#1Leaders stand out among the 25 famous people born in Cheshire
James Van Der Beek, the American actor, is the most widely known, written about in 55 languages. The largest group, 8, was born in the early republic. Per head, the list is long: 8.6 for every 10,000 residents, where the typical town in Connecticut has 2.9. 6 of them were born before independence, the first Abraham Beach in 1740.
What stands out about Cheshire’s famous people
When Cheshire’s famous people were born
Births peak in the 1770s, with 4 people born in that decade.
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Born in Cheshire
Three names lead: James Van Der Beek (55 languages), John Frederick Kensett (26) and Legs McNeil (11).
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#3What Cheshire is known for
Cheshire has 3.4× the usual share of soldiers and sailors.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone else born in Cheshire
A further 22 follow, born between 1740 and 2002.













No one matches both filters.
Also called Cheshire home
Notable people Wikidata lists as living in Cheshire, though born elsewhere.
Who’s the most famous person from Cheshire?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Be the first to say who Cheshire’s most famous person is.
Famous people from the towns next door
The most names next door are in Waterbury: 59.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Cheshire and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (22)
- James Van Der Beek: gdcgraphics, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Frederick Kensett: David Johnson, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Legs McNeil: Robman94, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Samuel A. Foot: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Seabury Ford: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Harvey C. Barnum, Jr.: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist James Pinsky, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Matt Generous: Tuomas Vitikainen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Washington Benham: Civil War glass negative collection (Library of Congress), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Peter Hitchcock: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Amos Doolittle: Samuel Perkins Gilmore, 1868-1948, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Micah Brooks: Charles F. Milliken (1854-1933)., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rollin Carolas Mallary: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Krishna Urs: United States Department of State, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Liz Linehan: Wallingford Government Media, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Abraham Beach: Ralph Earl, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George A. Jarvis: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rosalind Russell: Columbia Pictures, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Clarence Dutton: photographer unknown -- property of US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Edward Robinson: Conder, C. R. (Claude Reignier), 1848-1910, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ernest Borgnine: Milburn McCarty Public Relations. It was not uncommon for a network, program sponsor or studio to distribute publicity information through either an ad or publicity agency., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Amos Bronson Alcott: Photographer unidentified, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- E. Frank Sperry: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons





