Porthmadog - Notable People

Notable People

Rob Piercy, a local artist and painter named Welsh Artist of the Year in 2002, and a former art teacher at Ysgol Eifionydd, specialises in the landscapes of Snowdonia. His gallery, established in 1986, is located in a converted warehouse set in a landscaped courtyard off Heol Yr Wyddfa and includes a small collection of work by other notable artists.

Three members of hip-hop band Genod Droog were from Porthmadog, whilst Welsh singer Duffy shot her first video Rockferry in the town and Supergrass have filmed a video at Morfa Bychan. In the 1970s, part of William Shakespeare's Macbeth was filmed at Black Rock Sands.

Morfa Bychan, is renowned as the home of David Owen, an 18th century blind harpist and composer. He died at the age of 29 in 1741, and tradition has it that as he lay on his death bed he called for his harp and composed the air Dafydd y Garreg Wen. Words were added nearly 100 years later by the poet John Ceiriog Hughes.

The ashes of the poet Ronald Stuart Thomas are buried in the churchyard of St John's Church on Ffordd Penamser.

Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, was born at what is now Lawrence House in Tremadog in 1888. He became an object of fascination throughout the world, renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt of 1916 and for his vivid writings about his experiences.

In order to finance the construction and repairs to the Cob, William Madocks let out his own house in Tremadog. His first tenant was the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who antagonised locals by criticising their production of sheep for consumption, and by running up debts with local merchants. He made a hasty departure after an alleged attempt on his life by a nocturnal intruder, without paying his rent or contributing to the fund established to support Madocks. Whilst staying in Tremadog he wrote Queen Mab.

Local Aled Jones Williams, writing mainly in Welsh, has produced plays dealing with the cultural divide between the English and Welsh, incest and domestic violence. In 2008 he turned his attention to religious fundamentalists with Iesu!, the story of a female Jesus who comes back to the modern world and hates what she sees. The play received its premiere at the National Eisteddfod, staged by Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru.

The Spooner family contributed a major amount towards the development of railways in the area over a period of more than 70 years in the 19th Century.

WWE Wrestler Mason Ryan real name Barri Griffiths is from the area.