- John Bunyan
John Bunyan (November 28, 1628 - August 31, 1688), a Christian writer and preacher, was born at Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford), in the Parish of Elstow, England. He wrote "The Pilgrim's Progress", arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. - Frank Branston
Frank Branston is the mayor of the borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. He stood as an independent in the borough's first direct election for mayor in 2002, backed at the time by the Better Bedford Independent Party, which has since been disbanded. Prior to entering politics Branston was the owner of two local newspapers, "Bedfordshire on Sunday" and "Luton on Sunday". He and his wife sold their 88% stake in the newspapers in 2002. - John Howard
John Howard (September 2, 1726 - January 20, 1790) was a philanthropist and the first English prison reformer. - Samuel Whitbread
Samuel Whitbread (1758 - 6 June 1815) was an English politician. Born in Cardington, Bedfordshire, Whitbread was the son of the brewer Samuel Whitbread. He was educated at Eton College, Christ Church, Oxford and St John's College, Cambridge, after which he embarked on a European 'Grand Tour', visiting Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Prussia, France and Italy. He returned to England in May 1786 and joined his father's successful brewing business. - Paula Radcliffe
Paula Jane Radcliffe, MBE (born December 17, 1973) is a British long-distance runner. She is the current world record holder for the women's marathon, which she set during the 2003 London Marathon, with a time of 2:15.25. This mark is currently the highest scoring performance ever, in terms of IAAF world ranking points, at 1307, higher in value than Florence Griffith-Joyner's 100 and 200m records, Marita Koch's 400m, and Michael Johnson's 400m record. - Charles Wells
Charles Wells is a British brewer founded in 1876 by Charles Wells in Bedford, England. - Victoria Pendleton
Victoria Pendleton (born 24 September 1980) is an English track cyclist. Born in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, she was awarded a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne. Pendleton won four silver medals in the UK national championships in 2001, whilst still a student. In 2002, she qualified for the England Commonwealth Games team, finishing fourth in the sprint. - Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George Barker, OBE (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005), popularly known as Ronnie Barker was an English comic actor and writer. His best-known appearances were alongside his long-time comedy partner, Ronnie Corbett, in the very popular TV variety show "The Two Ronnies"; as Norman Stanley "Fletch" Fletcher in the sitcom "Porridge" and its BAFTA award winning sequel "Going Straight"; and as Arkwright, … - Paul Young
Paul Antony Young, better known as Paul Young is an English pop musician. He is not to be confused with the late singer Paul Young who was in Sad Café and Mike & The Mechanics. - Joseph Paxton
Sir Joseph Paxton (3 August 1803 - 8 June 1865) was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing the The Crystal Palace. - Matt Skelton
Matt "The Bedford Banger" Skelton (born 23 January 1967 in Bedford) is an English boxer who changed sports from kickboxing. He is a former English, British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion, and has also held the lightly regarded WBU "World" title. - Tim Foster
Timothy ("Tim") Foster (born January 19, 1970) is a British rower. He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987 and 1988. In the latter he competed in a pair with a Matthew Pinsent. He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two consecutive Junior Worlds. From there he proceeded into the senior squad. - Malcolm Stewart
Sir Percy Malcolm Stewart, 1st Baronet (9 May 1872-27 February 1951), was a British businessman. He founded The London Brick Company in the 1920s which was at the time reputed to be the largest brick making company in the UK. The town of Stewartby in the Marston Vale in Bedfordshire takes its name from the Stewart family. The family lived in Luton until the early 1900s at Bramingham Shott estate, their home went on to become Luton Museum, … - Harold Abrahams
Harold Maurice Abrahams (December 15, 1899 - January 14, 1978) was a Jewish British athlete. He was an Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metre dash, a feat depicted in the 1981 movie "Chariots of Fire". - John Le Mesurier
John Le Mesurier, born John Charles Elton Le Mesurier De Somerys Halliley, was an English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson on the popular 1970s BBC comedy "Dad's Army". - Asher Hucklesby
Asher Hucklesby was fives-time mayor of Luton, Bedfordshire between 1892 and 1906 and a major hat manufacturer in the town. From modest beginnings he became the owner of the largest hat business in Luton. Hucklesby began working for hat manufacturer CJ Rosson at the age of 13. When he eventually started his own business, it was an immediate success. - Diana Spencer
Lady Diana Spencer (aka Diana Russell, Duchess of Bedford) (1710-1735) was a prospective Princess of Wales and, later, Duchess of Bedford. Diana was the daughter of Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland and Lady Anne daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. She spent much of her youth living with her maternal grandmother, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, at Cumberland Lodge in Old Windsor. - John Byng
John Byng (October 29, 1704 - March 14, 1757) was a British Admiral who was court-martialled and executed for failing to "do his utmost" during the Battle of Minorca, at the beginning of the Seven Years' War. In spring of 1756, Byng, who had previously served as the Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland, was dispatched with a small and undermanned fleet to relieve the British Fort St. Philip (Port Mahon) on the Mediterranean island of Minorca (in the Balearic Islands). - John Hall
John Hall (died 1635) was a physician and son-in-law of William Shakespeare. He was born at Carlton, Bedfordshire and studied at Queens' College, Cambridge from 1589, receiving a B.A. in 1593 and a M.A. in 1597. He became a physician, although he did not hold an English medical degree; it has been speculated that he studied medicine in France. He established a practice in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was the only doctor in the town. - Gail Emms
Gail Elizabeth Emms (born July 23, 1977 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire) is an English badminton player who has achieved international success in doubles tournaments. - David Arnold
David Arnold (born January 23, 1962 in Luton in Bedfordshire, England) is a Grammy Award-winning British film composer, best known for scoring four James Bond films and cult television show Little Britain. - Robert Sedgwick
Robert Sedgwick (c. 1611-1656) was an American colonist, born in (baptised on May 6, 1613) Woburn, Bedfordshire, England. He settled at Charlestown, Mass., in 1635, where he became a successful merchant and for many years represented the town in the General Court. He was active in organizing the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, of which he became captain in 1640. In 1652 he was appointed commander of all the Massachusetts militia. - Thomas Tompion
Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) was an English master clockmaker and watchmaker known today as "the father of English watchmaking". Thomas Tompion was born around 1639 and was baptized July 25 1639 in Northill, Bedfordshire, England. Tompion probably worked as a blacksmith until 1664 when he became an apprentice of a London clockmaker. Tompion was an early member of the Clockmakers' Company of London - he joined 1671 and became a master in 1704. - Syms Covington
Syms Covington (1816-1861) was an assistant to famed naturalist Charles Darwin, and was a teenager when he left England on Darwin's voyage of the HMS Beagle (1831-1836). As Darwin's assistant, he was a collector, hunter, taxidermist and manservant. In addition to these duties, Covington kept a personal journal regarding his impressions of the voyage. His journal includes accounts ranging from his daily mundane tasks to impressions of the lands and the people he encountered, … - Dan Albone
Dan Albone (Daniel Albone) (1860 - 1906) was an English inventor, manufacturer and cyclist. He invented the worlds first successful light farm tractor, and the Ivel Safety bicycle. - George Gascoigne
George Gascoigne (c. 1525 - October 7, 1577) was an English poet. He was the eldest son of Sir John Gascoigne of Cardington, Bedfordshire. - Nicholas Rowe
Nicholas Rowe (1674 - 1718), English dramatist, poet and miscellaneous writer, was selected Poet Laureate in 1715. - Sue Beardsmore
Sue Beardsmore was a long-term BBC television presenter who fronted the local news and current affairs programme "BBC Midlands Today", broadcast from Birmingham, England. Born in 1955 in Bedford she attended the Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Luton College of Higher Education. She joined the BBC in 1977 as secretary to the Manager of Operations and started presenting "Midlands Today" in 1987. - Percy Zachariah Cox
Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, GCMG, GCIE, KCSI (b. 20 November 1864, Herongate, Essex, England - d. 20 February 1937, Melchbourne, Bedfordshire, England) was a British administrator and diplomat in the British Mandate of Iraq. He established the Iraqi army and constitution. He replaced Sir Arnold Wilson as the British Civil Commissioner in Baghdad in 1920. In 1902, he was adviser to the Sultan of Oman. - Edward Drax Free
Edward Drax Free, D.D. (1764 - 1843) was a very badly behaved cleric in Sutton, Bedfordshire who was removed from his living at the parish in 1830. Free was the youngest son of a clergyman and earned his B.A., M.A., B.D. and D.D. before being appointed a fellow of his college. It is alleged that he stole the lead off his own church roof to sell for scrap. He also impregnated several of his housekeepers, allowed swine to desecrate the graveyard, … - Colin Salmon
Colin Salmon (1962) is an English actor best known for playing the fictional character Charles Robinson in three James Bond films. He is highly noted for his distinguishable and strong voice and his height (standing at 6'4"). Salmon was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. He attended Putteridge and Ashcroft High School, the former being the same school as Bond score composer David Arnold. - William Ventris Field 1st Baron Field
William Ventris Field, 1st Baron Field (21 August, 1813 - 23 January, 1907) was an English judge, second son of Thomas Flint Field, of Fielden, Bedfordshire. He was educated at King's School, Bruton, Somersetshire, and entered the legal profession as a solicitor. In 1843, however, he ceased to practise as such, and entered at the Inner Temple, being called to the bar in 1850, after having practised for some time as a special pleader. - Charles Hill Baron Hill of Luton
Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton (15 January 1904 - 22 August 1989) was an English administrator, doctor and television executive. Charles Hill was born in Islington, London and was educated at the St Olave's in Southwark. He won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge where he gained a first class degree. He continued his medical studies at the London Hospital gaining MRCS and MRCP in 1927 and later he gained MB, BCh and MD. - Billy Schwer
Billy Schwer was born in Luton, Bedfordshire on 12 April 1969. He was a light-welterweight boxer, winning 39 fights, 30 as knockouts. He held the British, Commonwealth and European titles, before winning the International Boxing Organization light-welterweight belt in 2001. Schwer retired shortly after in 2001. His record was 45 fights, 39 wins and 6 defeats. - Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard (January 2, 1886 - May 18, 1959) was an English explorer of Antarctica. - Emmeline Brice
Emmeline Frances Brice (Leighton Buzzard, March 9, 1895 - July 26, 2006) is believed to have been the oldest living resident of the UK at age 111, following the March 1, 2006 passing of Edith Ingamells, who was 112. Documents were sent to Guinness and received, but she died before an official announcement by them was made. Emmeline was said to have attended Queen Victoria's funeral in 1901, aged six. - Michael Cronin
Michael Cronin is a British actor and author, born in Cranfield, Bedfordshire (UK) during World War II. He was educated in at the Christian Brothers School in Bristol, and the University of London where he studied English. He lives in London with his wife and two sons. - Louis Clark
Louis Clark (born 27 February 1947, Kempson, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England) is a British musical arranger and keyboard player. He trained at Leeds College of Music. He was the conductor of the orchestra and choir hired to back Electric Light Orchestra's sound, introduced on their album "Eldorado" in 1974. He assisted Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy in writing string arrangements as well. He later played synthesizers for the band during their "Time" tour. - Bill Kitchener
William Harry Kitchener (born November 3, 1946 in Arlesey) is an English former professional footballer. Bill Kitchener, a tall full-back, began his career as an apprentice with West Ham United after leaving school. He turned professional in November 1963, but didn't appear in the Hammers' league side until the 1966-67 season. In September 1966 he joined Torquay United on loan, making his debut on September 17, 1966 in a 5-2 home win against Walsall. - Francis Dillingham
Francis Dillingham (born in Dean, Bedfordshire, died Wildon, Bedfordshire) was an English Protestant scholar and cleric. He was a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge and was appointed to the "First Cambridge Company" charged by James I of England with the translation of parts of the Old Testament for the King James Version of the Bible. He was renowned for his mastery of the Greek language and authored several theological treatises, …
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