People from the English city of Plymouth

Plymouth

Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

 are known as Plymothians or less formally as Janners. The definition of Janner

Janner

Janner is a British regional nickname associated with people from Plymouth or people who live in areas near the sea, both as a noun and as an adjective for the local accent and colloquialisms...

 is described as a person from Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, deriving from Cousin Jan (the Devon form of John), but more particularly in naval

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 circles anyone from the Plymouth area. The Elizabethan navigator, Sir Francis Drake

Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...

 was born in nearby town of Tavistock and was the mayor of Plymouth. He was the first Englishman

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 to circumnavigate the world and was known by the Spanish as El Draco meaning "The Dragon" after he raided many of their ships. He died of dysentery

Dysentery

Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...

 in 1596 off the coast of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

. In 2002 a mission to recover his body and bring it to Plymouth was allowed by the Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

. Antarctic explorers Robert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott

Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...

 and Frank Bickerton

Frank Bickerton

Frank Bickerton was an Antarctic explorer, and engineer, and a pioneer in the usage of aircraft and telegraphy. He also led a three man sledging team which discovered the first meteorite to be found in the Antarctic.-Life:...

 both lived in the city. Many artists have orginated in Plymouth. Joshua Reynolds

Joshua Reynolds

Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...

, the famous 18th century portrait painter and the first President of the Royal Academy

Royal Academy

The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...

 was born in Plympton, and more recently artists have included Beryl Cook

Beryl Cook

Beryl Cook, OBE was an English artist best known for comical paintings of people she encountered in her home city. She had no formal training and did not take up painting until middle age.- Early life :...

 whose paintings depict the culture of Plymouth and Robert Lenkiewicz

Robert Lenkiewicz

Robert Oscar Lenkiewicz was one of the South West England's most celebrated artists of modern times. Perennially unfashionable in high art circles, his work was nevertheless popular with the public...

, whose paintings looked at themes such as: vagrancy

Vagrancy (people)

A vagrant is a person in poverty, who wanders from place to place without a home or regular employment or income.-Definition:A vagrant is "a person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging;" vagrancy is the condition of such persons.-History:In...

, sexual behaviour and suicide, lived in the city from the 1960s until his death in 2002. In addition, George Passmore

Gilbert and George

Gilbert & George are two artists who work together as a collaborative duo. Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore have become famous for their distinctive, highly formal appearance and manner and their brightly coloured graphic-style photo-based artworks.-Early life:Gilbert Proesch was...

 of Turner Prize

Turner Prize

The Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...

 winning duo Gilbert and George

Gilbert and George

Gilbert & George are two artists who work together as a collaborative duo. Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore have become famous for their distinctive, highly formal appearance and manner and their brightly coloured graphic-style photo-based artworks.-Early life:Gilbert Proesch was...

 was born in the city. Famous politicians Michael Foot

Michael Foot

Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...

 and David Owen

David Owen

David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FRCP is a British politician.Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979, the youngest person in over forty years to hold the post; he co-authored the failed Vance-Owen and Owen-Stoltenberg peace plans offered during the Bosnian War...

 are from Plymouth and notable athletes include swimmer Sharron Davies

Sharron Davies

Sharron Elizabeth Davies MBE is a retired swimmer from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton...

, diver Tom Daley

Tom Daley (diver)

Thomas Robert "Tom" Daley is an English diver who specialises in the 10 metre platform event and was the 2009 FINA World Champion in the individual event at the age of 15. He started diving at the age of seven and is a member of Plymouth Diving Club. He has made an impact in national and...

, dancer Wayne Sleep

Wayne Sleep

Wayne Philip Colin Sleep OBE is a British dancer, director, choreographer and panelist. He was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet and has appeared as a Guest Artist with several other ballet companies.-Early life:...

,
and footballer Trevor Francis

Trevor Francis

Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...

. Other past residents include composer Ron Goodwin

Ron Goodwin

Ronald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....

, comedienne Dawn French and journalist Angela Rippon

Angela Rippon

Angela M. Rippon, OBE, born 12 October 1944, Plymouth, Devon, England, is an English television journalist, newsreader, writer and presenter. Rippon presented radio and television news programmes in South West England before moving to BBC One's Nine O'Clock News, becoming a regular presenter in 1975...

.

Notable Plymothians

Image	Name	Born	Died	Notability	Notes
	Sir Francis Drake Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...	1540	1596	First English person to circumnavigate the world	He was born in Tavistock and was the mayor of Plymouth. He died of dysentry off the coast of Panama Panama Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...  and was slipped overboard inside a lead casket.
	William Cookworthy William Cookworthy -Bibliography:*Early New Church Worthies by the Rev Dr Jonathon Bayley*Cookworthy's Plymouth and Bristol Porcelain by F.Severne Mackenna published by F.Lewis...	1705	1780	Pharmacist Pharmacist Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use... /Industrialist	Born in Kingsbridge Kingsbridge Kingsbridge is a market town and popular tourist hub in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of about 5,800. It is situated at the northern end of the Kingsbridge Estuary, which is a textbook example of a ria and extends to the sea six miles south of the town.-History:The... , Devon. Pioneered porcelain Porcelain Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...  manufacture in Plymouth.
	Sir George Arthur George Arthur Lieutenant-General Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet KCH PC was Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras , Van Diemen's Land and Upper Canada . He also served as Governor of Bombay .-Early life:George Arthur was born in Plymouth, England... , 1st Baronet	1784	1854	Colonial governor	Spent most of his time in British colonies.
	Jonathan Nash Hearder Jonathan Nash Hearder Jonathan Nash Hearder was a British electrical engineer, inventor, and educator. He is best known for his work in developing alternative experimental procedures for use by the blind and vision impaired, and for his early innovation in the field of induction coils.-Biography:Hearder was born in...	1809	1876	Electrical engineer	Born and died in Plymouth. Notable for the development of the induction coil Induction coil An induction coil or "spark coil" is a type of disruptive discharge coil. It is a type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current supply... .
	Robert Falcon Scott Robert Falcon Scott Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...	1868	1912	Antarctic Antarctic The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...  explorer	Died in central Antarctica. His body was found eight months later.
	Isaac Foot Isaac Foot -Early life:Isaac Foot was born in Plymouth, the son of a carpenter and undertaker, and educated at Plymouth Public School and the Hoe Grammar School, which he left at the age of 14. He then worked at the Admiralty in London, but returned to Plymouth to train as a solicitor...	1880	1960	President of the Liberal Party Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...	He was president in 1947.
	Frank Bickerton Frank Bickerton Frank Bickerton was an Antarctic explorer, and engineer, and a pioneer in the usage of aircraft and telegraphy. He also led a three man sledging team which discovered the first meteorite to be found in the Antarctic.-Life:...	1889	1954	Antarctic Antarctic The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...  explorer	He moved to Plymouth at the age of six and lived there until 1920.
	Robert Victor Walling Robert Walling Robert Victor Walling was a Cornish soldier, journalist, and poet.-Early life:He was born in Plymouth on 5 March 1895, the son of Robert Alfred John Walling and his wife, Florence Victoria, née Greet....	1890	1976	Soldier, journalist, and poet	Born and educated in Plymouth. In peacetime he worked as a journalist with Plymouth based newspaper The Western Daily Mercury. He was also a member of Gorseth Kernow Gorseth Kernow Gorseth Kernow is a non-political Cornish organisation, which exists to maintain the national Celtic spirit of Cornwall in the United Kingdom.-History:... .
	Michael Foot Michael Foot Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...	1913	2010	Leader of the Labour Party Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...	Son of Isaac Foot Isaac Foot -Early life:Isaac Foot was born in Plymouth, the son of a carpenter and undertaker, and educated at Plymouth Public School and the Hoe Grammar School, which he left at the age of 14. He then worked at the Admiralty in London, but returned to Plymouth to train as a solicitor... .
	Duncan Scott-Ford Duncan Scott-Ford Duncan Alexander Croall Scott-Ford was a British merchant seaman who was hanged for treachery after giving information to an enemy agent during World War II.-Family origins:...	1921	1942	Merchant seaman Merchant Navy The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...	Hung during World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...  for treachery Treachery Treachery is a statutory offence in Australia. There was also an unrelated statutory offence bearing that name in the United Kingdom, but it has been abolished. Both of these offences were derived from or inspired by the related offence of treason. The name treachery was chosen because it is a...  to the Germans.
	Beryl Cook Beryl Cook Beryl Cook, OBE was an English artist best known for comical paintings of people she encountered in her home city. She had no formal training and did not take up painting until middle age.- Early life :...	1926	2008	Comical artist	Born in Epsom Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies... , Surrey Surrey Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of... .
	Kate Nesbitt Kate Nesbitt Kate Louise Nesbitt MC is the first female member of the British Royal Navy, and the second woman in the British Armed Forces, to be awarded the Military Cross...	c.	Alive	Medical Assistant Medical Assistant (Royal Navy) The Medical Assistant is a Royal Navy medical rating in the United Kingdom. Medical Assistants serve on all types of ships in the surface and submarine fleet, or ashore in a sick bay, hospital, or other establishment...  in the Royal Navy	Raised in Whitleigh Whitleigh Whitleigh is a district area and is in the electrol Ward of Budshead of the city of Plymouth in the English county of Devon. It shares district borders with Southway, Honicknowle, Crownhill, West Park and St Budeaux. In the 2001 census the population of Whitleigh was 7,165, of which 48.2% were male... , the first female recipient of the Military Cross Military Cross The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....  in the Royal Navy, for bravery during the War in Afghanistan in March 2009.
	Tom Daley Tom Daley (diver) Thomas Robert "Tom" Daley is an English diver who specialises in the 10 metre platform event and was the 2009 FINA World Champion in the individual event at the age of 15. He started diving at the age of seven and is a member of Plymouth Diving Club. He has made an impact in national and...	21 May 1994 (age 17)	Alive	Olympic diver	BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality The BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award is presented at the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year award ceremony. It is awarded to the sportsperson aged 16 or under as of 1 January of that year, who has made the most outstanding contribution to sport in that year. Nominees are... in 2007.
	Louis Emanuel	1819	c1889	Composer, bandmaster, music director at Vauxhall Gardens (London)	The Desert (text by J F Smith), The Diana Waltz, The syren & friar. Duett (text by William Jones, 1847)