These people made history in the UK and the entire world, and they were all born in our city – Worcester. From Sir Charles Hastings all the way to Kit Harington

Notable People born in Worcester

Hannah Snell (1723–1792), famous for impersonating a man and enlisting in the Royal Marines, was born and brought up in Worcester.


Elizabeth Blower (c. 1757/63 – post-1816), novelist, poet, and actress, was born and raised in Worcester.


Ann Hatton (1764–1838), writer of the famous Kemble family, was born in Worcester.


James White (1775–1820), founder of the first advertising agency in 1800 in London, was born in Worcester.


John Mathew Gutch (1776–1861), the journalist, lived with his second wife at Barbourne, a suburb north of Worcester city, from 1823 until his death.


Jabez Allies (1787–1856) a Worcestershire born folklorist and antiquarian lived at Lower Wick, now part of Worcester.


Sir Charles Hastings (1794–1866), the famous British Medical Association founder, lived in Worcester for most of his life.


Thomas Davis, a cleric and a hymn-writer born in Worcester in 1804


Philip Henry Gosse, a great naturalist, was born in Worcester in 1810.


Mrs. Henry Wood (1814–1887), writer, was born in the city of Worcester.


Alexander Clunes Sheriff (1816–1878), City Alderman, businessman, and Liberal MP, grew up in Worcester.


Edward Leader Williams (1828–1910), designer of the Manchester Ship Canal, was born and brought up at Diglis House in Worcester.


Benjamin Williams Leader (1831–1923), brother of previous, landscape artist.


Sir Thomas Brock (1847–1922), sculpture|sculptor]], best known for the London Victoria Memorial, was born in Worcester in 1847. Worcestershire Royal Hospital is in a road named after him.


Vesta Tilley (1864–1952), music hall performer who adopted this stage name aged 11, was born in Worcester. She became a noted male impersonator.


Sir Edward Elgar, composer, was born in 1857 in Broadheath, just outside Worcester, and he lived in the city from the age of two. His father ran a music shop in High Street; a statue of Elgar stands near the original site. His early musical career was based around the city, and his first major work was commissioned for the Three Choirs Festival there.


William Morris, Lord Nuffield (1877–1963), founder of Morris Motors and philanthropist, spent the first three years in Worcester.


Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy (1883–1929, "Woodbine Willy"), poet and author, was Vicar of St Paul's Church. As an army chaplain in the First World War he would hand out Woodbine cigarettes to men in the trenches.


Ernest Payne (1884–1961) was born in Worcester and rode for St Johns Cycling Club, winning a gold medal in team pursuit at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.


Sheila Scott (1922–1988), an aviator, was born in Worcester.


Louise Johnson (1940–2012), biochemist and protein crystallographer, was born in Worcester.


Timothy Garden, Baron Garden (1944–2007), Air Marshal and Liberal Democrat politician, was born in Worcester.


Dave Mason (born 1946), musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, was born in Worcester.


Lee Cornes (born 1951), comedian and actor known for television roles in Blackadder, The Young Ones and Bottom series, was born in Worcester.


David McGreavy (born 1951, the "Monster of Worcester"), lived and committed child murders in Worcester.


Stephen Dorrell (born 1952), English Conservative politician and government member, was born in Worcester.


Karl Hyde (born 1957), English musician, frontman of trance music group Underworld was born in Worcester.


Donncha O'Callaghan (born 1979), Irish Rugby Union player. Joined Worcester Warriors in 2015 from Munster Rugby Irish and British and Irish Lions International.


Kit Harington (born 1986), actor, lived in Worcester attended The Chantry School and Worcester Sixth Form College. He plays the character Jon Snow in Game of Thrones.