Notable Cornish People

1728 Samuel Wallis - discovered Tahiti and Easter Island.

1754 Captain William Bligh - discovered 'bread-fruit' in Otaheite, became Captain of 'The Bounty' - remembered for the mutiny in 1789.

1771-1833 Richard Trevithick - Born April 13 1771 at Station Road, Pool, near Camborne. Died 22nd April 1833 at Dartford, Kent.

1778-1829 Sir Humphry Davy - Of Penzance. Invented the Miner's Safety Lamp. A statue erected to him stands at the head of Market Jew Street, Penzance.

1784 William Murdoch - a Scot, invented the 'marine' engine and was the first person to illuminate a house by gas-light in Redruth.

1801 First steam powered passenger carrying vehicle: The 'Puffing Devil' ran up Camborne Hill on Xmas Eve. Click HERE for pictures

1804 Richard Lander - Explorer, discovered the source of the River Niger in 1830. A statue erected to him stands at the top of Lemon Street, Truro.

1808 Henry Trengrouse - Invented the musket fired rocket life-saving apparatus following the loss of HMS Anson on Loe Bar in December 1807.

1812 Andrew Pears - Founded the Pears Soap Company.

1830 William Bickford - Invented the gunpowder 'safety fuse'. The remains of the gunpowder fuse factory is at Tuckingmill, Camborne.

1846 John Couch Adams - Discovered the planet Neptune

1890 Bob Fitzsimmons - Of Helston. First man to become lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

[1901 Guglielmo Marconi - sent first telegraph message across the Atlantic Ocean from Poldhu Cove, on the Lizard Peninsula].

1948 JeThRo - Comedian born at St. Buryan. A modern day 'ambassador' for Cornwall.