#1Famous people · Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
10 famous people were born in Winchcombe from 1609 to 1936
Articles in 14 languages make the English composer and improviser Cornelius Cardew the best known. The next two names are Christopher Merrett and Robert Adlard. Only 9 of the 73 towns in Gloucestershire with anyone on record list more. Cornelius Cardew, the best known, was born in 1936.
Born here
10
notable people
Best known
Cornelius Cardew
in 14 Wikipedia languages
First
1609
Clement Barksdale
Youngest
1936
Cornelius Cardew
Most common field
Sports
4 people
The best known
Born in Winchcombe
Languages with an article: 14 for Cornelius Cardew, 11 for Christopher Merrett, 11 for Robert Adlard.
#1
#2Science & Medicine
Christopher Merrett
1614–1695English physician and scientist, first to describe sparkling wine production (1614-1695)
11 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
RA#3
Through the years
When Winchcombe’s famous people were born
The 1910s saw the most births of any decade: 2.
SportsScience & MedicineWriting & ArtsMusic
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Known for
What Winchcombe is known for
Scientists and doctors stand out most, at 4.1 times the usual share.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Winchcombe
7 more names, born between 1609 and 1923.
John Kingsley Cook
1911–1994English artist, teacher and wood engraver (1911–1994)
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
George Backhouse Witts
1846–1912British civil engineer and archaeologist (1856-1912)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
The most names next door are in Cheltenham: 264.
Questions about famous people from Winchcombe
Who is the most famous person from Winchcombe?
Cornelius Cardew (English composer and improviser) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 14 languages. Next come Christopher Merrett and Robert Adlard.
How many famous people were born in Winchcombe?
10 people born in Winchcombe have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 11 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Winchcombe known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 4 of the 10. That is 40% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Winchcombe?
Clement Barksdale, born in 1609. The youngest on the list was born in 1936.
Who counts as from Winchcombe?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Winchcombe’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)
- Cornelius Cardew: User AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Christopher Merrett: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Backhouse Witts: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gustav Holst: Herbert Lambert, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Cartwright: 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.