Dunfermline - Notable People

Notable People

Dunfermline's most famous son is the entrepreneur and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie who was born in the town in 1835. Among the gifts he gave to his home town, include a free library and public swimming baths. Most important of all, was the donation of the Pittencrieff Estate which he had purchased in 1903 to be converted into Pittencrieff Park.

A number of British monarchs were born in Dunfermline Palace. These include David II of Scotland (reign 1329-71), the son of Robert The Bruce in 1324; James I of Scotland (reign 1406-37) in late 1394 and Charles I of England, King of England, Scotland and Ireland (reign 1625-49) in 1600. James VI and I, the King of England, Scotland and Ireland and his wife, Anne of Denmark, the daughter of Frederick II of Denmark also lived at the Palace until the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

General John Forbes who fought the French in the French and Indian War to capture Fort Duquesne and establishing the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States was brought up in his family's ancestral home of Pittencrieff House (now within Pittencrieff Park).

Sir John Struthers who dissected and drew the Tay whale, was an anatomist and professor of medicine. He was born and brought up in Brucefield House, now vanished, which gives its name to a district of Dunfermline.

In popular culture, the singer Barbara Dickson; Dan McCafferty and Peter Agnew from the Scottish rock band Nazareth; Ian Anderson the singer of the British progressive rock band Jethro Tull and Moira Shearer, ballerina and actress were all born in the town. Manny Charlton the producer of Nazareth emigrated to the town with his family in the 1960s and Stuart Adamson, rock guitarist with the Skids and frontman with Big Country was brought up in nearby Crossgates. In literature, the critically acclaimed author, Iain Banks; poet and novelist, John Burnside; Robert Gilfillan and Robert Henryson who wrote about life in the royal burgh in the 15th century have connections. In Sport, Harry Lind of Dunfermline RFC who was capped sixteen times for the Scotland national rugby team and Jim Greenwood who played for Dunfermline RFC, Scotland and British and Irish Lions come from the town. Billy Liddell who played his entire career with Liverpool F.C. was born in nearby Townhill.