#1Famous people · Telford, Shropshire
99 famous people were born in Telford from 1504 to 2005
Most widely known is Billy Wright, the English footballer, with articles in 39 languages. William Withering, the English scientist, comes second, with Rob Edwards third. In the 20th century, 39 were born, the most of any period. Among the 34 towns in Shropshire with famous people on record, the town ranks 2nd.
Born here
99
notable people
Best known
Billy Wright
in 39 Wikipedia languages
First
1504
Thomas Leigh
Youngest
2005
Penny Healey
Most common field
Sports
63 people
What stands out about Telford’s famous people
The best known
Born in Telford
Three names lead: Billy Wright (39 languages), William Withering (27) and Rob Edwards (25).
#1
#2Science & Medicine
William Withering
1741–1799English scientist (1741-1799)
27 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
#3Through the years
When Telford’s famous people were born
The 1960s alone account for 11 of the births charted here.
SportsFilm, TV & StageScience & MedicinePolitics & LawMusicWriting & ArtsBusinessNotableFaithMilitary
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Known for
What Telford is known for
Telford has 1.6× the usual share of business people.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Telford
96 more, from 1504 to 2005.
Anna Richardson
born 1970English presenter, television producer, writer and journalist
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Stewart Lee
born 1968English stand-up comedian, writer, director and musician
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
Jeremy Nicholas
born 1947English actor, writer, broadcaster, lyricist and musician
Film, TV & StageWikipedia ↗
George Ambler Wilson
1906–1977President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (1906-1977)
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Margaret Baxter
1636–1681Religious nonconformist and wife of Richard Baxter (1636-1681)
FaithWikipedia ↗
Paul Hendy
born 1966Script-writer, novelist, director, producer and filmmaker
Writing & ArtsWikipedia ↗
Reginald J. S. Pigott
1886–1966British American mechanical engineer and inventor
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Close by, Shrewsbury counts 180 famous people, the most of its neighbours.
Shrewsbury · 12 miCharles Darwin & 179 more
Bridgnorth · 10 miThomas Percy & 28 moreJQNewport · 7 miJames Quibell & 9 more
Shifnal · 4 miHannah Cullwick & 7 more
Much Wenlock · 7 miMary Beard & 7 more
Broseley · 5 miHermione Baddeley & 5 more
Albrighton · 8 miDavid C. H. Austin & 1 more
Wheaton Aston · 10 miJeremy WeateQuestions about famous people from Telford
Who is the most famous person from Telford?
Billy Wright (English footballer (1924-1994)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 39 languages. Next come William Withering and Rob Edwards.
How many famous people were born in Telford?
99 people born in Telford have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace. Wikidata places 116 people here; the rest aren’t listed because their article names somewhere else, or no town.
What is Telford known for?
Among its famous people, athletes: 63 of the 99. That is 64% of the town’s list, against 49% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Telford?
Thomas Leigh, born in 1504. The youngest on the list was born in 2005.
Who counts as from Telford?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Telford’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)
- Billy Wright: Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, Wikimedia Commons
- William Withering: Carl Frederik von Breda, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rob Edwards: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Paul Blackthorne: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William Foulke: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Matthew Webb: Carlo Pellegrini, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Harry Hampton: Albert Wilkes, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Walter Corbett: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Anna Richardson: Garry Knight, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stewart Lee: Paul Christopher, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hesba Stretton: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Steve Beresford: Richard Kaby, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lee Collins: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gordon Richards: Rose and Trev Clough, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mark Nicholson: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Parker: McDarke, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wyke Bayliss: Alexander Bassano, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Glyn Thompson: Mattythewhite, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Gauntlett: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Taylor Gardner-Hickman: Timmy96, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Albert Stanley: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jacob Noel-Storr: Jacob Noel-Storr, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nancy Bailey: Albert John Deneulain. (1848-1923), of the Strand Publishing Company., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Leigh: published by William Richardson Q35147350, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Darwin: Herbert Rose Barraud, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Percy: J. Hawksworth after a painting by Lemuel Abbott, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hannah Cullwick: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Mary Beard: UC3M (youtube), CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hermione Baddeley: Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David C. H. Austin: Nongdanchanto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jeremy Weate: Jeremyweate, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.