Facts checked October 2026 against operator sources. Prices and times change, the booking page wins.
This page restores the famous-residents list that the city's old visitor site kept in its research section, updated and cross-checked. Southampton's notable names cluster around three things: the sea, the air and a short, well-documented stay by Jane Austen.
| Name | Southampton connection |
|---|---|
| Jane Austen | Lived in Castle Square 1806-09; danced at the Dolphin Hotel on the High Street. A Jane Austen trail of eight plaques was laid in 2006. |
| King Canute | Proclaimed king at Southampton in 1016; the legend of commanding the waves is set on the shore here. |
| Captain E J Smith | Master of Titanic; lived at Winn Road, Highfield. |
| R J Mitchell | Designer of the Spitfire at Supermarine, Woolston. The prototype first flew from Southampton Airport on 5 March 1936; a Mk 24 is at Solent Sky. |
| Roy Chadwick | Designer of the Lancaster bomber; connected with Hamble. |
| Benny Hill | Born in Southampton in 1924; buried at Hollybrook Cemetery. |
| Edward the Black Prince | Sailed from Southampton in 1346 for the Crecy campaign; Catchcold Tower on the walls is also known as Prince Edward's Tower. |
| General Gordon | Gordon of Khartoum; family home at 5 Rockstone Place, memorial in Queen's Park, family tomb in the Old Cemetery. |
| W M Thackeray | Schooled in Southampton; wrote part of Pendennis at the Dolphin. |
| John Everett Millais | Pre-Raphaelite painter, born in Portland Street in 1829. |
| Sarah Siddons | The 18th-century tragic actress, associated with Portland Street. |
| Emily Davies | Founder of Girton College, Cambridge, born in Southampton in 1830. |
| Herbert Collins | Architect of the garden-suburb Uplands Estate in Highfield. |
| Jack Mantle VC | Awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for HMS Foylebank, 1940; Jack's Corner in the city is named for him. |
| Billy Reid | Songwriter and bandleader; plaque in Ogle Road. |
A walk past the plaques
Start at the Bargate, where the Jane Austen trail begins, and follow the High Street to the Dolphin, where she danced and Thackeray wrote. Continue to the Mayflower Memorial and the Western Esplanade for the Black Prince's tower. Cross to Portland Street for the Millais and Siddons connections and to Rockstone Place for Gordon's family home. The Spitfire's story needs a bus or taxi to Solent Sky on Albert Road South, and Captain Smith's house at Winn Road is a private home in Highfield that can be seen from the street. Two hours covers the centre; Hollybrook Cemetery and the Old Cemetery on the Common are a separate afternoon.
Where to see the traces
- The Jane Austen plaques begin at the Bargate and end at the Dolphin.
- Solent Sky Museum on Albert Road South tells the Mitchell and Supermarine story with a Spitfire on the floor.
- The Titanic crew memorials are covered on the Titanic page.
- The Old Cemetery on the Common holds the Gordon family tomb among 116,000 graves.
Who is the most famous person from Southampton?
By reach, Benny Hill, born in the city in 1924; by local significance, R J Mitchell, who designed the Spitfire at Supermarine in Woolston, and Jane Austen, who lived here from 1806 to 1809.
Did Jane Austen live in Southampton?
Yes, in Castle Square from 1806 to 1809 with her mother and sister; she attended balls at the Dolphin Hotel on the High Street.
Where was the Spitfire built?
The prototype was built by Supermarine at Woolston on the Itchen and first flew from Southampton Airport on 5 March 1936.