#1Writing & Arts
Robertson Davies
1913–1995Canadian novelist
34 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Famous people · Chatham, Ontario
The 152 famous people born in Chatham, led by Robertson Davies
Articles in 34 languages make the Canadian novelist Robertson Davies the best known. Between Confederation and 1913, 46 were born, the most of any period. Over 161 years of births, the list goes from Josephus Nelson Larned (1836) to Bridget Carleton (1997). Births since 1970 account for 32 of the names.
Born here
152
confirmed by Wikipedia
Best known
Robertson Davies
34 Wikipedia and sister-site articles
First
1836
Josephus Nelson Larned
Youngest
1997
Bridget Carleton
Most common field
Sports
57 people
What stands out about Chatham’s famous people
★ What stands out · Through the years
When Chatham’s famous people were born
Births peak in the 1950s, with 20 people born in that decade.
SportsPolitics & LawWriting & ArtsFilm, TV & StageScience & MedicineNotableMusicFaithMilitaryBusiness
Dots are people, stacked in the decade of their birth.
The best known
Born in Chatham
#1EB#2
Science & Medicine
Ernest Burgess
1886–1966American sociologist
19 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
DA#3
Known for
What Chatham is known for
Set against the usual town, scientists and doctors come out 1.4 times as common.
The usual town is the share across everyone listed in Canadian towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Chatham
149 more, 57 of them athletes.
Judy LaMarsh
1924–1980Canadian politician, writer, broadcaster and barrister
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Susanna Carson Rijnhart
1868–1908Canadian medical doctor, Protestant missionary, and Tibetan explorer
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Harry Miner
1891–1918Canadian soldier (1891–1918); recipient of the Victoria Cross
MilitaryWikipedia ↗
Josephus Nelson Larned
1836–1913American librarian, newspaper editor, and author.
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
James Delmage Ross
1872–1939Canadian-American engineer and electric grid administrator
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Stef Sanjati
born 1995Transgender Canadian YouTuber with Waardenburg Syndrome
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Wally Floody
1918–1989"Tunnel King" and organiser of the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Questions about famous people from Chatham
Who is the most famous person from Chatham?
Robertson Davies (Canadian novelist) heads the list, ranked by how many Wikipedias cover them. Next come Ernest Burgess and Doug Anakin.
How many famous people were born in Chatham?
Wikidata places 207 here in all; the others lack an article that agrees.
What is Chatham known for?
38% of the list, where Canadian towns come to 38%.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Chatham?
Josephus Nelson Larned, born in 1836. The youngest on the list was born in 1997.
Who counts as from Chatham?
What counts is a birth that Wikidata places inside Chatham’s municipal boundary (Statistics Canada’s 2021 census subdivision), its hospitals and districts too, and that the person’s English or French Wikipedia article repeats. Adult performers, people known chiefly for crimes and those who only lived here are not on the list.
Why is someone missing?
Their Wikidata record may stop at the province, point to a rural area we have no page for, or name a different town, and their article may disagree or say nothing. Only a birthplace both sources share is listed; edits to either are picked up at the next refresh.
Birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations and the count of Wikipedia and sister-site articles come from Wikidata (CC0). Each birthplace is checked against the person’s English Wikipedia article, or the French one where English says nothing or has no article; the articles are linked, never quoted. Wikidata’s Statistics Canada code, the place’s name or its point inside the 2021 census outline puts a birth in a town, and a birth given only as a split city stays on that city’s page. Fields are read from the description and occupations, and the list runs by number of articles. “The usual town” is everyone listed across Canadian towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (52)
- Robertson Davies: Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ferguson Jenkins: User ScottRAnselmo on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shae-Lynn Bourne: The original uploader was Vesperholly at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- T. J. Brodie: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Michelle Wright: cdnmusicdiva, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Miranda Ayim: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ryan Jones: Sarah Connors, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sylvia Tyson: Reginaldmarsh Mandatory Credit: Steven P. Marsh, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frances Adaskin: unknown, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ken Houston: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Susanna Carson Rijnhart: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Shaun Suisham: Sodexo USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wes Cunningham: English, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur Stringer: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Artis Lane: USCapitol, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Allen: Callen, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Don Willson: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Doug Melvin: Doug_Melvin_2010.jpg : Ryan Tastad derivative work: Delaywaves talk, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frederic Lister Burk: San Francisco State University, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Miner: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jason Missiaen: Lowdown, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Josephus Nelson Larned: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Josh Woodman: Cmm3, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kenne Duncan: Columbia Pictures, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Lucretia Newman Coleman: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tom MacInnes: Photographer not named., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Alexander Rocke Robertson: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Alma Frances McCollum: Photographer unattributed, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Amabel Anderson Arnold: Gerhard Sisters, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Andy Fantuz: Canada Hky, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Alexander Gordon: Unknown author , Published by Montreal Perrault Print. Co, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Corrente: Joel Dinda: Flickr , website, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glen Skov: TCG Topps Gum Cards, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- James Delmage Ross: Seattle Municipal Archives, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Perren Baker: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Stef Sanjati: Saved By Gaming, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Anna H. Jones: No photographer is named in original source., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur Pelkey: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David McEwen Eberts: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Derek Whitson: Connormah, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- George M. Lawton: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hilliard Brooke Bell: Archives of the Law Society of Ontario, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jeanne Gordon: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Meaghan C. Creed: Christian Lüscher, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nelson McVicar: State of Pennsylvania, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Spencer Stone: John Howell, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sidney LeRoi Clunis: Law Society of Upper Canada Archives from Canada, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Darcy McKeough: Ontario Department of Municipal Affairs, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Earl Flat Chase: Unknown (Life time: 1954), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Leola Neal: Dawsondes, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rick Nicholls: Bavli2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wilfred 'Boomer' Harding: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).