Folkestone is a town and seaside resort in Kent, England. The following is a list of those people who were either born or live in Folkestone, or had some important contribution to make to the town.

Notable people from Folkestone

A

• William de Wiveleslie Abney (1843–1920) astronomer, chemist, and photographer
• Les Ames (1905–1990) cricketer
• Richard Ashworth (born 1947) Member of European Parliament

B

• Julian Baggini (born 1968) philosopher and writer
• Mark Barham (born 1962) association footballer
• Peter Barkworth (1929–2006) actor
• Graham Barlow (born 1950) cricketer
• Michael Bentine (1922–1996) comedian: The Goon Show
• Lesley Brook (1917–2009) actress
• Arthur Brough (1922–1980) actor (Are You Being Served?); established Folkestone Repertory Theatre

C

• John Henry Challis (1809–1880) philanthropist
• Fred Cheesmur (1908–1987) association footballer
• Jack Coggins (1911–2006) artist
• Wilkie Collins (1824–1889)^[1]
• A. E. Coppard (1878–1957) short story writer
• Bithia Mary Croker (c. 1848–1920) Irish-born novelist

D

• John Dartnell (1838–1913), Commandant of the Natal Mounted Police
• Michael Dillon (1915–1962) physician; first trans man to undergo phalloplasty
• John Doogan (1853–1940) Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Roy Douglas (1907–2015) composer and arranger

E

• John Eric Erichsen (1818–1896) surgeon
• Eamon Everall (born 1948) artist, educator, founding member of Stuckism Art Movement

F

• Thomas Field (1855–1936) Church of England priest

G

• George Gardiner (1935–2002) politician
• Carl Gilbert (born 1948) association footballer
• Jonathan Gledhill (born 1949) Bishop of Lichfield
• Kitty Gordon (1878–1974) actress
• George Grossmith (1847–1912) comedian, writer, etc. collaborating with Gilbert and Sullivan on several operas

H

• William Halcrow (1883–1958) civil engineer
• Radclyffe Hall (1880–1943) author
• William Hall-Jones (1851–1936) Prime Minister of New Zealand
• Augustus Harris (1852–1896) actor, impresario and dramatist
• Charlotte Harris (born 1981) portrait artist
• William Harvey (1578–1657) physician (discoverer of blood circulation)
• Norman Heatley (1911–2004) scientist
• Michael Hogben (born 1952) auctioneer, antiques dealer
• Billy Hughes (born 1960) footballer
• Charles Bousfield Huleatt (1863–1908) missionary; discoverer of important papyrus documents
• Jessica Hynes (Born 1972) Bafta winning actress

I

• Peter Imbert (born 1933) senior police officer

J

• Michael Jack (born 1946) politician
• Hattie Jacques (1924–1980) comedy actress; Carry On films

K

• Alice Keppel (1868–1947) mistress of King Edward VII; great-grandmother of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
• Pete Kircher (born 1945) rock/pop drummer
• William Knox (1850–1913) Australian politician and businessman

L

• Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd (1913–1995) Victoria Cross recipient
• Mabel Love (1874–1953) dancer, actress

M

• Francis MacKinnon (1848–1947) Test cricketer
• Mary Martin (1907–1969) sculptor
• Charles McCausland (1898–1965) cricketer
• Patrick McHale (1826–1866) Irish recipient of Victoria Cross
• Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999) violinist; founder of Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists held in Folkestone
• Helena Millais (1886-1970) comedienne and actress

N

• Paul Nicholas (born 1945) actor and singer

P

• Sam Pepper (born 1989) Big Brother 2010 contestant.
• Edith Pechey (1845–1908) one of the first United Kingdom Women doctors.
• John Philipot (1588–1645) College of Arms.
• Samuel Plimsoll (1824–1898) politician and social reformer; the "Plimsoll line”.
• Mavis Pugh (1914–2006) comedy actress.

Q

• Len Quested (1925–2012) association footballer

R

• Noel Redding (1945–2003) musician; bass player with The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• Ricky Reina (born 1971) association footballer
• Baker Russell (1837–1911) senior army officer

S

• Marcus Sarjeant (born 1964) attempted murderer of Queen Elizabeth II
• Blaine Sexton (1892–1966) ice hockey player
• Brendan Sheerin (born 1959) travel guide and coach-trip host
• Sheila Sherlock (1918–2001) physician and hepatologist
• Gerald Sinstadt (born 1930) sports commentator
• Susan Spain-Dunk (1880-1962) composer, conductor and violinist
• Anne Stallybrass (1938–2021) actress
• Sydney Sturgess (1915–1999) Canadian actress

T

• Phil Tate (1922–2005) dance bandleader
• Cliff Temple (1948–1994) sports journalist
• Thunderstick (living) heavy rock musician; drummer^[2]
• David Tomlinson (1917–2000) actor^[3]
• Arthur Tooth (1839–1931) Ritualist priest; curate of St Mary's Folkestone
• Walter Tull (1888–1918) first black infantry officer in British Army; football (soccer) player

U

• Ernest Ewart Unwin (1881–1944) educationist

V

• Phil Vickery (born 1961) celebrity chef

W

• Weller brothers (born 1802, 1805, 1814) were the founders of a whaling station on Otago Harbour, New Zealand. Their name lives on in the sea shanty Soon May the Wellerman Come.
• Chris Wills (born 1978), game show contestant
• Dave Wiltshire (born 1954), association footballer

References