List of people from Cheltenham



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.
 * 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.
 * 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), 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.
 * 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), 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.
 * 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, FRSE, 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Jack Lisowski (born 1991), professional snooker player.
 * Claude Myburgh (1911–1987), cricketer and soldier, was born in Cheltenham.
 * 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.
 * 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.