#1Famous people · Penzance, Cornwall
69 famous people were born in Penzance, more of them scientists and doctors than in most towns
Articles in 102 languages make the British chemist Humphry Davy the best known. In the 20th century, 19 were born, the most of any period. Penzance ranks 2nd of the 69 towns in Cornwall with anyone listed. The list runs from Henry Ince, born in 1736, to Lucy Payne, born in 1992.
Born here
69
notable people
Best known
Humphry Davy
in 102 Wikipedia languages
First
1736
Henry Ince
Youngest
1992
Lucy Payne
Most common field
Sports
19 people
What stands out about Penzance’s famous people
Known worldwideHumphry Davy is written about in 102 languages.A town of scientists and doctorsScientists and doctors make up 12 of the 69, 2.4 times the usual share.Still making namesSince 1950, 25 of them have been born here, the latest in 1992.69 notable peoplePenzance lists 69 notable people, more than most towns.
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Penzance
Counted by languages, Humphry Davy is ahead of Ethelwynn Trewavas and Stanley Johnson: 102, 17 and 16.
#1ET#2
Science & Medicine
Ethelwynn Trewavas
1900–1993English ichthyologist (1900–1993)
17 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Politics & Law
Stanley Johnson
born 1940British politician (born 1940)
16 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Known for
What Penzance is known for
The field furthest above the usual share is scientists and doctors, at 2.4 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years
When Penzance’s famous people were born
The 1970s saw the most births of any decade: 11.
SportsWriting & ArtsScience & MedicinePolitics & LawMilitaryBusinessFilm, TV & StageFaithNotableMusic
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Penzance
66 more, 19 of them athletes.
William Colenso
1811–1899New Zealand printer, botanist, explorer, missionary and politician (1811–1899)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
George Marsden Waterhouse
1824–1906Premier of South Australia and Premier of New Zealand (1824-1906)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Leonard Courtney, 1st Baron Courtney of Penwith
1832–1918British politician (1832–1918)
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
George Thomas Bettany
1850–1891British historian and anthropologist (1850-1891)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Thomas Rowe
1829–1899British-born Australian architect, builder and goldminer
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Tamsyn Challenger
born 1974English conceptual, political and installation artist
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Thomas Robins Bolitho
1840–1925English banker who served as High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1890
BusinessWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Close by, the fullest list is St Ives’, at 16 names.
Questions about famous people from Penzance
Who is the most famous person from Penzance?
Humphry Davy (British chemist) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 102 languages. Next come Ethelwynn Trewavas and Stanley Johnson.
How many famous people were born in Penzance?
69 people born in Penzance have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 93 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Penzance known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 19 of the 69. That is 28% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Penzance?
Henry Ince, born in 1736. The youngest on the list was born in 1992.
Who counts as from Penzance?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Penzance’s built-up area (the ONS 2022 boundary), a hospital or district within it included, whose English Wikipedia article agrees. People who only lived here, adult performers and people known mainly for crimes aren’t listed.
Why is someone missing?
Their Wikidata birthplace may be a bigger area (“London”), another town, or missing, or their article may give no birthplace. We only list people both sources agree on; editing Wikidata or Wikipedia changes this page at the next refresh.
From Wikidata (CC0: birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations) and English Wikipedia (each person’s article confirms the birthplace; linked, not quoted). Birthplaces are placed in the town by the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary (Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0). Ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. Fields are read from Wikidata’s description and occupations. “The usual town”: everyone listed across UK towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (31)
- Humphry Davy: Thomas Phillips, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Stanley Johnson: Ravenswoodschool, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- George Eustice: David Woolfall, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William Colenso: Unlisted photographer, before 1898, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Francis Polkinghorne Pascoe: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Marsden Waterhouse: not identified, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Davy: Book by Anne Treneer; original artist unknown, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Maria Branwell: Not mentioned, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Leonard Courtney, 1st Baron Courtney of Penwith: Théobald Chartran, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur Gould-Porter: Universal Pictures, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Herbert Booth: Tubaist, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Copeland Borlase: UnknownUnknown died most probably 70 years ago, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Anthony Tonkin: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- George Thomas Bettany: After a photograph by Maull & Fox, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Harold Harvey: Harold Harvey, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sweet Saraya: Tabercil, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Carne: Carne, John, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph Carne: Mellangoose, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alexander Halliday: Bob Herbert's Op-Ed.TV; CUNY TV, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John Luke: Unknown photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Rowe: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Egbert Hambley: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tamsyn Challenger: Mimblack, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sharon Tregenza: Robotrock77, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Matthews: Unknown photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Lloyd: William Lloyd, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rick Rescorla: US Army, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Luke: Unknown photographer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Hichens: Board of Trade, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Davies Gilbert: Painting by Henry Howard RA (31 January 1769 – 5 October 1847); Engraved by John Thompson (25 May 1785–20 February 1866), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Christopher Cole: Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1793-1872), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
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