Heart of the County

50 Greatest Rutland and Stamford Legends: Famous People Born in Rutland (or Stamford)

For a small county and a single market town, Rutland and Stamford have produced an astonishing cast of characters. Pride’s 50 Greatest Legends brings together aviators, photographers, scientists, writers, actors, athletes, churchmen, entrepreneurs and eccentrics whose influence has reached far beyond this corner of England.

There is one strict rule. To qualify, each person must have been born either in Stamford or in a town or village within the boundary of present-day Rutland. Simply living or working here is not enough. That is why some famous local names with powerful connections to the area do not appear.

Beyond birthplace, our ranking considers achievement, influence, longevity, fame and – most importantly – legacy. It is subjective, it is designed to be debated, and we fully expect readers to move names up, down or off the list entirely. That is part of the fun.

50. Cecilia Webb

ART | 1888-1957 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born sculptor whose work reached the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon. Webb worked in bronze, clay and plaster, exhibiting at major institutions in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paris. A ceramic model of the Holy Family made in 1949 remains at Southwell Minster. Her place in the countdown is also a reminder that artistic reputations can fade even after national recognition.

49. Sir Thomas Noel Harris

MILITARY & PUBLIC SERVICE | 1783-1860 | Born: Rutland

A veteran of the Napoleonic Wars who survived an extraordinary military career. Educated at Uppingham School, Harris fought through the Peninsular campaign and was present at Leipzig before being severely wounded at Waterloo, where his right arm was amputated. He later became Chief Magistrate of Gibraltar and served Queen Victoria as a Groom of the Privy Chamber.

Portrait of Sir Thomas Noel Harris, Rutland-born Waterloo veteran — Sir Thomas Noel Harris, the Rutland-born soldier who survived Waterloo after losing his right arm and later served Queen Victoria.

48. Frederick Hibbins

ATHLETICS | 1890-1969 | Born: Stamford

One of Stamford’s earliest Olympic medallists. Hibbins was a leading cross-country runner, winning English national titles in 1911 and 1912 before representing Great Britain at the Stockholm Olympics. His 15th place in the individual cross-country race contributed to Britain’s team bronze, in an Olympic discipline that disappeared after 1924.

Frederick Hibbins, Stamford-born Olympic runner — Frederick Hibbins, the Stamford-born runner who helped Great Britain win Olympic cross-country team bronze at Stockholm in 1912.

47. Moira Quirk

TELEVISION, VOICE & AUDIO | Born 1968 | Born: Rutland

A Rutland-born performer whose career has travelled from 1990s Nickelodeon television to major video games and award-winning audiobooks. Quirk became a cult figure as the English referee on GUTS and Global GUTS, then built an extensive voice career in games including Skyrim, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Destiny and Hogwarts Legacy. Her audiobook work has earned multiple Audie Awards.

Moira Quirk, Rutland-born voice actor and audiobook narrator — Moira Quirk, the Rutland-born performer whose career spans television, video games and award-winning audiobook narration.

46. James Bradshaw

STAGE & SCREEN | Born 1976 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born actor best known to millions as pathologist Dr Max DeBryn in Endeavour. Bradshaw grew up in Essendine and trained professionally before building a stage and television career that included The Grimleys, Heartbeat, Primeval and Four Lives. His role in Endeavour creates a neat local link with Stamford-born Colin Dexter, the creator of Inspector Morse.

James Bradshaw, Stamford-born actor from Endeavour — James Bradshaw, the Stamford-born actor best known to millions as pathologist Dr Max DeBryn in Endeavour.

45. Torben Betts

THEATRE & WRITING | Born 1968 | Born: Stamford

A playwright with a sharp eye for class, manners and the moment polite conversation turns dangerous. Stamford-born Betts began as an actor before establishing himself as a dramatist. Plays including The Unconquered, Muswell Hill, Invincible and Caroline’s Kitchen have been staged widely in Britain and overseas, with The Unconquered winning the Critics’ Award for Theatre in Scotland for Best New Play.

Torben Betts, Stamford-born playwright — Torben Betts, the Stamford-born playwright whose sharp comedies and dramas have been staged across Britain and internationally.

44. J. Batty Langley

POLITICS & SOCIAL REFORM | 1834-1914 | Born: Uppingham

An Uppingham-born businessman who became Mayor of Sheffield and later a Liberal MP. Langley built a successful timber business before devoting decades to civic life. He was an early advocate of old-age pensions, supported railway clerks and labour organisation, and was mayor when Sheffield achieved city status in 1893.

Portrait of J Batty Langley, Uppingham-born politician and reformer — J. Batty Langley, the Uppingham-born businessman, Sheffield mayor and Liberal MP who became an early advocate of old-age pensions.

43. James Mayhew

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE & ART | Born 1964 | Born: Stamford

An illustrator and author who has introduced generations of children to art and classical music. His Katie books allow their young heroine to step inside famous paintings, while the Ella Bella Ballerina series opens up the world of dance. Mayhew also paints live during orchestral performances, combining storytelling, music and illustration in concert halls around Britain.

James Mayhew, Stamford-born children's author and illustrator — James Mayhew, the Stamford-born author and illustrator who has introduced generations of children to great art and classical music.

42. Andrew Lycett

LITERATURE & BIOGRAPHY | Born 1948 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born journalist and biographer who has spent his career uncovering the lives behind famous names. After work as a foreign correspondent, Lycett wrote major biographies of Ian Fleming, Rudyard Kipling, Dylan Thomas, Arthur Conan Doyle and Wilkie Collins. His work is known for placing celebrated writers inside the political, family and historical worlds that shaped them.

Andrew Lycett, Stamford-born biographer — Andrew Lycett, the Stamford-born journalist and biographer known for major lives of Ian Fleming, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle and Dylan Thomas.

41. Sir John Moreton

DIPLOMACY & MILITARY SERVICE | 1917-2012 | Born: Oakham

An Oakham-born soldier and diplomat whose career stretched from the Battle of Kohima to the Vietnam War and the United Nations. Moreton won the Military Cross during the Second World War, entered the Diplomatic Service in 1946 and later served as British Ambassador to South Vietnam and High Commissioner to Malta. Before war redirected his life, he had also been an accomplished middle-distance runner at Oxford.

Sir John Moreton, Oakham-born diplomat and decorated soldier — Sir John Moreton, the Oakham-born soldier and diplomat who won the Military Cross at Kohima and later served as British Ambassador to South Vietnam.

40. Francis Peck

HISTORY & ANTIQUARIANISM | 1692-1743 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford antiquary who understood the value of recording the past before it disappeared. Peck’s 1727 history of Stamford, Academia Tertia Anglicana, explored the town’s remarkable medieval claim to have briefly hosted a rival university. His later collections preserved rare inscriptions, documents and biographical material that modern historians can still consult.

Historic portrait of Francis Peck, Stamford-born antiquary — Francis Peck, the Stamford-born antiquary whose 18th-century scholarship helped preserve the history of his home town and rare historical records.

39. George Cecil Renouard

LANGUAGES, GEOGRAPHY & SCHOLARSHIP | 1780-1867 | Born: Stamford

A remarkable linguist and scholar whose work connected Britain with the eastern Mediterranean. Renouard spent time in Constantinople and Smyrna, mastered Arabic, Turkish and Hebrew as well as European and classical languages, and became Professor of Arabic at Cambridge. He also worked with the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Royal Geographical Society.

38. Thomas Emlyn

RELIGION & FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE | 1663-1741 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford minister imprisoned for publishing what he believed. Emlyn rejected orthodox Trinitarian teaching and set out his argument in a 1702 book. Prosecuted for blasphemy, he spent more than two years in prison rather than recant. He later became an important early voice in the development of Unitarian thought in Britain and Ireland.

Historic portrait of Thomas Emlyn, Stamford-born minister — Thomas Emlyn, the Stamford-born minister imprisoned for publishing his unorthodox religious beliefs and later remembered as an early Unitarian voice.

37. Isaac Johnson

COLONISATION & EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY | 1601-1630 | Born: Probably Clipsham; baptised in Stamford

A wealthy Rutland heir whose money and commitment helped launch the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Johnson was the largest individual investor in the Massachusetts Bay Company and sailed with John Winthrop’s fleet in 1630 with his wife, Lady Arbella. Both died soon after arrival, but Johnson played a part in choosing the site that became Boston. His story is significant, while also belonging to the difficult history of English settlement on Indigenous land.

36. Edward le Despenser

MEDIEVAL HISTORY & WARFARE | 1336-1375 | Born: Essendine

A medieval knight born and baptised at Essendine who rebuilt the reputation of a family disgraced in the reign of Edward II. Despenser fought alongside the Black Prince at Poitiers, became a baron and a Knight of the Garter, and campaigned in France and Italy. His image survives at Tewkesbury Abbey in the famous Kneeling Knight sculpture.

Kneeling Knight monument to Edward le Despenser at Tewkesbury Abbey — The Kneeling Knight at Tewkesbury Abbey, depicting Edward le Despenser, the Essendine-born medieval nobleman and Knight of the Garter.

35. Gabrielle Maud Vassal

NATURAL HISTORY & TRAVEL | 1880-1959 | Born: Uppingham

An Uppingham-born naturalist, photographer and writer whose fieldwork took her through Vietnam and parts of Africa. Over several decades Vassal supplied specimens to London’s Natural History Museum and produced books and photographs documenting landscapes, communities, medicine and family life. Her work must be viewed within its colonial setting, but her curiosity, stamina and scientific discipline remain striking.

Gabrielle Maud Vassal, Uppingham-born naturalist and travel writer — Gabrielle Maud Vassal, the Uppingham-born naturalist, photographer and travel writer whose fieldwork ranged across Asia and Africa.

34. Janet Erskine Stuart

RELIGION & EDUCATION | 1857-1914 | Born: Cottesmore

The daughter of Cottesmore’s Anglican rector who converted to Roman Catholicism and eventually became worldwide leader of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Stuart rose through the organisation to become Superior General in 1911, travelling widely and championing education that developed character and individuality rather than simple conformity.

Janet Erskine Stuart, Cottesmore-born religious leader and educator — Janet Erskine Stuart, born at Cottesmore Rectory, who became Superior General of the international Society of the Sacred Heart.

33. Charles Ellicott

RELIGION & BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP | 1819-1905 | Born: Whitwell

A Whitwell-born theologian and bishop who helped lead one of Victorian Britain’s most important biblical projects. Ellicott chaired the New Testament company responsible for the Revised Version of 1881, using improved manuscript evidence and scholarship to update the King James tradition. He also served for decades as Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol.

Charles John Ellicott, Whitwell-born bishop and biblical scholar — Charles John Ellicott, the Whitwell-born bishop and biblical scholar who chaired the New Testament revision committee behind the Revised Version of 1881.

32. John Browett

BUSINESS & RETAIL | Born 1963 | Born: Rutland

A Rutland schoolboy who rose to senior leadership in Tesco.com, Dixons, Apple, Monsoon Accessorize and Dunelm. Browett helped build Tesco’s online grocery business into a major operation, later led Dixons Retail and in 2012 briefly became Apple’s senior vice-president of retail. The Apple appointment was short-lived, but his wider career shows unusual resilience at the top of British retail.

John Browett, Rutland-born retail executive — John Browett, the Rutland-born retail executive whose career included Tesco.com, Dixons, Apple, Monsoon Accessorize and Dunelm.

31. Simon Nixon

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY | Born 1967 | Born: Stamford

The Stamford-born entrepreneur who helped turn online financial comparison into a mass-market habit. Nixon co-founded the business that became Moneysupermarket.com, allowing consumers to compare mortgages, insurance, credit cards and other products in one place. Its 2007 flotation made him one of Britain’s wealthiest young entrepreneurs and helped reshape how people shop for financial services.

Simon Nixon, Stamford-born co-founder of Moneysupermarket.com — Simon Nixon, the Stamford-born entrepreneur who co-founded Moneysupermarket.com and helped make online price comparison a mass-market habit.

30. Katie Hall

MUSICAL THEATRE & OPERA | Born 1990 | Born: Oakham

An Oakham-born soprano who has taken on some of musical theatre’s most demanding roles. Hall has performed Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Cosette and Fantine in Les Miserables, Maria in West Side Story and Johanna in Sweeney Todd. Her appearance in the 25th-anniversary Les Miserables concert at London’s O2 carried an Oakham voice to an international audience.

Katie Hall, Oakham-born musical theatre soprano — Katie Hall, the Oakham-born soprano whose West End and concert roles include The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and West Side Story.

29. Michael Asher

EXPLORATION & WRITING | Born 1953 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born explorer and writer whose life has been shaped by deserts. A former Parachute Regiment soldier who later served with the Territorial SAS, Asher learned Arabic and Swahili, lived among nomadic communities and crossed immense distances in the Sahara. His books combine travel, military history and biography, and his Channel 4 investigation of Bravo Two Zero challenged parts of the famous published account.

Michael Asher, Stamford-born explorer and desert writer — Michael Asher, the Stamford-born explorer and writer whose desert journeys and books have taken him across Africa and the Middle East.

28. Tracey Curtis-Taylor

AVIATION & ADVENTURE | Born 1962 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born aviator who recreated the epic long-distance journeys of aviation’s golden age in open-cockpit biplanes. Her expeditions included Cape Town to Goodwood and Britain to Australia in the Spirit of Artemis. The flights demanded complex permissions, weather judgement and mechanical resilience, while also attracting debate about how expedition achievements and team contributions were presented.

Tracey Curtis-Taylor, Stamford-born aviator beside a vintage aircraft — Tracey Curtis-Taylor, the Stamford-born aviator known for recreating epic long-distance journeys in open-cockpit vintage aircraft.

27. Malcolm Christie

FOOTBALL | Born 1979 | Born: Stamford

A striker whose route to the Premier League began in non-league football while he worked in a supermarket. Derby County signed the Stamford-born Christie in 1998, and in May 2001 he scored the only goal at Old Trafford to secure Derby’s Premier League survival against champions Manchester United. Injuries shortened his career, but that goal remains part of Derby folklore.

Book cover featuring Stamford-born footballer Malcolm Christie — Malcolm Christie, the Stamford-born footballer who rose from non-league football to the Premier League and scored a famous winner at Old Trafford; pictured on the cover of The Reality of the Dream.

26. Percy Lowe

ORNITHOLOGY & MEDICINE | 1870-1948 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford surgeon who became one of Britain’s leading ornithologists. Lowe served as a wartime doctor, travelled widely and built major bird collections before taking charge of the bird department at the Natural History Museum in 1919. He later became president of the British Ornithologists’ Union and helped shape the study, classification and protection of birds.

Historic photograph associated with Stamford-born ornithologist Percy Lowe — Percy Lowe with travelling companions. The Stamford-born surgeon later became a leading ornithologist and head of the bird collection at the Natural History Museum.

25. Gary Knight

PHOTOGRAPHY & JOURNALISM | Born 1964 | Born: Oakham

An Oakham-born photojournalist whose career has taken him into conflicts in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Cambodia, Congo and beyond. Knight co-founded VII Photo Agency in 2001 and later helped establish the VII Foundation and VII Academy. His work is defined less by spectacle than by the people who live with the consequences of war.

Gary Knight, Oakham-born international photojournalist — Gary Knight, the Oakham-born photojournalist and co-founder of VII Photo Agency, whose work has documented conflict around the world.

24. Thomas Barker

WEATHER & NATURAL SCIENCE | 1722-1809 | Born: Lyndon

A Rutland squire whose weather diary became a source for modern climate history. Barker began systematic observations at Lyndon when he was around 11 and continued for more than 60 years, recording temperature, pressure, rainfall, wind and the natural world. Those long records now help researchers reconstruct the climate of 18th-century Britain.

Lyndon Hall in Rutland, home of weather observer Thomas Barker — Lyndon Hall, where Thomas Barker began the remarkable weather observations that he maintained for more than 60 years and which later became valuable to climate researchers.

23. Nelson Dawson

ART & DESIGN | 1859-1941 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford artist who refused to stay inside one discipline. Dawson painted, etched, designed jewellery and worked in silver, enamel and architectural metalwork, becoming closely associated with the Arts and Crafts movement. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and helped found the Artificers’ Guild, demonstrating how fine art and practical design could enrich one another.

Historic portrait of Nelson Dawson, Stamford-born artist and designer — Nelson Dawson, the Stamford-born painter, etcher, jeweller, silversmith and designer associated with the Arts and Crafts movement.

22. Tom Morris

THEATRE | Born 1964 | Born: Stamford

The Stamford-born director who helped turn War Horse into a global theatrical phenomenon. Morris co-directed the National Theatre production with Marianne Elliott, working with Handspring Puppet Company to place life-sized horse puppets at the emotional centre of the story. The production transferred to the West End and Broadway, and Morris and Elliott won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play in 2011.

Tom Morris, Stamford-born theatre director and co-director of War Horse — Tom Morris, the Stamford-born theatre director who co-directed War Horse and helped turn its life-sized puppets into a worldwide stage phenomenon.

21. Graham Webster

ARCHAEOLOGY | 1913-2001 | Born: Stamford

A civil engineer who became one of the great interpreters of Roman Britain. Wartime work and bomb damage drew Webster towards archaeology, where his engineering discipline proved invaluable. He directed major excavations, trained generations of archaeologists and wrote influential books including The Roman Imperial Army. His work helped move Romano-British archaeology towards rigorous study of whole landscapes and communities.

Graham Webster, Stamford-born archaeologist of Roman Britain — Graham Webster, the Stamford-born archaeologist whose excavations and books helped transform the study of Roman Britain.

20. Gladys Beaumont Carter

NURSING & EDUCATION | 1887-1959 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford nurse and reformer who argued that nursing belonged inside the university. Carter attacked authoritarian training and insisted that modern nurses needed research, intellectual development and professional judgement. Her work helped pave the way for the University of Edinburgh’s Nursing Studies Unit, widely recognised as Europe’s first academic department of nursing.

19. Wendy Taylor

PUBLIC ART | Born 1945 | Born: Stamford

A sculptor who took modern art out of galleries and placed it in streets, squares and riversides. Taylor’s large-scale public works include Timepiece beside the Thames near Tower Bridge and Octo in Milton Keynes. Her steel arcs, circles and geometric forms helped define a generation of British public sculpture and earned her a CBE for services to art.

Wendy Taylor's Timepiece sculpture beside Tower Bridge in London — Timepiece by Stamford-born sculptor Wendy Taylor beside the Thames near Tower Bridge. The public artwork also functions as a sundial.

18. Tania Bailey

SQUASH | Born 1979 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born squash champion who recovered from a devastating knee injury to reach world number four. Bailey won the World Junior Championship in 1997, later became British champion and played in England teams that won the Women’s World Team Championship twice. Her comeback from surgery is as impressive as the titles themselves.

Tania Bailey, Stamford-born squash player — Tania Bailey, the Stamford-born squash champion who reached world number four and became British national champion.

17. Vincent Wing

ASTRONOMY, MATHEMATICS & SURVEYING | 1619-1668 | Born: North Luffenham

A self-taught Rutland astronomer whose almanacs carried scientific tables into thousands of homes. Wing mastered mathematics, astronomy and surveying without university training, co-authored Urania Practica and produced Astronomia Britannica on Copernican principles. His annual almanac Olympia Domata reportedly sold on a huge scale, while future Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed respected his calculations.

Engraved portrait of Vincent Wing, North Luffenham astronomer — Vincent Wing, the self-taught North Luffenham astronomer, mathematician and surveyor whose almanacs reached tens of thousands of readers.

16. Ed Lowe

CYCLING | Born 2003 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born track cyclist who won Olympic silver before his 21st birthday. Lowe rode the opening leg of Britain’s men’s team sprint at Paris 2024 alongside Hamish Turnbull and Jack Carlin. The trio reached the final and took silver behind a world-record-paced Netherlands team, giving Stamford another Olympic medallist more than a century after Frederick Hibbins.

Stamford-born Olympic cyclist Ed Lowe with his silver medal — Ed Lowe, the Stamford-born track cyclist who won Olympic silver with Great Britain in the men’s team sprint at Paris 2024.

15. Rae Earl

WRITING & TELEVISION | Born 1971 | Born: Stamford

The Stamford teenager whose private diaries became an acclaimed book and international television series. Earl’s My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary grew from notebooks she began in 1989 and was adapted for E4 as My Mad Fat Diary, starring Sharon Rooney with a young Jodie Comer. Her work addresses mental health, body image, friendship and sexuality with humour rather than reducing its heroine to a diagnosis.

Rae Earl, Stamford-born writer behind My Mad Fat Diary — Rae Earl, the Stamford-born writer whose teenage diaries became My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary and inspired the television series My Mad Fat Diary.

14. David Jackson

MUSIC | Born 1947 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born saxophonist whose sound became central to progressive-rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Influenced by jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Jackson sometimes played two saxophones at once and used amplification and effects to create a distinctive wall of reeds. He later applied musical technology to collaborative work with people with profound disabilities.

David Jackson, Stamford-born saxophonist — David Jackson, the Stamford-born saxophonist whose distinctive sound became central to progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator.

13. Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin

POLITICS, AGRICULTURE & THE TURF | 1840-1923 | Born: Ryhall

A Ryhall-born racing figure and politician whose horse Hermit won one of the most dramatic Derbies in history. Chaplin later spent decades in Parliament and served in the Cabinet as President of the Board of Agriculture and President of the Local Government Board. His life combined the glamour of the Victorian turf with a long political career championing agricultural interests.

Portrait of Henry Chaplin, Ryhall-born politician and racehorse owner — Henry Chaplin, the Ryhall-born racehorse owner and politician whose horse Hermit won the dramatic 1867 Derby before Chaplin went on to serve in the Cabinet.

12. Professor Steven V. Ley

CHEMISTRY | Born 1945 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford-born organic chemist celebrated internationally for constructing some of nature’s most complicated molecules. Ley’s research group completed the synthesis of more than 140 natural target compounds and pioneered flow chemistry and automated methods. He became Professor of Organic Chemistry at Cambridge, a Fellow of the Royal Society and President of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Professor Steven V Ley, Stamford-born organic chemist — Professor Steven V. Ley, the Stamford-born organic chemist internationally recognised for complex natural-product synthesis and advances in flow chemistry.

11. Archdeacon Robert Johnson

EDUCATION & PHILANTHROPY | 1540-1625 | Born: Stamford

The Stamford clergyman whose educational legacy remains visible every morning at Oakham and Uppingham schools. Johnson founded both grammar schools in 1584 and also created hospitals or almshouses, supported poor scholars and re-endowed Oakham’s Hospital of St John and St Anne. More than four centuries later, his two schools remain nationally known institutions.

Statue of Archdeacon Robert Johnson, founder of Oakham and Uppingham schools — A statue of Archdeacon Robert Johnson, the Stamford-born clergyman who founded Oakham and Uppingham schools in 1584.

10. Sir Jeffrey Hudson

ROYAL COURT & ADVENTURE | 1619-1682 | Born: Oakham

Few lives in the countdown are stranger. Born in Oakham and unusually small as a child, Hudson was famously presented to Queen Henrietta Maria after emerging from a pie at a banquet. He became a court celebrity, Royalist captain and duellist, then was captured by Barbary corsairs and enslaved in North Africa. Behind the extraordinary anecdotes is the story of a man repeatedly trying to control an identity that others treated as entertainment.

Sir Jeffrey Hudson with Queen Henrietta Maria in a historic court portrait — Sir Jeffrey Hudson, the extraordinary Oakham-born courtier, pictured with Queen Henrietta Maria in a 17th-century royal portrait.

9. Simon de Langham

RELIGION & STATECRAFT | c.1310-1376 | Born: Probably Langham

A Rutland-born monk who climbed to the highest offices of medieval church and state. After the Black Death devastated Westminster Abbey, Langham restored its finances and rose from abbot to Treasurer and Chancellor of England, then Archbishop of Canterbury and cardinal. His bequest helped rebuild Westminster Abbey’s nave, and his tomb remains the Abbey’s oldest monument to an ecclesiastic.

Tomb of Simon de Langham in Westminster Abbey — The tomb of Simon de Langham in Westminster Abbey. The Rutland-born monk rose to become Chancellor of England, Archbishop of Canterbury and a cardinal.

8. Peter F. Hamilton

SCIENCE FICTION | Born 1960 | Born: Oakham

One of Britain’s leading writers of large-scale science fiction. Oakham-born Hamilton built his reputation through the Greg Mandel novels before expanding into the vast Night’s Dawn trilogy, the Commonwealth Saga, the Salvation sequence and other works spanning planets, centuries and entire civilisations. His books have sold in the millions and been translated widely, an appropriately enormous literary legacy from England’s smallest historic county.

Peter F Hamilton, Oakham-born science-fiction author — Peter F. Hamilton, the Oakham-born science-fiction writer whose vast space operas have sold in the millions around the world.

7. Colin Furze

INVENTION & ENTERTAINMENT | Born 1979 | Born: Stamford

A Stamford plumber who turned practical engineering into global entertainment. Furze’s YouTube projects have included jet-powered bicycles, a motorway-speed mobility scooter, a hoverbike, record-breaking motorcycles and an extraordinary underground bunker and tunnel system beneath his home. With more than 13 million subscribers, he has made engineering look inventive, physical and accessible – while never losing the manic energy of a shed-based experimenter.

Colin Furze, Stamford-born inventor and YouTube creator — Colin Furze, the Stamford-born inventor and online creator whose spectacular engineering projects have attracted millions of followers.

6. Nicola Roberts

MUSIC & POPULAR CULTURE | Born 1985 | Born: Stamford

Born in Stamford, Roberts became famous at 16 through Popstars: The Rivals and went on to become a member of Girls Aloud, one of Britain’s most successful 21st-century pop groups. Twenty consecutive top-ten singles and a BRIT Award were only part of the story. Roberts later challenged cruel public commentary about her appearance, created cosmetics for pale skin, campaigned on sunbed risks, released the acclaimed solo album Cinderella’s Eyes and won The Masked Singer UK.

Nicola Roberts, Stamford-born singer and member of Girls Aloud — Nicola Roberts, the Stamford-born singer who found fame with Girls Aloud before developing a solo career and campaigning on tanning regulation.

5. Sir Charles Vernon Boys

PHYSICS & INVENTION | 1855-1944 | Born: Wing

The Rutland physicist who used almost impossibly fine quartz fibres to measure tiny forces, refined experiments on the gravitational constant and even detected heat from the Moon and stars. Boys also invented sensitive instruments, pioneered high-speed photography and became famous for public lectures on soap films. His classic book Soap-Bubbles and the Forces Which Mould Them showed how serious physics could be revealed through beautiful everyday phenomena.

Portrait of Sir Charles Vernon Boys demonstrating soap-bubble physics — Sir Charles Vernon Boys, the Wing-born physicist and inventor, shown demonstrating his famous scientific work with soap bubbles.

4. Robert Browne

RELIGION & POLITICAL THOUGHT | c.1550-1633 | Born: Tolethorpe Hall, Little Casterton

A Rutland radical whose ideas about religious independence travelled far beyond his birthplace. Browne argued that churches should be voluntary communities choosing their own ministers rather than institutions governed by bishops or the state. His followers became known as Brownists, and the wider separatist tradition he helped pioneer influenced movements that later crossed the Atlantic. The twist is that Browne himself eventually returned to the Church of England.

Historic portrait of Robert Browne of Tolethorpe, Rutland religious reformer — Robert Browne of Tolethorpe, the Rutland-born religious reformer whose radical ideas helped shape the later Congregationalist tradition.

3. Harry Burton

PHOTOGRAPHY & ARCHAEOLOGY | 1879-1940 | Born: Stamford

Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb; Harry Burton gave the discovery its visual memory. Born in Stamford, Burton became an expert archaeological photographer and in 1922 was lent by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to Carter’s excavation. Working in dark, cramped chambers with glass plates, mirrors and improvised lighting, he documented objects before they moved and created images that travelled around the world. His photographs remain one of archaeology’s most important visual records.

Harry Burton, Stamford-born photographer of Tutankhamun's tomb excavation — Harry Burton, the Stamford-born photographer whose meticulous images created the enduring visual record of the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

2. Colin Dexter

CRIME FICTION & TELEVISION | 1930-2017 | Born: Stamford

Stamford-born Colin Dexter created one of the most enduring detectives in British popular culture. Educated at Stamford School and Cambridge, he worked as a classics teacher until hereditary deafness prompted a career change. A rain-soaked family holiday in North Wales inspired his first crime novel, Last Bus to Woodstock, published in 1975. Twelve more Inspector Morse novels followed. The ITV series starring John Thaw and Kevin Whately began in 1987 and turned Morse into an international phenomenon, later spawning Lewis and Endeavour. Dexter even appeared in tiny cameos on screen, Hitchcock-style.

Colin Dexter, Stamford-born author and creator of Inspector Morse — Colin Dexter, the Stamford-born crime writer who created Inspector Morse and one of British television’s most enduring detective worlds.

1. Beryl Markham

AVIATION, HORSES & LITERATURE | 1902-1986 | Born: Ashwell

Pride’s greatest Rutland and Stamford legend was born Beryl Clutterbuck at Ashwell in 1902 and grew up in British East Africa. She became a racehorse trainer while still very young, then a commercial bush pilot operating across difficult terrain. In September 1936 she took off from England alone in a Percival Vega Gull and flew west across the Atlantic against the prevailing winds. Engine trouble forced her down in Nova Scotia, but she had become the first person to fly solo and non-stop from England to North America. Her memoir West with the Night later became a classic of aviation and travel writing. Horse trainer, pilot, record-breaker and writer: Beryl Markham earns the number-one place.

Beryl Markham, Rutland-born aviator and author of West with the Night — Beryl Markham, born at Ashwell in Rutland, who became the first person to fly solo and non-stop from England to North America.

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Advertising in Pride Magazines offers unparalleled access to the region’s wealthiest readers, connecting your brand with affluent households across Lincolnshire, Rutland, and Stamford.

Delivered directly by Royal Mail, our magazines reach homes in the top three council tax bands safely and reliably.

Our extensive subscriber base ensures that our magazines reach high visibility areas, including the reception areas of luxury motor dealerships, local businesses, golf clubs, dental reception areas, private hospitals, and many other premium outlets.

With beautifully designed pages and a focus on luxury living, our publications are the ideal setting to showcase premium products and services. From exclusive dining experiences to high end automotive brands, advertising in Pride Magazines places your business in an environment that celebrates the best of British lifestyle.