Famous People from Hebburn

For a town of its size, Hebburn has sent a surprising number of people out into the wider world, in sport, science, comedy and music. Here are some of the most notable people born in or strongly connected to Hebburn, each with a genuine link to the town rather than a passing one.

Sir Brendan Foster (born 1948)

Perhaps Hebburn's best-known son, Brendan Foster was born in the town in 1948. He won Olympic bronze in the 10,000 metres at Montreal in 1976, took European and Commonwealth titles, and set world records on the track. After retiring he became one of the most familiar voices in British athletics as a BBC commentator, and, most lastingly, he founded the Great North Run in 1981, now the biggest half marathon in the world. Few people have done more to shape running in the North East.

Best for: Sir Brendan Foster, born in Hebburn in 1948, won Olympic bronze in 1976 and founded the Great North Run, now the world's largest half marathon.

Jason Cook (born 1973)

The comedian Jason Cook was born and raised in Hebburn, and he put the town firmly on the television map. He created and co-wrote the BBC Two sitcom Hebburn, which ran from 2012 to 2013 and was set in his home town, following a local family with warmth and a sharp Tyneside wit. As a stand-up he has toured widely, but it is the sitcom, and its affection for Hebburn, that most people remember.

Arthur Holmes (1890 to 1965)

Born in Hebburn in 1890, Arthur Holmes became one of the most important geologists of the twentieth century. He pioneered the use of radioactivity to date rocks, producing the first reliable estimates of the age of the Earth, and he was an early champion of the idea of mantle convection, which helped lay the groundwork for the theory of plate tectonics. His textbook Principles of Physical Geology educated generations of earth scientists.

The Footballers

Hebburn has an unusual record for producing top-flight footballers.

George Armstrong (1944 to 2000) was born in Hebburn and served an apprenticeship as an electrician at the Hawthorn Leslie shipyard before signing for Arsenal, where he became a much-loved winger and, for many years, the club's record appearance holder.

Ray Wood (1931 to 2002), born in Hebburn, was the Manchester United goalkeeper who won two league titles in the 1950s and survived the Munich air disaster of 1958.

Johnny Dixon (1923 to 2009) was a Hebburn-born forward who captained Aston Villa and lifted the FA Cup in the 1950s.

More recently, Chris Basham (born 1988) has been a long-serving and versatile defender for Sheffield United, and Chris Rigg (born 2007), also born in Hebburn, broke through as a teenage midfielder for Sunderland, becoming one of the youngest players ever to appear in the English Football League.

Josef Craig (born 1997)

Born in Hebburn, the Paralympic swimmer Josef Craig won gold and set a world record in the S7 400 metres freestyle at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, aged just fifteen. He was later appointed MBE for his services to swimming.

Robert Saint (1905 to 1950)

Born in Hebburn, Robert Saint went down a local pit at fourteen. He is remembered as a composer, above all for the brass band hymn Gresford, known as "The Miners' Hymn", written in memory of the men killed in the Gresford colliery disaster of 1934. It is still played at mining commemorations across the country, a haunting piece from a Hebburn pitman.

Andrew Leslie (1818 to 1894)

No account of Hebburn's notable figures is complete without the man who built the modern town. Andrew Leslie was born in Shetland, not Hebburn, but his name is bound up with the place more than anyone's. Arriving in 1853, he founded the shipyard that became Hawthorn Leslie, and he built housing, schools and a church for his workforce, effectively creating the town around his slipways. His story is told in full in our guide to Hebburn's shipyards and HMS Kelly.

More on Hebburn's Heritage

To see the places connected to these lives, follow our Hebburn heritage walking trail, read about the town's shipbuilding and mining heritage, and browse the local directory.

Know a notable person from Hebburn we've missed? Get in touch and we'll look into adding them.