List of people from Yorkshire

This is a list of people from Yorkshire. Yorkshire is the largest historic county in both England and the United Kingdom. Efforts have been made in the past to compile lists of the most noted people from Yorkshire, such as the Yorkshire Greats book by Sir Bernard Ingham which listed fifty Yorkshiremen and women.^[1] Some of the most notable figures from the county are:

Saints

John Fisher

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Margaret Clitherow	born in York	1556–1586	saint, martyr	[2]
Edwin of Northumbria	Not born in Yorkshire	585–633	saint, King of Northumbria	[1]
John of Beverley	Harpham and Beverley	d. 721	bishop, founder and patron saint of Beverley	[3]
John Fisher	Beverley	1469–1535	bishop, cardinal, saint, martyr	[4]
Hilda of Whitby		614–680	princess, nun, nurse, founding abbess of Whitby Abbey and patron saint of Whitby	[5][6]
Blessed Nicholas Postgate	Egton	1596–1679	martyr	[7]

Inventors, explorers, scientists and pioneers

Captain James Cook

Amy Johnson

Sir George Cayley

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Edward Victor Appleton		1892–1965	Nobel Prize in Physics in 1947	[8]
James Henry Atkinson	Leeds	1849–1942	inventor of the mousetrap	[9][10]
Donald Bailey		1901–1985	inventor of the Bailey Bridge	[11]
William Bateson		1861–1926	geneticist; first to use term "genetics"	[1][12]
George Birkbeck		1776–1841	doctor, philanthropist, founder of Birkbeck College	[13]
Joseph Bramah	Barnsley	1748–1814	invented hydraulic press; one of two founders of hydraulic engineering	[1][14]
Harry Brearley		1871–1948	Sheffield inventor of stainless steel	[15]
Henry Briggs		1561–1630	perfected system of logarithms used today by astronomers, navigators	[16]
Phil Burgan		1951–	pharmacist; CEO and Chairman of MMCG
Ralph Burton		d.1768	British soldier and Canadian settler	[17]
Sir George Cayley	born in Scarborough	1773–1857	engineer, one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics	[1]
Capt. James Cook	Marton, Middlesbrough	1728–79	Georgian oceanic explorer	[1]
Rick Dickinson		1956(?)	industrial designer responsible for the ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum and Sinclair QL keyboards and cases	[18]
John Harrison	Foulby	1693–1776	horologist and mathematician	[1]
Amy Johnson	born in Hull	1903–41	aviator	[1][19]
Joseph Priestley	born in Birstall	1733–1804	physicist and chemist	[20]
Augustus Pitt Rivers		1827–1900	British Army officer, ethnologist, anthropologist and archaeologist	[1]
Nicholas Saunderson	Thurlstone	1682–1739	Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, University of Cambridge	[21]
Helen Sharman	born in Sheffield	1963–	first British astronaut	[1]
Percy Shaw	born in Halifax	1889–1975	inventor of the cat's eyes reflecting roadstuds	[22]
John Smeaton		1724–92	civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses	[1]
John Wycliffe		1330–84	theologian, reformist, pioneering translator	[1]

Politicians and activists

William Wilberforce

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Herbert Henry Asquith	born in Morley	1852–1928	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1908–16	[23]
William Bradford	born in Austerfield	1590–1657	Plymouth governor, pilgrim father	[1]
Guy Fawkes	York	1570–1606	Yorkshire-born soldier, part of the Gunpowder Plot	[1][24]
William Wilberforce	born in Kingston upon Hull	1759–1833	social campaigner who brought about the abolition of slavery	[1][25]
Harold Wilson	born in Huddersfield	1916–1995	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1964–70 and 1974–76	[26]

Writers

Emily Brontë

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Alcuin of York	born near York	732–804	Early Middle Ages scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher	[1][27]
Alan Bennett	born in Leeds	1934–	playwright and actor	,[1]
Anne Brontë	born in Thornton	1820–49	writer, author of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall	[28]
Branwell Brontë	born in Thornton	1817–48	writer and artist	[28]
Charlotte Brontë	born in Thornton	1816–55	writer, author of Jane Eyre	[28]
Emily Brontë	born in Thornton	1818–48	writer, author of Wuthering Heights	[1][28]
Ted Hughes	born in Mytholmroyd	1930–98	poet laureate of United Kingdom	[1]
Andrew Marvell	born in Winestead-in-Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire	1621–78	poet	[1]
J. B. Priestley	born in Bradford	1894–1984	writer, novelist and broadcaster	[1]

Entertainers

Actors and actresses

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Mark Addy	York		actor	[29]
Julian Barratt	Leeds		actor, comedian
Keith Barron	Mexborough		actor	[30]
Sean Bean	Sheffield		actor	[31]
Brian Blessed	Mexborough		actor	[32]
Chuckle Brothers	Rotherham	1944–, 1947–	TV actors
Tom Courtenay	Hull, East Riding		actor	[33]
Dame Judi Dench	York		actress	[1]
Peter Firth	Bradford		actor	[1]
James Frain	Leeds		actor	[1]
Brian Glover	Sheffield (raised in Barnsley)		actor, comedian	[34]
Sir Ben Kingsley	Scarborough		actor	[1]
Charles Laughton	Scarborough	1899–1962	actor, screenwriter, and director of the film The Night of The Hunter	[1]
Matthew Lewis	Leeds		actor	[35]
James Mason	Huddersfield	1909–1984	actor	[36]
Michael Palin	Sheffield	1943–	actor, comedian	[37]
Andrew-Lee Potts	Bradford		actor	[38]
Paul Shane	Thrybergh	1940–2013	actor	[39]
Jack Shepherd	Leeds		actor	[40]
Sir Patrick Stewart	Mirfield		actor	[41]
Elizabeth White	Rotherham	1979–	actress	[42]
Tom Wilkinson	Leeds		actor	[43][44]

Television performers

Jeremy Clarkson

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Jeremy Clarkson	Doncaster		presenter and former host of BBC TV's Top Gear	[45]
Paul Daniels	South Bank, Middlesbrough	1938–2016	illusionist, quiz show host	[46]
Leigh Francis (Keith Lemon)	Beeston, Leeds	1973–present	comedian, entertainer
Gorden Kaye	Huddersfield	1941–present	actor	[47]
Bob Mortimer	Acklam, Middlesbrough	1959–present	comedian, entertainer	[48]
Vic Reeves	Leeds	1959–present	comedian, entertainer	[49]
Ernie Wise	Bramley	1925–1999	comedian	[50]

Musicians and bands

Melanie Brown

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Arctic Monkeys	formed in Sheffield		indie band	[51]
James Arthur	born in Middlesbrough	1988–present	singer
Asking Alexandria	formed in York		metalcore band	[52]
Dame Janet Baker			opera singer	[52]
John Barry			best known for his soundtracks for James Bond films and Midnight Cowboy	[52]
The Beautiful South	formed in Hull		popular music band	[52]
Bring Me The Horizon	formed in Sheffield		metalcore band	[52]
Arthur Brown			rock singer	[52]
Melanie Brown	Leeds		member of the Spice Girls	[52]
Dewey Bunnell			folk rock singer/songwriter with band America	[52]
Tony Christie			singer	[52]
Joe Cocker			rock singer	[52]
David Coverdale	born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea		lead vocalist for Deep Purple and Whitesnake	[53]
The Cribs	formed in Wakefield		indie band	[54]
Kiki Dee			singer/songwriter	[52]
Def Leppard	formed in Sheffield		hard rock group	[52]
Frederick Delius			composer	[52]
Gang of Four	formed in Leeds		post-punk group	[52]
Vin Garbutt	born in South Bank, Middlesbrough		folk singer	[55]
Lesley Garrett			opera singer	[52]
Gareth Gates	born in Bradford		singer	[52]
Heaven 17			80s band	[52]
The Human League	formed in Sheffield		synthpop band	[52]
Kaiser Chiefs	formed in Leeds		indie band	[52]
Zayn Malik	born in Bradford		former member of One Direction
Jane McDonald	born in Wakefield		singer
John Newman	born in Settle	1990–present	soul singer
Robert Palmer	Batley	1949–2003	singer	[52]
Pulp	formed in Sheffield		popular music band	[52]
Corinne Bailey Rae	born in Leeds		singer	[52]
Chris Rea	born in Middlesbrough		singer	[52]
Paul Rodgers	born in Middlesbrough	1949–present	rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company	[56]
Kate Rusby			folk singer	[52]
Shed Seven	formed in York		indie-rock band	[52]
Ed Sheeran	born in Hebden Bridge		singer
Kimberley Walsh	born in Bradford		member of pop group Girls Aloud
Christopher Wolstenholme	born in Rotherham		bassist of Muse	[57]
Louis William Tomlinson	born in Doncaster		Member of boy group One Direction

Sport

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
David Bairstow	born in Bradford, Yorkshire	1951–January 1998	cricketer	[1]
Jonathan Bairstow	born in Bradford	1989-	Yorkshire CCC and England cricketer and son of David. (Above)	[58]
Geoffrey Boycott	born in Fitzwilliam	1940–	Yorkshire CCC and England cricketer	[59]
Alistair Brownlee	born in Dewsbury	1988–	Olympic gold medalist, world champion in triathlon	[60]
Jonathan Brownlee	born in Leeds	1990–	Olympic silver medalist, world champion in triathlon	[60]
Brian Clough	born in Middlesbrough	1935–2004	footballer and football manager	[1]
Jessica Ennis	born in Sheffield	1986–	Olympic gold medalist, world champion in heptathlon	[61]
Darren Gough	born in Barnsley	1970–	cricketer	[1]
Alan Hinkes		1954–	mountaineer, first Briton to climb world's highest 14 peaks	[1]
Len Hutton	born in Pudsey	1916–90	cricketer, Ashes-winning captain	[1]
Innes Ireland	born in Mytholmroyd		Formula One driver
Kevin Keegan	born in Doncaster	1951–	footballer, 2 x European footballer of the year	[1]
Jamie Reeves	born in Sheffield	1962–	world champion strength athlete, World's Strongest Man of '89
Joe Root	Sheffield	1990	Cricketer for Yorkshire CCC and England	[62]
Jane Tomlinson		1964–2007	amateur athlete and cancer charity fundraiser	[63]
Fred Trueman		1931–July 2006	cricketer	[1]
Danny Willett	born in Sheffield	1987–	golfer, second Englishman to win The Masters	[64]

Artists and sculptors

Furniture Maker Robert Thompsons trademark mouse

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Gertrude Spurr Cutts		1858–1941	painter	[65]
John Atkinson Grimshaw		1836–1893	painter	[1]
Barbara Hepworth	Wakefield	1903–1975	artist	[66]
David Hockney	Saltaire	1937–	artist	[1]
Henry Moore	Castleford	1898–1986	sculptor	[1]
Robert Thompson	Kilburn	1876–1955	carpenter, furniture maker recognised for his mouseman furniture, exclusively using Yorkshire Oak	[1]

Miscellaneous

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Mary Bateman	born in Asenby, worked in Thirsk	1768–1809	"Yorkshire Witch"; convicted of fraud and murder, hanged	[67]
John Christie	born in Illingworth	1899–1953 (Hanged)	serial killer, known as "The Rillington Place Strangler"	[68]
Ian Clayton	born in Featherstone	1959–	Writer and broadcaster
Stephen Griffiths	born in Dewsbury	1969 –	serial killer, known as "The Crossbow Cannibal"	[69]
Mark Hobson	born in Wakefield	1969–	'spree killer' who murdered four people
Donald Neilson	born in Dewsbury	1936–2011	armed robber, serial killer, known as "The Black Panther"	[70]
Jimmy Savile	born in West Riding	1926–2011	Prolific sex abuser of both adults and children, TV presenter, celebrity, charity fund-raiser	[71]
Edward Simpson	born in Sleights	1815–?	infamous forger of prehistoric flint tools, sold to many notable museums	[72]
Peter Sutcliffe	born in Bingley	1946–	serial killer, known as "The Yorkshire Ripper"	[73]

People in fiction

• Dracula by Bram Stoker: A Russian ship, the Demeter, having weighed anchor at Varna, runs aground on the shores of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, during a fierce tempest. Whitby continues to celebrate its link with Dracula, as well as its Victorian gothic past.^[74]
• Beedle the Bard: In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter wizarding world, he is the fictional author of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Beedle was born in Yorkshire in the 15th century.^[75][76]
• Robinson Crusoe: The title character from the novel by Daniel Defoe is from Yorkshire.

See also

• List of people from Kingston upon Hull
• List of people from Leeds
• List of people from Sheffield
• List of people from the East Riding of Yorkshire
• List of people from North Yorkshire
• List of people from South Yorkshire
• List of people from West Yorkshire
• List of Yorkshire County Cricket Club players

References

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2. St Wilfrid's Church, York
3. Catholic online
4. New Advent
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10. "The Patents". DiscoveringYorkshire.org. 24 October 2007.
11. BBC
12. Britannica
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14. Robinson Library
15. Enjoyengland.com
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46. Paul Daniels at the Internet Movie Database
47. Gorden Kaye at the Internet Movie Database
48. Bob Mortimer at the Internet Movie Database
49. Vic Reeves at the Internet Movie Database
50. Ernie Wise at the Internet Movie Database
51. Aizlewood, John (27 January 2006). "Monkeys are top of the tree". Evening Standard. ES London Limited. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
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54. Weiss, Rebecca (10 September 2007). "Spotlight On The Cribs". The Sun Online. The Cornell Daily Sun. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
55. Vin Garbutt Website: biography
56. Middlesbrough Evening Gazette: Paul Rodgers honoured by Teesside University
57. Muse Wiki: Christopher Wolstenholme
58. "Jonathan M Bairstow". Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
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60. "Olympics triathlon: Alistair Brownlee wins Britain's 19th gold". Retrieved 7 August 2012.
61. Hart, Simon (4 August 2012). "Jessica Ennis crowns stunning Olympic gold medal heptathlon victory with blistering 800m run". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
62. "Joe E Root". Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
63. "Obituary – Jane Tomlinson". The Daily Telegraph. London. 22 December 2008.
64. "Danny Willett secures first European Tour victory in Cologne". BBC Sport. 24 June 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
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67. Davies, Owen (2004). "Bateman , Mary (1768–1809)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
68. Simpson, Keith (1978). Forty Years of Murder: An Autobiography. London: Harrap. ISBN 0-245-53198-X.
69. "Stephen Griffiths charged with murder of three prostitutes – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph (London). 27 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
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71. "West Yorkshire police to publish findings of Jimmy Savile report". The Guardian (London). Press Association. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
72. Locker, R. 2011 Flint Jack: Prince of Forgershttp://whitbypopwatch.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/flint-jack-prince-of-counterfeiters.html
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75. Rowling, J. K. (4 December 2008). The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition. Children's High Level Group. ISBN 0-545-12828-5. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
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External links

• Yorkshire-Icons.com – covering the most notable Yorkshire people