List of people from Folkestone

Folkestone is a town and seaside resort in Kent, England. The following is a list of those people who were either born or live in Folkestone, or had some important contribution to make to the town.

A

 * William de Wiveleslie Abney (1843–1920) astronomer, chemist, and photographer
 * Les Ames (1905–1990) cricketer
 * Richard Ashworth (born 1947) Member of European Parliament

B

 * Julian Baggini (born 1968) philosopher and writer
 * Mark Barham (born 1962) association footballer
 * Peter Barkworth (1929–2006) actor
 * Graham Barlow (born 1950) cricketer
 * Michael Bentine (1922–1996) comedian: The Goon Show
 * Lesley Brook (1917–2009) actress
 * Arthur Brough (1922–1980) actor (Are You Being Served?); established Folkestone Repertory Theatre

C

 * John Henry Challis (1809–1880) philanthropist
 * Fred Cheesmur (1908–1987) association footballer
 * Jack Coggins (1911–2006) artist
 * Wilkie Collins (1824–1889)
 * A. E. Coppard (1878–1957) short story writer
 * Bithia Mary Croker (c. 1848–1920) Irish-born novelist

D

 * John Dartnell (1838–1913), Commandant of the Natal Mounted Police
 * Michael Dillon (1915–1962) physician; first trans man to undergo phalloplasty
 * John Doogan (1853–1940) Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
 * Roy Douglas (1907–2015) composer and arranger

E

 * John Eric Erichsen (1818–1896) surgeon
 * Eamon Everall (born 1948) artist, educator, founding member of Stuckism Art Movement

F

 * Thomas Field (1855–1936) Church of England priest

G

 * George Gardiner (1935–2002) politician
 * Carl Gilbert (born 1948) association footballer
 * Jonathan Gledhill (born 1949) Bishop of Lichfield
 * Kitty Gordon (1878–1974) actress
 * George Grossmith (1847–1912) comedian, writer, etc. collaborating with Gilbert and Sullivan on several operas

H

 * William Halcrow (1883–1958) civil engineer
 * Radclyffe Hall (1880–1943) author
 * William Hall-Jones (1851–1936) Prime Minister of New Zealand
 * Augustus Harris (1852–1896) actor, impresario and dramatist
 * Charlotte Harris (born 1981) portrait artist
 * William Harvey (1578–1657) physician (discoverer of blood circulation)
 * Norman Heatley (1911–2004) scientist
 * Michael Hogben (born 1952) auctioneer, antiques dealer
 * Billy Hughes (born 1960) footballer
 * Charles Bousfield Huleatt (1863–1908) missionary; discoverer of important papyrus documents
 * Jessica Hynes (Born 1972) Bafta winning actress

I

 * Peter Imbert (born 1933) senior police officer

J

 * Michael Jack (born 1946) politician
 * Hattie Jacques (1924–1980) comedy actress; Carry On films

K

 * Alice Keppel (1868–1947) mistress of King Edward VII; great-grandmother of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
 * Pete Kircher (born 1945) rock/pop drummer
 * William Knox (1850–1913) Australian politician and businessman

L

 * Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd (1913–1995) Victoria Cross recipient
 * Mabel Love (1874–1953) dancer, actress

M

 * Francis MacKinnon (1848–1947) Test cricketer
 * Mary Martin (1907–1969) sculptor
 * Charles McCausland (1898–1965) cricketer
 * Patrick McHale (1826–1866) Irish recipient of Victoria Cross
 * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999) violinist; founder of Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists held in Folkestone
 * Helena Millais (1886-1970) comedienne and actress

N

 * Paul Nicholas (born 1945) actor and singer

P

 * Sam Pepper (born 1989) Big Brother 2010 contestant.
 * Edith Pechey (1845–1908) one of the first United Kingdom Women doctors.
 * John Philipot (1588–1645) College of Arms.
 * Samuel Plimsoll (1824–1898) politician and social reformer; the "Plimsoll line”.
 * Mavis Pugh (1914–2006) comedy actress.
 * Mavis Pugh (1914–2006) comedy actress.

Q

 * Len Quested (1925–2012) association footballer

R

 * Noel Redding (1945–2003) musician; bass player with The Jimi Hendrix Experience
 * Ricky Reina (born 1971) association footballer
 * Baker Russell (1837–1911) senior army officer

S

 * Marcus Sarjeant (born 1964) attempted murderer of Queen Elizabeth II
 * Blaine Sexton (1892–1966) ice hockey player
 * Brendan Sheerin (born 1959) travel guide and coach-trip host
 * Sheila Sherlock (1918–2001) physician and hepatologist
 * Gerald Sinstadt (born 1930) sports commentator
 * Susan Spain-Dunk (1880-1962) composer, conductor and violinist
 * Anne Stallybrass (1938–2021) actress
 * Sydney Sturgess (1915–1999) Canadian actress

T

 * Phil Tate (1922–2005) dance bandleader
 * Cliff Temple (1948–1994) sports journalist
 * Thunderstick (living) heavy rock musician; drummer
 * David Tomlinson (1917–2000) actor
 * Arthur Tooth (1839–1931) Ritualist priest; curate of St Mary's Folkestone
 * Walter Tull (1888–1918) first black infantry officer in British Army; football (soccer) player

U

 * Ernest Ewart Unwin (1881–1944) educationist

V

 * Phil Vickery (born 1961) celebrity chef

W

 * Weller brothers (born 1802, 1805, 1814) were the founders of a whaling station on Otago Harbour, New Zealand. Their name lives on in the sea shanty Soon May the Wellerman Come.
 * Chris Wills (born 1978), game show contestant
 * Dave Wiltshire (born 1954), association footballer