List of people from Yorkshire

This is a list of people from Yorkshire. Yorkshire is the largest historic county in both England and the United Kingdom. Some of the most notable figures from the county are:

Lawyers and Jurists

Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, President of the British Supreme Court, 2017–2020

Inventors, explorers, scientists and pioneers

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Edward Victor Appleton		1892–1965	Nobel Prize in Physics in 1947
James Henry Atkinson	Leeds	1849–1942	inventor of the mousetrap
Donald Bailey		1901–1985	inventor of the Bailey Bridge
William Bateson		1861–1926	geneticist; first to use term "genetics"
George Birkbeck		1776–1841	doctor, philanthropist, founder of Birkbeck College
Joseph Bramah	Barnsley	1748–1814	invented hydraulic press; one of two founders of hydraulic engineering
Harry Brearley		1871–1948	Sheffield inventor of stainless steel
Henry Briggs		1561–1630	perfected system of logarithms used today by astronomers, navigators
Phil Burgan		1951–	pharmacist; CEO and Chairman of MMCG
Ralph Burton		d.1768	British soldier and Canadian settler
Sir George Cayley	born in Scarborough	1773–1857	engineer, one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics
Capt. James Cook	Marton, Middlesbrough	1728–79	Georgian oceanic explorer
Rick Dickinson		1956	industrial designer responsible for the ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum and Sinclair QL keyboards and cases
John Harrison	Foulby	1693–1776	horologist and mathematician
Amy Johnson	born in Hull	1903–41	aviator
Joseph Priestley	born in Birstall	1733–1804	physicist and chemist
Augustus Pitt Rivers		1827–1900	British Army officer, ethnologist, anthropologist and archaeologist
Nicholas Saunderson	Thurlstone	1682–1739	Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, University of Cambridge
Helen Sharman	born in Sheffield	1963–	first British cosmonaut, first Western European woman in space
Percy Shaw	born in Halifax	1889–1975	inventor of the cat's eyes reflecting roadstuds
John Smeaton		1724–92	civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses
Frederick Walton	born in Sowerby Bridge	1834–1928	inventor of Linoleum
John Wycliffe		1330–84	theologian, reformist, pioneering translator
Sīlācāra	born in Hull	1871–1951	one of the earliest western Buddhist monk in modern times

Politicians and activists

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
H. H. Asquith	born in Morley	1852–1928	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1908–16
William Bradford	born in Austerfield	1590–1657	Plymouth governor, pilgrim father
Guy Fawkes	York	1570–1606	Yorkshire-born soldier, part of the Gunpowder Plot
Roy Hattersley	born in Sheffield	1933–	British Labour politician, author and journalist
Elizabeth Smith Middleton	born in Yorkshire	1814–1898	British-born Canadian temperance leader
William Wilberforce	born in Kingston upon Hull	1759–1833	social campaigner who brought about the abolition of slavery
Harold Wilson	born in Huddersfield	1916–1995	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1964–70 and 1974–76

Writers

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Simon Armitage	born Huddersfield	1963–	Poet, writer
W. H. Auden	born York	1907– 1973	Poet, critic, essayist
Alcuin of York	born near York	732–804	Early Middle Ages scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher
Alan Bennett	born in Leeds	1934–	playwright and actor
Barbara Taylor Bradford	born in Leeds	1933–	best-selling British-American novelist, debut novel, A Woman of Substance
Anne Brontë	born in Thornton	1820–49	writer, author of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Branwell Brontë	born in Thornton	1817–48	writer and artist
Charlotte Brontë	born in Thornton	1816–55	writer, author of Jane Eyre
Emily Brontë	born in Thornton	1818–48	writer, author of Wuthering Heights
Cædmon	born Whitby	657–684	Earliest English poet	Bede's Historia ecclesiastica.
Ian Clayton	born in Featherstone	1959–	Writer and broadcaster
Margaret Drabble	born in Sheffield	1939–	literary Prize-winning writer
Stanley Ellis	born in Bradford	1926–2009	English linguistics scholar, writer and broadcaster, English regional dialects.
Helen Fielding	born in Morley, West Yorkshire	1958–	novelist and screenwriter, Bridget Jones's Diary, The Edge of Reason
Roger Hargreaves	born in Cleckheaton	1935–1988	writer of the Mr. Men and Little Miss books
Joanne Harris	born in Barnsley	1964–	English author, award-winning novel Chocolat
Tony Harrison	born in Leeds	1964–	Poet, translator, critic, dramatist
Susan Hill	born Scarborough, North Yorkshire	1942–	novels include The Woman in Black and I'm the King of the Castle, Somerset Maugham Award. Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2012
Barry Hines	born Hoyland Common near Barnsley	1939–2016	Novelist, television script-writer. A Kestrel for a Knave, Kes
Richard Hoggart	born in Potternewton, Leeds	1918–2014	Writer on English literature, sociology and cultural studies
Winifred Holtby	Rudston, East Riding of Yorkshire	1898 - 1935	Novelist of works based on 1920-1930 Yorkshire women's empowerment, her works include South Riding, The Land of Green Ginger, A Crowded Street, Anderby Wold
Ted Hughes	born in Mytholmroyd	1930–98	poet laureate of United Kingdom, 1984–1998.
Anne Lister	born in Halifax, West Yorkshire	1791-1840	English landowner, diarist, and mountaineer.
Andrew Marvell	born in Winestead-in-Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire	1621–78	poet
Ian McMillan	born in Darfield, South Yorkshire	1956–	poet
Julie O'Neill		1971–	author
J. B. Priestley	born in Bradford	1894–1984	writer, novelist and broadcaster
Christopher Riley	born in Bridlington	1967–	Science and history writer and documentarian
Ray Robinson	born in Northallerton	1971–	English novelist and screenwriter, award-winning novel Electricity
Sally Wainwright	born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire	1963–	English television writer, producer, and director: Scott & Bailey, Last Tango in Halifax, Happy Valley, and Gentleman Jack.
Keith Waterhouse	born in Hunslet, Leeds	1929–2009	British novelist, newspaper columnist, many television series, novels: Billy Liar
Stanley Wells	born in Hull	1930–	Shakespearean scholar, writer, professor and editor who has been honorary president of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, professor emeritus at the University of Birmingham

Saints

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Margaret Clitherow	born in York	1556–1586	saint, martyr
Edwin of Northumbria	Not born in Yorkshire	585–633	saint, King of Northumbria
John of Beverley	Harpham and Beverley	d. 721	bishop, founder and patron saint of Beverley
John Fisher	Beverley	1469–1535	bishop, cardinal, saint, martyr
Hilda of Whitby		614–680	princess, nun, nurse, founding abbess of Whitby Abbey and patron saint of Whitby
Blessed Nicholas Postgate	Egton	1596–1679	martyr

Entertainers

Television performers

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Jeremy Clarkson	Doncaster		presenter and former host of BBC TV's Top Gear
Angela Crow	Wharfedale	1938–	actress
Rodney Bewes	Bingley, Bradford	1937–2017	comedian, actor
Ryan Swain (presenter)	North Yorkshire	1990–	television and radio presenter, DJ, motivational speaker and mental health campaigner
Roy Castle	Scholes	1932–1994	comedian, singer, actor, television presenter
Paul Daniels	South Bank, Middlesbrough	1938–2016	illusionist, quiz show host
Adrian Edmondson	Bradford	1957–	comedian, actor
Leigh Francis	Beeston, Leeds	1973–	comedian, entertainer
Frankie Howerd	York	1917–1992	comedian
Gorden Kaye	Huddersfield	1941–2017	actor
Bob Mortimer	Acklam, Middlesbrough	1959–	comedian, entertainer
Wendy Richard	Middlesbrough	1943–2009	actress
Paul Shane	Thrybergh, Rotherham	1940–2013	comedian, actor
Mollie Sugden	Keighley	1922–2009	actress
Dame Penelope Wilton	Scarborough	1946–	actress
Ernie Wise	Bramley	1925–1999	comedian

Musicians and bands

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Danny Sapko	Bradford	1993-	Musician and YouTuber
Arctic Monkeys	formed in Sheffield		indie band
James Arthur	born in Middlesbrough	1988–	singer
Asking Alexandria	formed in York		metalcore band
Mel B	Leeds		member of the Spice Girls
Dame Janet Baker			opera singer
John Barry	York		best known for his soundtracks for James Bond films and Midnight Cowboy
The Beautiful South	formed in Hull		popular music band
Bring Me the Horizon	formed in Sheffield		metalcore band
Arthur Brown			rock singer
Tony Christie	Conisbrough		singer
Joe Cocker	Sheffield		rock singer
David Coverdale	born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea		lead vocalist for Deep Purple and Whitesnake
The Cribs	formed in Wakefield		indie band
Kiki Dee	Bradford		singer-songwriter
Def Leppard	formed in Sheffield		hard rock group
Frederick Delius			composer
Gang of Four	formed in Leeds		post-punk group
Vin Garbutt	born in South Bank, Middlesbrough		folk singer
Lesley Garrett	Doncaster		opera singer
Gareth Gates	born in Bradford		singer
Heaven 17			80s band
The Human League	formed in Sheffield		synthpop band
Kaiser Chiefs	formed in Leeds		indie band
Zayn Malik	born in Bradford		Singer-songwriter and former member of boy band One Direction
Jane McDonald	born in Wakefield		singer
John McLaughin	born in Doncaster	1942–	jazz guitarist
John Newman	born in Settle	1990–	soul singer
Robert Palmer	Batley	1949–2003	singer
Pulp	formed in Sheffield		popular music band
Corinne Bailey Rae	born in Leeds		singer
Chris Rea	born in Middlesbrough		singer
Paul Rodgers	born in Middlesbrough	1949–	rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company
Kate Rusby			folk singer
Shed Seven	formed in York		indie-rock band
Ed Sheeran	born in Hebden Bridge		singer
Benson Taylor	born in Bradford		Composer
Kimberley Walsh	born in Bradford		member of pop group Girls Aloud
Christopher Wolstenholme	born in Rotherham		bassist of Muse
Louis William Tomlinson	born in Doncaster		Singer-songwriter and member of boy group One Direction, currently solo
Dominic Harrison	born in Doncaster		Singer Yungblud
Saxon (band)	formed in Barnsley		Heavy Metal band part of the NWOBHM

Artists and sculptors

Name	Place	Life	Comments	Reference
Gertrude Spurr Cutts	Scarborough	1858–1941	painter
John Atkinson Grimshaw	Leeds	1836–1893	painter
Barbara Hepworth	Wakefield	1903–1975	artist
Alexander Keighley	Keighley	1861–1947	photographer
David Hockney	Bradford	1937–	artist
Henry Moore	Castleford	1898–1986	sculptor
Robert Thompson	Kilburn	1876–1955	carpenter, furniture maker recognised for his mouseman furniture, exclusively using Yorkshire Oak
Andy Goldsworthy	Cheshire, raised in Leeds	1956–	British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings
William Etty	York	1787–1849	English artist best known for his history paintings containing nude figures
Damien Hirst	grew up in Leeds	1965–	artist
Patrick Heron	Leeds	1920–1999	artist
Trevor Bell	Leeds	1930–2017	artist
Norman Ackroyd	Leeds	1938–	artist
Ian Berry	Huddersfield	1984–	artist
Joash Woodrow	Leeds	1927–2006	artist
Jacob Kramer	Leeds based	1892–1962	artist
Matthew Krishanu	Bradford	1980–	artist
Pete McKee	Sheffield	1960–	artist

People in fiction

Dracula by Bram Stoker: A Russian ship, the Demeter, having weighed anchor at Varna, runs aground on the shores of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, during a fierce tempest. Whitby continues to celebrate its link with Dracula, as well as its Victorian gothic past
Beedle the Bard: In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter wizarding world, he is the fictional author of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Beedle was born in Yorkshire in the 15th century.
Robinson Crusoe: The title character from the novel by Daniel Defoe is from York
Robin Ellacott, Cormoran Strike's detective partner in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith, was raised in Masham, North Yorkshire

Others

Thomas Wedders, circus sideshow performer.