People
Cornwall history - Cornish men and women, Past and present
Scientists, inventors and explorers
- John Couch Adams discovered the planet Neptune
- John Arnold Watchmaker and inventor of Chronometer
- William Bickford Inventor of safety fuse
- William Cookworthy Discoverer of china clay in Cornwall
- Jonathan Couch Scientist and natural historian
- Sir Humphry Davy inventor and scientist
- Sir Goldsworthy Gurney Inventor of the limelight
- Richard Lower Invented blood transfusion
- William Murdoch Inventor (one time resident)
- Henry Trengrouse invented the rocket powered rescue system for ships in distress.
- Richard Trevithick engineer and inventor
- Samuel Wallis Explorer of Pacific who inspired Cook
- Richard Lander Explorer of Africa
Politicians, military and royalty
- King Arthur many legends associate him with Cornwall, particularly with Tintagel and Camelford
- Sir John Arundell royalist commander
- William Bligh captain of The Bounty, botanist, governor of New South Wales, admiral of the Royal Navy
- Edward Boscawen admiral of the Royal Navy
- Selina Cooper Suffragist, and first woman to represent the Independent Labour Party
- General Gilbert Involved in conquest of Northern India
- Gorlois - mythical Duke of Cornwall
- Mark of Cornwall - Dark Ages Cornish ruler
- Corineus legendary founder of Cornwall in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae
Art and literature
- John Betjeman writer and poet laureate
- Henry Bone Potter and painter
- Charles Causley Poet
- Daphne Du Maurier novelist
- Samuel Foote Dramatist and actor
- Stanhope Forbes 'plein-air' artist
- William Golding novelist
- William Sydney Graham Poet
- Winston Graham Creator of Poldark
- John Harris Poet (not to be confused with John Harris, Shropshire writer)
- Barabara Hepworth St Ives based modernist sculptor and artist
- Silas Hocking Author and preacher
- Bernard Leach St Ives based contemporary potter
- Charles Lee Novelist
- George Lloyd Classical composer
- John Miller contemporary lanscape artist
- John Nettles Actor, best known for Bergerac and the Midsomer Murders
- Ben Nicholson One of the best known painters of the St IvesSchool and husband of Barbara Hepworth
- John Opie Portrait Painter
- D. M. Thomas Novelist and poet
- Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (or 'Q') author and literary critic
- Rosamunde Pilcher Romantic novelist
- Judith Cook Journalist and political campaigner
- A.L. Rowse historian and Shakespearean scholar
- Mary Wesley Novelist
- Brenda Wootton bard and singer
Cornish language, culture and history
- Nicholas Boson Cornish language antiquary
- Thomas Flamank rebel leader of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497
- Henry Jenner pioneer of the Cornish language revival
- Michael Joseph (or 'An Gof') rebel leader of the 1497 Cornish uprising
- Robert Morton Nance Cornish language revivalist
- Dolly Pentreath one of the last native speakers of Cornish before the 20th-century revival
- Tim Saunders Cornish language poet
Religous
- John Wesley Founder of the Methodist movement
- St Corentin missionary to Brittany
- John of Cornwall (or 'Iohannes Cornubiensis': 12th-century Catholic scholar
- St Petroc the 'alternative' patron sant of Cornwall
- St Piran patron saint of Cornwall and of tin miners
- Jonathan Trelawny Anglican bishop and antagonist of James II
Miscallaneous
- Maria Branwell Mother of the Brontë sisters
- Rowena Cade Built the Minack Theatre
- John Carter Self-styled "King of Prussia" & Pirate
- John Passmore Edwards Chartist and philanthropist
- Bob Fitzsimmons Boxer and first three division world champion ever
- Emma Gifford Wife of Thomas Hardy
- Emily Hobhouse Welfare campaigner in South Africa
- Cassandra Latham 'Witch' and eccentric
- William Lovett Chartist and founder of the National Union Of The Working Classes
- Andrew Pears 'Pears Soap'