The Potteries are particularly associated with the literary work of Arnold Bennett (born in Hanley, 1867), notably through his "Five Towns" novels; Bennett refused to acknowledge that Fenton, the sixth town of the Potteries, was a town at all. Other notable people associated with Stoke-on-Trent include Captain E. J. Smith, the captain of the Titanic, who went down with his ship.
Reginald Mitchell, the designer of the World War II fighter plane, the Spitfire;
The footballer Sir Stanley Matthews, who began his career in the 1930s playing for Stoke City.
Sir Oliver Lodge invented the spark plug.
Robbie Williams the pop singer.
Famous people of Stoke-on-Trent include:
• William Astbury (physicist)
• John Baskeyfield (Second World War soldier and war hero)
• Arnold Bennett (author)
• Squadron Leader George 'Ben' Bennions (DFC. Battle of Britain RAF Spitfire fighter-pilot & teacher)
• Frank Bough (TV presenter)
• Havergal Brian (composer)
• Bruno Brookes (radio disk-jockey and Top of the Pops presenter)
• Clarice Cliff (ceramic painter and designer)
• Susie Cooper (ceramic artist)
• Leslie Cope (ceramic artist)
• Hugh Dancy (actor)
• Peggy Davies (ceramic artist)
• Robbie Earle (footballer and TV presenter)
• Henry Faulds (inventor of fingerprinting)
• Elijah Fenton (poet, 1683-1730)
• Tommy Godley (champion cyclist)
• Nick Hancock (TV presenter and comedian)
• Ted Hankey (world champion darts player)
• Dave Harold (snooker player)
• Bernard Hollowood (editor of Punch magazine 1958-1968)
• Paul Johnson (journalist, scholar)
• Freddie Jones (actor)
• Alan Lake (actor & former husband of Diana Dors)
• Lemmy Kilmister (rock singer and bassist)
• John Lightfoot (17th century minister)
• Patricia Leonard (singer/contralto)
• Sir Oliver Lodge (wireless pioneer)
• Arnold Machin (sculptor & artist, coin & stamp designer)
• John Madejski (businessman)
• Sir Stanley Matthews (footballer)
• William Meath Baker (built much of Fenton in the 19th C; inspired the 4th of Elgar's Enigma Variations)
• Reginald Mitchell (designer of the Spitfire)
• Professor Harold Perkin, social historian and writer
• Charlotte Rhead (ceramic artist)
• Lucy "Golden Ovaries" Rokach (professional poker player, winner of European Lifetime Achievement Award)
• Imran Sherwani (field hockey player)
• Slash (rock guitarist)
• Captain Edward Smith (of the RMS Titanic)
• Josiah Spode (18th c. potter and industrialist)
• Pauline Stainer (poet)
• Phil Taylor (world champion darts player)
• Jackie Trent (60s pop singer)
• Charles Tomlinson (poet, graphic artist, translator, editor and critic)
• Anthea Turner (TV presenter)
• Sidney Tushingham (painter)
• John Wain (poet, critic and scholar)
• Jeffrey Wainwright (playwright and author)
• Norman Wainwright (Olympics champion swimmer)
• Robert James Waller (author)
• Josiah Wedgwood (18th century potter & industrialist)
• Peter Wilcox (businessman)
• Jonathan Wilkes (actor)
• Robbie Williams (popstar)
• Peter Whelan (playwright)
• Michael J. Welch (the world expert in medical radiology)
• Murdoc Niccals (bassist for Gorillaz)
Reginald Mitchell, the designer of the World War II fighter plane, the Spitfire;
The footballer Sir Stanley Matthews, who began his career in the 1930s playing for Stoke City.
Sir Oliver Lodge invented the spark plug.
Robbie Williams the pop singer.
Famous people of Stoke-on-Trent include:
• William Astbury (physicist)
• John Baskeyfield (Second World War soldier and war hero)
• Arnold Bennett (author)
• Squadron Leader George 'Ben' Bennions (DFC. Battle of Britain RAF Spitfire fighter-pilot & teacher)
• Frank Bough (TV presenter)
• Havergal Brian (composer)
• Bruno Brookes (radio disk-jockey and Top of the Pops presenter)
• Clarice Cliff (ceramic painter and designer)
• Susie Cooper (ceramic artist)
• Leslie Cope (ceramic artist)
• Hugh Dancy (actor)
• Peggy Davies (ceramic artist)
• Robbie Earle (footballer and TV presenter)
• Henry Faulds (inventor of fingerprinting)
• Elijah Fenton (poet, 1683-1730)
• Tommy Godley (champion cyclist)
• Nick Hancock (TV presenter and comedian)
• Ted Hankey (world champion darts player)
• Dave Harold (snooker player)
• Bernard Hollowood (editor of Punch magazine 1958-1968)
• Paul Johnson (journalist, scholar)
• Freddie Jones (actor)
• Alan Lake (actor & former husband of Diana Dors)
• Lemmy Kilmister (rock singer and bassist)
• John Lightfoot (17th century minister)
• Patricia Leonard (singer/contralto)
• Sir Oliver Lodge (wireless pioneer)
• Arnold Machin (sculptor & artist, coin & stamp designer)
• John Madejski (businessman)
• Sir Stanley Matthews (footballer)
• William Meath Baker (built much of Fenton in the 19th C; inspired the 4th of Elgar's Enigma Variations)
• Reginald Mitchell (designer of the Spitfire)
• Professor Harold Perkin, social historian and writer
• Charlotte Rhead (ceramic artist)
• Lucy "Golden Ovaries" Rokach (professional poker player, winner of European Lifetime Achievement Award)
• Imran Sherwani (field hockey player)
• Slash (rock guitarist)
• Captain Edward Smith (of the RMS Titanic)
• Josiah Spode (18th c. potter and industrialist)
• Pauline Stainer (poet)
• Phil Taylor (world champion darts player)
• Jackie Trent (60s pop singer)
• Charles Tomlinson (poet, graphic artist, translator, editor and critic)
• Anthea Turner (TV presenter)
• Sidney Tushingham (painter)
• John Wain (poet, critic and scholar)
• Jeffrey Wainwright (playwright and author)
• Norman Wainwright (Olympics champion swimmer)
• Robert James Waller (author)
• Josiah Wedgwood (18th century potter & industrialist)
• Peter Wilcox (businessman)
• Jonathan Wilkes (actor)
• Robbie Williams (popstar)
• Peter Whelan (playwright)
• Michael J. Welch (the world expert in medical radiology)
• Murdoc Niccals (bassist for Gorillaz)