1917), artist and illustrator, born in Cheltenham. *
Clive Piercy Clive Piercy (May 29, 1955 – August 20, 2017) was a British-American designer, author, and design educator, active for four decades in London and Los Angeles. He was noted for his use of typography, his color sense, his visual wit, and for brin ...
(1955–2017), graphic designer and author, was born in Cheltenham. *
Meredithe Stuart-Smith Meredithe Stuart-Smith ( Karl; born 1957) is an American designer. She was a major figure in the Greeting card, alternative card movement of the 1980s and has continued to be influential in the subsequent development of greetings cards and lifestyl ...
(born 1957), designer, lives in Cheltenham.


Literature

*
Sarah Burney Sarah Harriet Burney (29 August 1772 – 8 February 1844) was an English novelist, the daughter of musicologist and composer Charles Burney, and half-sister of the novelist and diarist Frances Burney (Madame d'Arblay). She had some intermittent ...
(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 The Palestine Exploration Fund is a British society based in London. It was founded in 1865, shortly after the completion of the Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem, and is the oldest known organization in the world created specifically for the study ...
* Geoff Dyer (born 1958), novelist, author and journalist, was born and raised in Cheltenham. *
James Elroy Flecker James Elroy Flecker (5 November 1884 – 3 January 1915) was a British novelist and playwright. As a poet, he was most influenced by the Parnassian poets. Biography Herman Elroy Flecker was born on 5 November 1884 in Lewisham, London, to Willia ...
(1884–1915), poet and playwright, was educated at Dean Close School. *
Winifred Foley Winifred Mary Foley (born Winifred Mason; 25 July 1914 – 21 March 2009) was an English writer. She is known best for an autobiographical account of her childhood in the Forest of Dean: ''A Child in the Forest''. Forest life Winifred Foley ...
(1914–2009), chronicler of the Forest of Dean, retired to Cheltenham in 1998 and died there. *
Stephen Graham Stephen Joseph Graham (born 3 August 1973) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the film ''This Is England'' (2006) and its television sequels ''This Is England '86'' (2010), '' This Is England '88'' ( ...
(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. * 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 Duncan Gordon Boyes VC (5 November 1846 – 26 January 1869) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. T ...
(1846–1869), VC, 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 Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
. * Jaz Coleman (born 1960), lead singer of
Killing Joke Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass). Their first album, ''Ki ...
, 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 The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
, was born in Cheltenham. *
Dame Felicity Lott Dame Felicity Ann Emwhyla Lott, (born 8 May 1947) is an English soprano. Education Lott was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. From her earliest years she was musical, having started studying piano at age 5. She also played violin and bega ...
(born 1947), opera and concert soprano, was born in Cheltenham. *
Andrew McCrorie-Shand Andrew William John McCrorie-Shand (born 14 May 1955) is a British composer. He is mostly known for having composed musical scores for children's television programmes, including the original theme tune for ''Teletubbies'', and also the chart ...
(born 1955), composer, was born in Cheltenham. *
Richard O'Brien Richard Timothy Smith. known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, composer, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has remained in conti ...
(born 1942), of the
Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...
, was born in Cheltenham. *
FKA Twigs Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 17 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, and dancer. Born and raised in Cheltenham, she became a backup dancer for numerous famous musicians aft ...
(born 1988), singer-songwriter and dancer, was born in Cheltenham. *
Kitty Brucknell Kimberley Dayle Edwards (born 15 November 1984), formerly known professionally as Kitty Brucknell, is an English pop singer. She rose to fame as a finalist on the eighth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2011, where she finished in seventh place. ...
(born 1984), singer, was born in Cheltenham. *
Screaming Dead Screaming Dead are a punk rock band from Cheltenham formed in 1980, who have often been characterized as "horror punk". They released several singles and EPs with indie chart success, before splitting up in 1985. They reformed in 1997; disba ...
(formed 1980), the band often claimed as the founders of horror punk, was formed in Cheltenham. *
Inkubus Sukkubus Inkubus Sukkubus are an English gothic rock, goth and pagan rock, pagan band, formed in 1989 by Candia Ridley, Tony McKormack and Adam Henderson, who have been described as one of the most enduringly popular underground Goth bands in the UK. Th ...
(formed 1989),
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
and
Pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
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 Dorothea Beale LL.D. (21 March 1831 – 9 November 1906) was a suffragist, educational reformer and author. As Principal of Cheltenham Ladies' College, she became the founder of St Hilda's College, Oxford. Early and family life Dorothea Beale w ...
(1831–1906), headmistress of
Cheltenham Ladies' College Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Consistently ranked as one of the top all-girls' schools nationally, the school was established in 1853 to pr ...
*Sir
Douglas Dodds-Parker Sir Arthur Douglas Dodds-Parker (5 July 1909 – 13 September 2006) was a British imperial administrator, a wartime soldier involved in irregular warfare, and Conservative politician. Between the wars, he served in the Sudan, in the prestigio ...
(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. * 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 Richard Pate or Pates (1516–1588) was an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucester in the Parliament of 1559 and 1563–1567. His parliamentary career is detailed in the History of Parliament. Pate was born in Cheltenham ...
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 Jabez Allies (22 October 1787 – 29 January 1856) was an English folklorist and antiquarian. He was one of the earliest writers on folklore. Life Allies was the second son of Mr. William Allies, and was born in 1787 at Lulsley, Worcestershire ...
(1787–1856),
folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...
and
antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
, retired and died in Cheltenham. *
Piers Coleman Piers Coleman (born 1958) is a British-born theoretical physicist, working in the field of theoretical condensed matter physics. Coleman is Professor of Physics at Rutgers University in New Jersey and at Royal Holloway, University of London. E ...
(living), physicist, was raised in Cheltenham. *Dr Henry Anstey Cookson,
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
, pathologist, lived in Cheltenham. *
Napoleon Cordy Hannibal Napoleon David Alfred Thomas ("Nap") Cordy (July 29, 1902 — January 30, 1977) was an amateur scholar in the field of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, who made some notable contributions in the 1930s and 1940s to the early study a ...
(1902–1977),
Mayanist A Mayanist ( es, mayista) is a scholar specialising in research and study of the Mesoamerican pre-Columbian Maya civilisation. This discipline should not be confused with Mayanism, a collection of New Age beliefs about the ancient Maya. Mayan ...
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 Leopold George Hill (December 16, 1866 - October 1922) was an English medical missionary who worked as a member of the Church Mission Society (CMS) treating leprosy patients in Pakhoi (now known as Beihai), China.Ancestry.com. ''London, England, Ch ...
(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. * Steve Cotterill (born 1964), footballer and football manager, played for
Cheltenham Town F.C. Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league sy ...
and other League teams. *
Martin Devaney Martin Thomas Devaney (born 1 June 1980) is a football coach and former professional midfielder who was most recently caretaker manager of EFL Championship club Barnsley. Born of Irish parents, Devaney has played for the Ireland under-16s. Caree ...
(born 1980), footballer with Cheltenham Town F.C. and other professional teams. *
Eric Dier Eric Jeremy Edgar Dier (born 15 January 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. A versatile defensive player, Dier has been deployed as a defensive midfielder, a centre-b ...
(born 1994), footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, was born in Cheltenham. *
Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards Michael David Edwards (born 5 December 1963), better known as Eddie the Eagle, is an English ski-jumper and Olympian who in 1988 became the first competitor since 1928 to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, finishing last in the ...
(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. *
Matt Gotrel Matthew Anthony William Gotrel (born 1 March 1989) is a British rower. Rowing career At the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Bosbaan, Amsterdam he was a member of the gold medal-winning eight with Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell, Matthew Tarrant, ...
(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. * Jack Lisowski (born 1991), professional snooker player. *
Claude Myburgh Major Claude John Myburgh (4 July 1911 – 10 October 1987) was an English cricketer and British Army officer. Myburgh was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium. He was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and was educated ...
(1911–1987), cricketer and soldier, was born in Cheltenham. * William Pollock (1859–1896), chess player, was born in Cheltenham. *
Zac Purchase Zachary Jake Nicholas Purchase-Hill MBE (born 2 May 1986) is a retired English rower. Purchase won an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Both medals were won in t ...
(born 1986), Olympic gold-medal rower, was born in Cheltenham. *
Mike Summerbee Michael George Summerbee (born 15 December 1942) is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Club career Summerbee was born in Preston, Lancashire, and raised in Ch ...
, Swindon Town,
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and England footballer, was raised in Cheltenham. *
Leon Taylor Leon Taylor (born 2 November 1977) is a former British competitive diver. During his diving career he won medals at all major international events including a silver at the Athens Olympics. Following his retirement from competition, Taylor t ...
(born 1977), Olympic silver-medallist diver, was born and educated in Cheltenham. * Edward Adrian Wilson (1872–1912), explorer who joined
Scott Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...
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 en, That which is hidden shall be revealed , established = , closed = , type = Grammar school;Academy , religion = , president = , head_label = , head = Russel Ellicott , r_head_label = , r_head = , chair_label = , chair = , founder ...
. * Mike Grady (born 1946), character actor, was born in Cheltenham. * Robert Hardy (1925–2017), actor, was born and raised in Cheltenham. *
Damaris Hayman Damaris Hayman (16 June 1929 – 3 June 2021) was an English actress, often cast in upper class or eccentric roles. She made numerous performance in films and television series from the 1950s onwards. Biography Hayman was born in Kensington, Lo ...
(1929–2021), character actress, was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College. * Martin Jarvis (born 1941), actor, was born in Cheltenham. *
Mark Lester Mark Lester (born Mark A. Letzer; 11 July 1958) is an English former child actor, osteopath, and acupuncturist who starred in a number of British and European films in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1968 he played the title role in the film ''Oliver ...
(born 1958), who played Oliver Twist in the 1968 film ''
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'', lives in Cheltenham. * Richard Loncraine (born 1946), film and television director, was born in Cheltenham. *
Arthur Negus Arthur George Negus, OBE (1903–1985) was a British television personality and antiques expert, specialising in furniture. Biography Negus was born in Reading, Berkshire, to Amy Julia Worsley and father Arthur George Negus Sr, a cabinet mak ...
, (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 Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...
(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 en, That which is hidden shall be revealed , established = , closed = , type = Grammar school;Academy , religion = , president = , head_label = , head = Russel Ellicott , r_head_label = , r_head = , chair_label = , chair = , founder ...
.


See also

*
People from Cheltenham A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of property, ...
*
List of people from Gloucestershire A list of notable people from the county of Gloucestershire: See also *List of freemen of the City of Gloucester * :People from Gloucestershire References {{reflist Gloucestershire People Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city a ...


References

{{Reflist, 30em Cheltonians