11 of the most famous people from Derbyshire according to the Notable People map

A new interactive map has been developed that reveals the most notable people across the world.

The map is based on information scraped from Wikipedia and Wikidata by researchers from Paris University, and allows users to zoom into their hometowns and cities to see who the most notable person from their area is.

These are 11 of the most famous people from the Derbyshire area according to the Notable People map.

John Hurt

Sir John Hurt was an Oscar-nominated actor well known for roles including Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant, the title role in The Elephant Man and wand merchant Mr Ollivander in the Harry Potter films. He was born in Chesterfield and grew up in Shirebrook but left Derbyshire aged 12 when his clergyman father moved to a new parish.

Gary Gahill

Gary Cahill is a professional footballer with over 60 caps who has represented the national in England tournament squads, such as those for the FIFA World Cups of 2014 and 2018. Born in Dronfield, he began his career playing for the AFC Dronfield youth system where he stayed until he was 15 and has most recently played as a centre-back for AFC Bournemouth.

Jason Statham

Jason Statham is an actor best known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films, including ormer Special Forces operative Frank Martin in the Transporter Trilogy and professional assassin Arthur Bishop in the Mechanic. He was born in Shirebrook but later moved to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

Samuel Richardson

Samuel Richardson was a writer and printer known for three novels: Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady, and The History of Sir Charles Grandison in the 1700s. He was born in Mackworth and printed almost 500 works, including journals and magazines.

Paul Burrell

Paul Burrell is a former servant of the British Royal Household. He was a footman for Queen Elizabeth II and later butler to Diana, Princess of Wales. He was born in Grassmoor and has featured in the media in connection with the late princess, as well an occasional entertainment show celebrity.

Anna Seward

Anna Seward was an English Romantic poet, often called the Swan of Lichfield in the 1700s. She was born in Eyam, where her father was a Rector, and is said to have benefited from his progressive views on female education. Her verses include elegies and sonnets, and a verse-novel titled Louisa, of which five editions were published.

Thomas Linacre

Thomas Linacre, or Lynaker, was an humanist scholar and physician in the late 1400s to early 1500s, after whom Linacre College in Oxford, and Linacre House, a boys' boarding house in Canterbury, are named. He was born in Brampton and, in 1509, was once appointed the king’s physician to Henry VIII.

Ellen MacArthur

Dame Ellen MacArthur was born in Whatsandwell and once held the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the Earth by boat - a record she held onto for almost three years. Following her retirement from sailing, she set up the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity that focuses on the promotion of a circular economy.

Dennis Skinner

Ex-miner Dennis Skinner is a former politician who served as a Socialist MP for 50 years. His infamous belligerance and acerbic wit in the House of Commons earned him recognition as The Beast of Bolsover. He was born in Clay Cross and won a scholarship to attend Tupton Hall Grammar School.

Herbert Spencer

Herbert Spencer was a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Born in Derby, he originated the expression ‘survival of the fittest’, which he coined in Principles of Biology in 1864.

George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston

George Curzon was a British Conservative statesman who is best known for serving as Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. Despite his successes as both the Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary, was denied the office of Prime Minister in 1923. Curzon was born at Keddleston Hall where where his family had lived since the 12th century.