#1Sports
Frederick Holman
1883–1913British swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, former world record-holder
21 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Dawlish, Devon
Of the 14 famous people born in Dawlish, an unusual share are scientists and doctors
Frederick Holman leads the list, covered in 21 languages. The English botanist and malacologist Robert James Shuttleworth ranks second, ahead of Adrian Smith. 7 of them were born in the Victorian era, more than in any other period. For every 10,000 residents there are 11.9 on the list, well above the typical Devon town’s 4.7.
Born here
14
notable people
Best known
Frederick Holman
in 21 Wikipedia languages
First
1790
Thomas Vowler Short
Youngest
1969
Steven Willis
Most common field
Science & Medicine
4 people
What stands out about Dawlish’s famous people
★ What stands out · Known for
What Dawlish is known for
The field furthest above the usual share is soldiers and sailors, at 5.9 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
The best known
Born in Dawlish
Ranked by languages covered: Frederick Holman with 21, then Robert James Shuttleworth with 11 and Adrian Smith with 6.
#1RS#2
Science & Medicine
Robert James Shuttleworth
1810–1874English botanist and malacologist (1810-1874)
11 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
AS#3
Through the years
When Dawlish’s famous people were born
No decade has more births than the 1880s, at 2.
Science & MedicineSportsMilitaryFaithWriting & ArtsPolitics & LawNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Dawlish
The other 11 span the years 1790 to 1969.
Henry Singleton Pennell
1874–1907English military officer (1874–1907); recipient of the Victoria Cross
MilitaryWikipedia ↗
Arthur George Hammond
1843–1919English military officer (1843–1919); recipient of the Victoria Cross
MilitaryWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns nearby, 8 have famous names listed.
JPTeignmouth · 3 miJohn Pulman & 23 more
Exmouth · 4 miPauline Collins & 22 more
Exminster · 7 miWilliam Courtenay & 3 moreCPShaldon · 4 miCharles Parsons & 2 moreHBKingsteignton · 6 miHenry Beeke & 2 moreJNLympstone · 5 miJohn Nutt & 1 more
Chudleigh · 6 miEdward Fortescue Wright & 1 moreHBWoodbury · 7 miHiley Bamsey
Exmouth · 4 miPauline Collins & 22 moreExminster · 7 miWilliam Courtenay & 3 moreCPShaldon · 4 miCharles Parsons & 2 moreHBKingsteignton · 6 miHenry Beeke & 2 moreJNLympstone · 5 miJohn Nutt & 1 moreChudleigh · 6 miEdward Fortescue Wright & 1 moreHBWoodbury · 7 miHiley BamseyQuestions about famous people from Dawlish
Who is the most famous person from Dawlish?
Frederick Holman (British swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, former world record-holder) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 21 languages. Next come Robert James Shuttleworth and Adrian Smith.
How many famous people were born in Dawlish?
14 people born in Dawlish have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 15 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Dawlish known for?
Among its famous people, scientists and doctors: 4 of the 14. That is 29% of the town’s list, against 7% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Dawlish?
Thomas Vowler Short, born in 1790. The youngest on the list was born in 1969.
Who counts as from Dawlish?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Dawlish’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 (9)
- Frederick Holman: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Vowler Short: Martin Archer Shee, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Britten Austin: Rose Britten Austin, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Singleton Pennell: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur George Hammond: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ludovic Charles Porter: Bassano Ltd, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Pauline Collins: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William Courtenay: Jonathan Cardy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Edward Fortescue Wright: Public domain, 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.