List of people from Cornwall

This is a list of people from Cornwall, a ceremonial county of England. Those included are either native Cornish people or others who have been long-term residents. The demonym of Cornwall is Cornish. This list is arranged alphabetically by surname if available.

There is also a list of women in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly dedicated to the notable women of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

A John Couch Adams (1819–1892), co-discoverer of the planet NeptuneRoger Hutchins, ‘Adams, John Couch (1819–1892)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Michael Adams (born 1971), chess grandmaster Dr. Donald Adamson (born 1939), historian and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature Ralph Allen, entrepreneur and philanthropist Jack Andrew, rugby player, Cornish Pirates prop forward Paul Andrew (born 1989), rugby player, brother of Jack Andrew, Cornish Pirates prop forward Michael An Gof (Michael Joseph) (died 1497), leader of the Cornish rebellion of 1497 John Arnold (1736–1799), watchmaker and pioneer of the marine chronometerJonathan Betts, ‘Arnold, John (1735/6–1799)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Humphrey Arundell (c. 1513–1550), leader of the Cornish Rebellion of 1549J. P. D. Cooper, ‘Arundell, Humphrey (1512/13–1550)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 17 Dec 2008 Thomas Arundell of Wardour Castle (c. 1502–1552), administrator and alleged conspirator, executed 1552 Candy Atherton (1955–2017), MP for Falmouth and Camborne

B Steve Baker (born 1971), Conservative politician, Minister of State for Northern Ireland, born in St Austell Morwenna Banks (born 1961), comedian and actress Jonah Barrington (born 1941), squash player the Basset family, landowners and tin mining entrepreneurs who owned Tehidy Country Park Tom Bawcock, legendary fisherman from Mousehole Robert Beheathland, born before 1587 in St Endellion, Cornwall, was an English gentleman who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, USA in 1607. John Betjeman (1906–1984), British Poet Laureate William Bickford (1774–1834), inventor of the safety fuseRonald M. Birse, ‘Bickford, William (bap. 1774, d. 1834)’, rev., Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Lamorna Birch (1869–1955), artist and member of the Newlyn School William Bligh (1754–1817), captain of the ship Bounty Max Bodilly (born 1994), rugby player, London Welsh full-back/centre Thomas Bedford Bolitho (1835–1915), banker and industrialist Thomasine, Lady Percival (Thomasine Bonaventure), paid to repair a bridge and founded a schoolCarole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, Jo Eldridge Carney, A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen Thomas Bond (1765–1837), topographer from LooeJohn Westby-Gibson, ‘Bond, Thomas (1765–1837)’, rev. Christine North, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 23 Jan 2009 Arthur Boscawen (1862–1939), Anglican priest and horticulturist Admiral Edward Boscawen (1711–1761), a naval commander in the Royal Navy known as "Old Dreadnought" John Boson (1655–1730), Nicholas Boson (1624–1708), and Thomas Boson (1635–1719), 18th-century writers in the Cornish languageMatthew Spriggs, ‘Boson family (per. c. 1675–1730)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Maria Branwell (1783–1821), mother of the Brontë sisters James Silk Buckingham (1786–1855), author, journalist and traveller Barry Bucknell (1912–2003), the original DIY TV presenter, who lived at St Mawes W. J. Burley (1914–2002), author of the Wycliffe series of crime novels

C Richard Carew (1555–1620), translator and antiquaryS. Mendyk, ‘Carew, Richard (1555–1620)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Elizabeth Carne (1817–1873), geologistDenise Crook, ‘Carne, Elizabeth Catherine Thomas (1817–1873)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 James Carne (1906–1986), recipient of the Victoria Cross, Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Gloucestershire Regiment, in the Korean War Joseph Carne (1782–1858), geologist, industrialist and Fellow of the Royal SocietyDenise Crook, ‘Carne, Joseph (1782–1858)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 John Carter (1738–1803), smuggler known as the "King of Prussia", who operated from Prussia Cove Charles Causley (1917–2003), poet Ollie Chenoweth (born 1992), retired professional football goalkeeper Jack Clemo (1916–1994), blind poet and novelist William Clift (1775–1849), naturalist and Fellow of the Royal SocietyPhillip R. Sloan, ‘Clift, William (1775–1849)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2007 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Joseph Henry Collins (1841–1916), mining engineer, mineralogist and geologist Myrna Combellack, academic researcher and writer of Cornish history Constantine of Cornwall, Cornish ruler and saint William Cookworthy (1705–1780), discoverer of china clay (kaolinite) in CornwallWinchester, Angus J. L. (2004) ‘Cookworthy, William (1705–1780)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Saint Corentin, missionary to Brittany Corineus, the legendary founder of Cornwall in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae"Corineus". (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 16 December 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/137554/Corineus Dr Jonathan Couch (1789–1870), naturalist and physician Richard Quiller Couch (1816–1863), naturalistG. T. Bettany, ‘Couch, Richard Quiller (1816–1863)’, rev. Yolanda Foote, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Luke Cowan-Dickie (born 1993), rugby player Exeter Chiefs and England hooker John Kevin Curtice (born 1953), political scientist

D Nick Darke (1948–2005), playwright Frederick Hamilton Davey (1868–1915), botanist Grenville Davey (1961–2022), artist, Turner Prize winner in 1992 Sir Humphry Davy (1778–1829), scientist, inventor and president of the Royal SocietyDavid Knight, ‘Davy, Sir Humphry, baronet (1778–1829)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Jamie Day (born 1986), footballer Anne Dowriche (before 1560 – after 1613), historian, poet and protestant writerJoann Ross, "Anne Dowriche" in Diana Maury Robin, Anne R. Larsen, and Carole Levin (eds.), Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France, and England. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio, 2007; p. 115. Samuel Drew (1765–1833), Methodist theologian Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989), novelistMargaret Forster, ‘Du Maurier, Dame Daphne (1907–1989)’, rev., Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 20 Dec 2008 Edwin Dunkin (1821–1898), president of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Institution of CornwallAllan Chapman, ‘Dunkin, Edwin (1821–1898)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Herbert Dyer (1898–1974), coppersmith

E Richard Edmonds (1801–1886), geologist and antiquaryRobert Hunt, ‘Edmonds, Richard (1801–1886)’, rev. Denise Crook, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008 John Passmore Edwards (1823–1911), Chartist and philanthropistA. J. A. Morris, ‘Edwards, John Passmore (1823–1911)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2008 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Joseph Antonio Emidy (1775–1835), black composer who lived in Truro Enys family of Enys in Cornwall, includes many landowners, MPs and public officialsBurke's Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry Part 1 (1862), Page 551 Enys of Enys, on Google Books. Matthew Etherington (born 1981), professional footballer who played in two FA Cup finals with two different teams, West Ham United and Stoke City

F John Pascoe Fawkner (1792–1869), early Australian pioneer, businessman and politician of Melbourne, Australia. Bob Fitzsimmons (1863–1917), world champion bare-knuckle fighter Thomas Flamank (died 1497), leader of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497Ian Arthurson, ‘Flamank, Thomas (d. 1497)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 17 Dec 2008 Mick Fleetwood (born 1947), drummer Samuel Foote (1720–1777), dramatist Stanhope Forbes (1857–1947), artist and member of the Newlyn School Anna Maria Fox, benefactor to FalmouthFox, Caroline (1881) Memories of Old Friends: Caroline Fox of Penjerrick, Cornwall (edited by H. N. Pym, 1881; 2nd edition, 1882). Robert Were Fox the Elder (1754–1818), Quaker and businessman Robert Were Fox (1789–1877), geologistDenise Crook, ‘Fox, Robert Were (1789–1877)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 16 Dec 2008

G Richard Gaisford (born 1972), Good Morning Britain chief correspondent who trained at University College Falmouth Susan Elizabeth Gay (1845–1918), chronicler of Falmouth Sir Robert Geffrye, Lord Mayor of London"Geffrey, Robert", Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 10 (wikisource). Richard Gendall (1924–2017), linguist and musician Ken George (born 1947), scholar and Cornish nationalist Davies Gilbert (1767–1839), applied mathematician and technocrat, president of the Royal SocietyMiller, David Philip (2004), ‘Gilbert [Giddy], Davies (1767–1839)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2007 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Helen Glover (born 1986), Olympic gold medal-winning rower William Golding (1911–1993), novelistKevin McCarron, ‘Golding, Sir William Gerald (1911–1993)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 20 Dec 2008 Julia Goldsworthy (born 1978), former Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne Gorlois, mythical Duke of Cornwall Pete Goss (born 1961), sailor now living in Torpoint Andrew Graham (born 1942), Master of Balliol College, Oxford, 2001-2011 Winston Graham (1908–2003), novelist, author of the Poldark seriesDennis Barker, ‘Graham, Winston Mawdsley (1908?–2003)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford University Press, Jan 2007 accessed 20 Dec 2008 William Gregor (1761–1817), clergyman and scientist, discoverer of titaniumBoase, G. C. (2004), ‘Gregor, William (1761–1817)’, rev. Anita McConnell, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2005 accessed 16 Dec 2008 Francis Gregory (1904-?) was a champion Cornish wrestler in the 1920s and 1930s who won the heavyweight title 9 times in a row and the interceltic title 7 times in a row. He was champion of Britain in 1934.Cornish wrestling in Lady of Pendower, Kinematograph Weekly, 28 June 1934, p37-38. He was a famous sportsman, being a professional wrestler and boxer, who played league and union rugby (including for England).Tripp, Michael: PERSISTENCE OF DIFFERENCE: A HISTORY OF CORNISH WRESTLING, University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2009, p127-175. He participated in the first televised wrestling match and wrestled Billy Holland in a scene for the film "Lady of Pendower".Cornish wrestling in Lady of Pendower, Kinematograph Weekly, 28 June 1934, p37-38. Pascoe Grenfell (1761–1838), businessman and politician Richard Grenville (1542–1591), Navy officer