List of people from Mansfield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of people from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England.
Actors/Actresses
- Dorothy Atkinson (born 1966), Actress and Singer, who started in Call the Midwife and Saltburn the film.[1]
- Matthew James Morrison (born 1992) Actor who starred in EastEnders, and the film Boy Meets Boy.
- Cassie Bradley, Actress raised in Nottingham and Mansfield and who starred in Coronation Street.[2]
- Robert Aldous (born 1934) Actor who starred in Dads Army and 'Allo 'Allo!
- Stephen Critchlow (1966–2021), Radio, TV and Stage Actor who starred in Doctor Who, Heartbeat and The Bill.[3]
- Wes Dolan (born 1980) – Actor and Singer/songwriter is based in Mansfield.[4]
- Holmes Herbert (born 1882) – Actor who starred in the Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series), The Undying Monster (1942), amongst other films.
Arts
- James Collinson (1825–1881), Pre-Raphaelite painter.[5]
- Charles James Martin (1886–1955), artist[6]
Inventors
- William Martin (born 1767), Naturalist and palaeontologist. He proposed that science should use fossils as evidence to support the study of natural history.[7]
- John Medley Wood (1827–1915) British Botanist who contributed to the knowledge of Natal Ferns.
- Major Hayman Rooke (1723–1806) lived in Mansfield Woodhouse, he found the Major Oak Tree in Sherwood Forest[8]
Musicians/Singers
- Jay McGuiness singer from The Wanted was educated in Mansfield.[9]
- Alvin Stardust (1942–2014), pop singer, lived in the town as a child.[10]
- John Ogdon (1937–1989), pianist, born in Mansfield Woodhouse.[11]
- Carly Paoli (born 1989), opera singer who was asked to perform by HRH The Prince of Wales now King Charles III at Windsor Castle and St James's Palace[12]
- Ric Lee (born 1945), drummer with Ten Years After.[13]
- Leo Lyons (born 1943), bassist, songwriter, producer with Ten Years After[14]
- Mark Holmes (born 1960), lead singer of Canadian new wave rock group Platinum Blonde[15]
- John Balance formally known as Geoffrey Burton (1962–2004), singer/musician with Coil[16]
- Cantamus Girls Choir (founded 1968) twice World Choir Olympic champions, is based in Mansfield.
Politicians/Economists
- Sir Ed Davey (born 1965), British politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2019.[17]
- Alexander Malcolm (1864–1956), former member of parliament in New Zealand.[18]
- Harry Harpham (1954–2016), coal miner and MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough.[19]
- Sir Richard Leese (born 1951), Politician and former leader of Manchester City Council.[20]
- Dame Glenis Willmott (born 1951) – medical scientist and former Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, aged 10 was raised in the town.[21]
- Nicholas Crafts (1949–2023) former British Economist, known for his contributions to economic history, was educated in Mansfield.[22]
- Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl of Chesterfield (born 1755) – Diplomat and Politician. The former ambassador to Spain.
- Charles Brown (1884–1940), Labour Party politician elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Mansfield
- (Harry) Bernard Taylor, Baron Taylor of Mansfield (1895–1991), coal miner and politician
- Sir John Plowright Houfton (1857–1929), colliery owner and politician from Mansfield
- Steve Yemm Member of Parliament for Mansfield.[23]
Religion
- William Chappell (1582–1649), English scholar and clergyman
- John Darrell (1562–1602), Anglican clergyman/Lawyer known for his puritan views and practice as an exorcist. He was later imprisoned. His views were published by Samuel Harsnett and read by William Shakespeare.[24]
- George Fox (founder of the Quakers) lived in Mansfield in 1647.[25][26]
- Richard Sterne (1596–1683), Archbishop of York in 1664. His memorial lies in York Minster.[27]
Sports
- Rebecca Adlington (born 1989), Olympic bronze and gold medallist swimmer[28]

- Charlotte Henshaw (born 1987), Paralympic Athlete
- Oliver Hynd (born 1994) Gold Medallist Paralympic Swimmer.[29]
- Greg Owen (born 1972), Professional Golfer
- Joshua Ward-Hibbert (born 1994) – Basketball and former Tennis Player. Joshua plays for the London Lions and has played as a junior player in Tennis at Wimbledon.[30]
- Ben and Tom Birchall – Motocycle-with-sidecar road race World Championship-winning competitors in both the F1 (2009 and 2018 seasons) and F2 categories (2016). Tom is the most successful TT passenger of all time[31]
- Jake Ball (born 1991) Cricketer who played for England 2016–2018.[32]
- Jason Ferguson (born 1969) former snooker player and current chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.
- Kyle Ryde (born 1997) Motorcycle Solo Road Racer.
- Kris Commons (born 1983), Celtic F.C. footballer
- Victoria Levitt (born 1996) Gold Medalist Paralympic Athlete, lives in Mansfield.
- Steve Ward (born 1957), accoladed as oldest active professional boxer who lives in Mansfield.
- Jo Potter (born 1984) Manager (association football) and former Footballer and England Player
- James Perch (born 1985), Mansfield Town footballer
- Oliver Wilson (born 1980), professional golfer
- John Whetton (born 1941), track runner
- Steve Ogrizovic, footballer born in Mansfield
- Rob Kozluk (born 1977), footballer
- Neil Geoffrey Pointon (born 1964), professional football (soccer) player, born in Church Warsop in Mansfield
- Cyril John Poole (1921–1996), cricketer, born in Mansfield
- Thomas Frederick Revill (1892–1979), cricketer, died in Mansfield
- James Sadler (1830–1865), cricketer, born in Mansfield
- Henry Shaw (1854–1932), cricketer, born in Mansfield
- Lee Spick (born 1980), professional snooker player, born in Mansfield
- Harry Thompson (1915–2000), professional footballer, born in Mansfield
- Richard Daniel "Dan" Tremelling (1897–1978), professional footballer, played as a goalkeeper
- John Whetton (born 1941), athlete, born in Mansfield
- William Barnes (1852–1899), professional cricketer; born in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, died in Mansfield Woodhouse
- George Bean (1864–1923), cricketer; born in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, died in Mansfield
- Gordon Albert Beet (1939–1994), cricketer, died in Mansfield
- Richard Hodgkinson (born 1983), cricketer, born in Mansfield
- Rob Kozluk (born 1977), footballer
- Liam Lawrence (born 1981), former Mansfield Town footballer
- Simon David Myles (born 1966), cricketer who played for Hong Kong, born in Mansfield
- Steven "Oggy" Ogrizovic (born 1957), football goalkeeper, born in Mansfield
- Peter Bircumshaw (born 1938), footballer, born in Mansfield
- Donald "Don" Bradley (1924–1997), footballer, played for Mansfield Town as a left-back
- George Butler (1810–1887), professional cricketer; born in Mansfield, died at Nottingham
- Craig Disley (born 1981), Grimsby Town F.C. footballer
- Brian Hill (born 1942), professional footballer, born in Mansfield
Television/Playwriting
- James Graham (born 1982), British playwright and screenwriter. Known for the writings of the series of Sherwood (2022), The Way(2024), Brian and Maggie (2025) and film Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019).
- Richard Bacon (born 1975), broadcaster was born and grew up in Mansfield.[33][34] Richard presented Blue Peter, The Big Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, Capital FM and BBC Radio 5 Live. He has also founded Yes Yes Media in 2023, which produces talent and game shows which is backed by Courteney Cox. The first show Silence is Golden, is hosted by Dermot O'Leary.
- Tom Scott (born 1984 or 1985), presenter and former web developer.[35]
- Pollyanna Woodward (born 1982), TV presenter.[36]
- Jim McGrath (British commentator) attended education in Mansfield.
- Andrea Adams (1946–1995), BBC broadcaster and journalist.
- Calvin Robinson (born 1985) Writer and Broadcaster.[37]
- Robert Dodsley (1704–1767), playwright and poet, wrote The King and The Miller of Mansfield and Sir John Cockle. Robert suggested and financed the Dictionary of English Language.
Miscellaneous
- Humphrey Ridley (born 1653) Physician/Writer noted for studies into Neuroanatomy. He wrote the research paper of The Anatomy of the Brain, containing its Mechanism and Physiology. He wrote the first book written about the brain in the English Language.[38]
- Sir John Peace (born 1949) Co Founder of Experian, former chairman of Burberry and former Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire[39]
- Agnes Catlow (1806–1889) Science Writer who wrote a book on conchology.
- Watson Fothergill (1841–1928), Victorian architect
- John Ogdon (born 1937), Composer and Pianist from Mansfield Woodhouse.[40]
- Elspeth Gibson (born 1963), Nottingham-born fashion designer, studied at Mansfield College of Art and Design.[41]
- Samuel Jebb (1694–1772), English physician, nonjuror and literary scholar.
- John Bainbridge Webster (1955–2016), Professor of Divinity at St Mary's College, University of St Andrews and Theologian who co founded the International Journal of Systematic Theology.[42]
- Helen Wilson (1864–1951), a physician and social purity campaigner. Wilson became a surgeon at the National Temperance Hospital in London. Her attitudes towards prostitution were progressive and she campaigned against its state regulation.[43]
- Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester (born 1606) former English Peer[44]
- Sergeant Ernest Antcliffe (born 1898), World War I flying ace gunner, was born in Mansfield.[45]
- Barry Snowdon, Mansfield District Council employee