List of people from Thanet

Ramsgate

• Sir Francis Austen GCB (1774–1865) Admiral of the Fleet and brother of Jane Austen, the author, lived at 14 Albion Place.
• Brenda Blethyn OBE (born 20 February 1946 in Ramsgate) is an English Golden Globe winning and Academy Award-nominated film, stage, television and voice actress, and writer.She owns a house on Nelson Crescent and is a key supporter and Patron of The Granville Theatre/ Granville Cinema in the town.
• Author Anthony Buckeridge OBE (20 June 1912 – 28 June 2004), best known for his Jennings series of novels, lived in Ramsgate and taught at St. Lawrence College.
• Francis Burnand (29 November 1836 – 21 April 1917), was an English comic writer and dramatist, and lived much of his life in Ramsgate.
• Wilkie Collins was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories.
• John Deane, inventor of the diving helmet and discoverer of the Mary Rose in 1836, is buried in Ramsgate.
• Julie Forsyth member of 70's vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls and daughter of TV presenter Bruce Forsyth lives on Royal Road.
• Elizabeth Fry,(1780–1845) prison reformer and Quaker philanthropist, died of a stroke in Bellvue Road, Ramsgate.
• Jefferson Hack,(b.20 June 1971), publisher, journalist & model, lived much of his childhood and teenage years in Beach Grove, Cliffsend, near Ramsgate.
• Former British Prime Minister Edward Heath (b.9 July 1916 – d.17 July 2005), was schooled at Chatham House Grammar School.
• Olympic gold medallist for hockey, Sean Kerly, (b.29th Jan. 1960) was educated at Chatham House Grammar School.
• Actor John Le Mesurier(1912–1983) - Sgt Arthur Wilson in BBC sitcom Dad's Army - lived his later years at 8 London Road in Ramsgate. In August 2010 a plaque was unveiled at this address commemorating his residence. He is buried at St George's church in the town.
• Karl Marx (1818-1883) is known to have stayed in the town around 9 times, as did his comrade Friedrich Engels. One known spot is on Hardres Street. His eldest daughter Jenny Longuet Marx (1844–1883) lived for a period at 6 Artillery Road.
• Prominent British Jewish campaigner, philanthropist and stockbroker Moses Montefiore (24th Oct.1784- 28 July 1885) was heavily involved in the affairs of Ramsgate and owned East Cliff Lodge. His tomb is adjacent to the synagogue in Ramsgate.
• Comedian and broadcaster Frank Muir (5th Feb. 1920 - 2nd Jan. 1998)was born at the Derby Arms, Margate Road in Ramsgate and was schooled at Chatham House Grammar School.
• Gary Pallister, a footballer who played for Manchester United F.C. and Middlesbrough F.C. was born in Ramsgate.
• Jackie Pallo (12th Jan. 1926 - 11th Feb. 2006), born Jack Gutteridge, Wrestler and TV Personality lived in Ramsgate before he died.
• Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812–1852), the eminent Victorian Gothic architect, lived for a period at St Augustine's Grange (The Grange), and is buried nearby.
• Kirk Shepherd who lives in Ramsgate, is the youngest player ever to reach a final of the World Professional Darts Championship. Shepherd uses the nicknames Young Gun and Karate Kid for his matches.
• Dr Chris Tame, founder of the Libertarian Alliance and a former Director of FOREST, spent the last years of his life in Ramsgate until his death from cancer.
• During a period of increased religious emotion, Vincent Van Gogh taught French amongst other things as a supply teacher at a school at 6 Royal Road and boarded at 11 Spencer Square for a period in 1876. He made some sketches of the view from his lodgings overlooking the harbour. The proprietor of the school relocated to Isleworth, Middlesex. Vincent decided to walk to the new location, which took 3 days via Canterbury and Chatham. This new position did not work out, and Vincent became a nearby Methodist minister's assistant in wanting to "preach the gospel everywhere".
• Whilst still a princess, Queen Victoria spent holidays in Ramsgate and stayed at Townley House, which is now part of J.C. Farleys Ltd, a furniture store, and the legacy of Mrs Mary Townley, one of the first female architects in England.
• Mathematician Alfred North Whitehead was born in Ramsgate.

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Broadstairs

• John Buchan (1875–1940) apparently based his Thirty Nine Steps after the set of steps on the beach at North Foreland, Broadstairs, where he was recuperating from a duodenal ulcer in 1915.
• Engineer Thomas Russell Crampton (1816-1888) is chiefly remembered as a designer of locomotives and of railways, but he was also concerned with gas, water works and the submarine telegraph cable. He was the first to succeed in laying an effective telegraph cable under the English Channel. A water tower and a pub in the town are named after him.
• Brian Degas, author,writer and creator of TV Series Colditz, lives in the town.
• Author Charles Dickens had a holiday home in Broadstairs, where he wrote David Copperfield. For a period he owned Fort House on a promontory above the town where he wrote Bleak House, which the location is now called.
• Former Conservative leader and Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath was born here and lived in Albion Road, St. Peters.
• Annette Mills (1894–1955), one-time concert pianist and elder sister of actor Sir John Mills, lived in Broadstairs. She is best remembered for the early television programme Muffin the Mule in the 1950s.
• Trevor Neal of TV comic duo Trevor and Simon notably of Saturday children's show Going Live lives in Broadstairs.
• Mike Nolan of eighties pop group Bucks Fizz lives in Broadstairs.
• Bill Pitt MP, the first candidate elected to Parliament under the banner of the SDP-Liberal Alliance 1981-1983, lives in Broadstairs.
• Oliver Postgate, creator of the children's TV puppet shows, the Clangers, Bagpuss and others retired to Broadstairs, where he died on 8 December 2008, aged 83. A plaque has been erected on his home in Chandos Square.
• Gary Rhodes celebrity TV chef was a student of catering at the Thanet College.
• Frank Richards (pen name of Charles Harold St John Hamilton; 1875–1961) the writer of the Billy Bunter novels lived in Kingsgate, Broadstairs.
• Bruce Robinson, author of Withnail and I et al., was born in Broadstairs in 1946.
• Siouxsie Sioux (Susan Janet Ballion b. 27 May 1957) spent summer holidays in Broadstairs during her childhood.
• The poet Stevie Smith spent several years on and off in a sanatorium near Broadstairs while suffering from tuberculous peritonitis as a child.
• Wout Steenhuis, the Dutch musician, had a recording studio in Broadstairs.
• Queen Victoria spent many summers in Broadstairs as a child, staying at Pierremont Hall.
• Jack Warner, Dixon of Dock Green, lived for a time in Kingsgate
• Elsie and Doris Waters, radio comediennes, better known as Gert and Daisy, lived in Broadstairs. They were the sisters of actor Jack Warner.

Margate

• Iain Aitch is an English writer and journalist who was born in Margate.
• The actor Peter Barkworth was born in Margate.
• The Beatles played for a week at Margate's Winter Gardens and were accommodated nearby.
• Broadcaster Dave Cash of Kenny and Cash fame lives in the village of St Nicholas.
• T. S. Eliot, poet, wrote part of The Wasteland in 1922 whilst recuperating for nervous strain in Margate.
• Artist Tracey Emin RA grew up in Margate, and remains a great supporter of the town. In 2011 she helped to open the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery.
• Marty Feldman, comic writer and comedian, began his career, aged 15, as part of a circus-style act at Dreamland Funpark in Margate.
• Trevor Howard CBE, the film star, was born in Cliftonville, Margate.
• Actress Juliette Kaplan (real name: Marlene Hoser)- plays "Pearl" in BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine lives in Westgate-on-Sea, Margate.
• Stage and television actor Dinsdale Landen was born in Margate.
• Steven Moore, former World Champion Waterski Racer. Currently resides in Thanet.
• Railway engineer Thomas Webster Rammell was born in Dent de Lion, near Margate
• Mike Stock is a British songwriter and record producer best known for being a member of the songwriting and record production trio Stock Aitken Waterman. He was born in Margate December 3, 1951.
• Mehrdud Takalobigashi (born September 23, 1975 in Tehran, Iran) (Persian: مهرداد تکلوبیغشی), more commonly known as Mehrdud Takaloo or Takaloo, is an Iranian born British based boxer living in Margate.
• Ska singer Douglas Trendle, known as Buster Bloodvessel, of the 1980s British band Bad Manners, ran a hotel in Margate called Fatty Towers for part of the 1990s.
• J. M. W. Turner spent some time in Margate and sketched many Margate skies that were later incorporated into his paintings. The Turner Contemporary Art Gallery is named in his honour.
• Sir Robert Walpole, the British Prime Minister, spent summers in Cliftonville, Margate and has Walpole Bay and the Walpole Bay Hotel named in his honour.
• David Watkin, Oscar-winning cinematographer, was born in Margate in 1925.