BJ#1
Photo: Alan Murray-Rust · CC BY-SA 2.0Famous people · Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire
Whaley Bridge is the birthplace of 2 famous people
The best known is the English footballer Bill Jones, with articles in 8 languages. The other is Thomas Higson, the English cricketer. Nearby, Chapel-en-le-Frith, 3 mi away, lists 8, led by John Hartle. Thomas Higson (1911) and Bill Jones (1921) mark the two ends of the list.
Born here
2
notable people
Best known
Bill Jones
in 8 Wikipedia languages
First
1911
Thomas Higson
Youngest
1921
Bill Jones
Most common field
Sports
2 people
The best known
Born in Whaley Bridge
TH#2
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns around it, Chapel-en-le-Frith has the most on record: 8.
Questions about famous people from Whaley Bridge
Who is the most famous person from Whaley Bridge?
Bill Jones (English footballer (1921-2010)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 8 languages. Next come Thomas Higson.
How many famous people were born in Whaley Bridge?
2 people born in Whaley Bridge have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace.
What is Whaley Bridge known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 2 of the 2. That is 100% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Whaley Bridge?
Thomas Higson, born in 1911. The youngest on the list was born in 1921.
Who counts as from Whaley Bridge?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Whaley Bridge’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 (5)
- John Hartle: Joop van Bilsen / Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alan Beith: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mabel Hardie: unknown - Mabel Hardie in 1887 or 1888, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Benjamin Brandreth: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Eric Newton: Open Library, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.