RB#1
Writing & Arts
Roger Bacon
1220–1292English polymath, philosopher and friar (c.1219/20–c.1292)
94 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Famous people · Ilchester, Somerset
Roger Bacon and 3 more famous people were born in Ilchester
Roger Bacon has articles in 94 languages. Second place goes to the poet and writer Elizabeth Rowe, third to Benedict Arnold. Over 454 years of births, the list goes from Roger Bacon (1220) to Elizabeth Rowe (1674). More are writers and artists than anything else, 2 in all.
Born here
4
notable people
Best known
Roger Bacon
in 94 Wikipedia languages
First
1220
Roger Bacon
Youngest
1674
Elizabeth Rowe
Most common field
Writing & Arts
2 people
What stands out about Ilchester’s famous people
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Ilchester
Roger Bacon has articles in 94 languages, Elizabeth Rowe in 12 and Benedict Arnold in 2.
#2
#3Politics & Law
Benedict Arnold
1615–1678Colonial governor of Rhode Island (1615-1678)
2 Wikipedia languagesRead more ↗
Through the years
When Ilchester’s famous people were born
The busiest decade was the 1220s, with 1 births.
Writing & ArtsPolitics & LawNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Known for
What Ilchester is known for
Writers and artists are the most numerous, 2 of them.
The usual town: the share across everyone listed across UK towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Ilchester
1 more, best known first.
No one matches both filters.
Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
The fullest list close by belongs to Yeovil, with 68.
SPYeovil · 5 miSarah Parish & 67 more
Sherborne · 8 miJames Bradley & 25 more
Langport · 7 miWalter Bagehot & 6 moreVSStreet · 8 miVictor Samuel Summerhayes & 6 moreMCSomerton · 4 miMarmaduke Cradock & 1 more
Martock · 4 miThomas Southwood Smith & 1 more
South Petherton · 7 miJohn Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton & 1 moreWSStoke sub Hamdon · 5 miWalter Shuldham
Sherborne · 8 miJames Bradley & 25 moreLangport · 7 miWalter Bagehot & 6 moreVSStreet · 8 miVictor Samuel Summerhayes & 6 moreMCSomerton · 4 miMarmaduke Cradock & 1 moreMartock · 4 miThomas Southwood Smith & 1 moreSouth Petherton · 7 miJohn Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton & 1 moreWSStoke sub Hamdon · 5 miWalter ShuldhamQuestions about famous people from Ilchester
Who is the most famous person from Ilchester?
Roger Bacon (English polymath, philosopher and friar (c.1219/20–c.1292)) is the best known by our measure: Wikipedia has an article about them in 94 languages. Next come Elizabeth Rowe and Benedict Arnold.
How many famous people were born in Ilchester?
4 people born in Ilchester have an English Wikipedia article that confirms the town as their birthplace.
What is Ilchester known for?
Among its famous people, writers and artists: 2 of the 4. That is 50% of the town’s list, against 12% across UK towns.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from Ilchester?
Roger Bacon, born in 1220. The youngest on the list was born in 1674.
Who counts as from Ilchester?
People Wikidata records as born in a place inside Ilchester’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 (6)
- Elizabeth Rowe: Frontispiece to Friendship in Death 1752, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Benedict Arnold: Sarnold17 (Uploads), CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- James Bradley: After Thomas Hudson, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Walter Bagehot: Norman Hirst (1862–1956), after Unknown artist, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Southwood Smith: James Charles Armytage / After Margaret Gillies, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton: . The original uploader was RossLoudon at English Wikipedia., 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.