#1Science & Medicine
Derek Barton
1918–1998English organic chemist (1918–1998)
58 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend counts 103 famous people, first among them Derek Barton
Derek Barton, the English organic chemist, is the most widely known, written about in 58 languages. Since 1970, 43 were born, the most of any period. From William Gravatt to Annabelle Chukwu, the births on the list run from 1806 to 2007. The list comes to 17.7 for every 10,000 residents, against 3.1 in the typical town in Kent.
Born here
103
notable people
Best known
Derek Barton
in 58 Wikipedia languages
First
1806
William Gravatt
Youngest
2007
Annabelle Chukwu
Most common field
Sports
52 people
What stands out about Gravesend’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Gravesend
Ranked by languages covered: Derek Barton with 58, then Gemma Arterton with 51 and Edwin Arnold with 38.
#1
#2
#3Writing & Arts
Edwin Arnold
1832–1904English poet and journalist (1832–1904)
38 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years
When Gravesend’s famous people were born
More were born in the 1990s than in any other decade: 19.
SportsFilm, TV & StageWriting & ArtsScience & MedicinePolitics & LawBusinessNotableMusicMilitaryFaith
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Known for
What Gravesend is known for
Set against the usual town, business people come out 1.5 times as common.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Gravesend
Still to come: 100 more, from 1806 to 2007.
Stella Jane Reekie
1922–1982Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Edward Langton
1828–1905Australian businessman and politician, Treasurer of Victoria in 1868 and 1872–1874
BusinessWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Northfleet has the longest list next door: 13.
Questions about famous people from Gravesend
Who is the most famous person from Gravesend?
Derek Barton (English organic chemist (1918–1998)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 58 languages. Next come Gemma Arterton and Edwin Arnold.
How many famous people were born in Gravesend?
103 people born in Gravesend have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 121 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Gravesend known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 52 of the 103. That is 50% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Gravesend?
William Gravatt, born in 1806. The youngest on the list was born in 2007.
Who counts as from Gravesend?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Gravesend’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 (41)
- Derek Barton: National Portrait Gallery, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gemma Arterton: Donna Sydee, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Edwin Arnold: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George E. P. Box: DavidMCEddy at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Laura Coombs: Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Georgia-Mae Fenton: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- John MacGregor: Window & Grove, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jessica Dismorr: Jessica Dismorr, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Katharine Hamnett: Open Media Ltd, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Annabelle Chukwu: Hameltion, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Neil McDonald: Paweł Grochowalski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Rycroft: Gemma Poole from Hitchin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Arthur Arnold: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Rutley: U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Billy Green: Thebees1889, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Patrick McNally: David Phipps, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Piers Francis: Jack86mkII, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chris Simmons: Chris_Simmons_and_Ali_Bastian.jpg: Rammikins! derivative work: GSorby at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Grace Ellison: No photographer credited., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Evans: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Payne: ChrisTheDude at English Wikipedia, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Johnny Hills: Lawrencehills, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Matthew Walker: Richard Avis, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sam Walker: Bradford City AFC, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tanya Landman: Chin Yu Chu, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Adrian Owen: Martin.R.Coleman, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Alex Woodyard: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Reid: AnemoneProjectors, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Luke Moore: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Princess Ademiluyi: James Boyes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stella Jane Reekie: Hewitt C. H. (Sergeant) No. 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Craig Stone: James Boyes, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Jeffery: EddersGTI, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leonard Whibley: MozzazzoM, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Marcus Dinanga: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tony Clubb: Gerard Barrau, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alex Sangha: Jaspal Kaur Sangha, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frederick M. Crunden: JC Chauss Studio, St. Louis, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Thomas Morris: Photographer is not mentioned., CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Maud Milton: Langfier, Old Bond Street (no individual credited), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Matt Fry: Yabush, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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.