People from Devon Trivia Quiz

Answer: Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, Devon on 15th September 1890, as Agatha Miller. She rose to fame in the 1920s after she published her first mystery novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" which featured her famous Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot.

She wrote 66 novels and hundreds of short stories by the time of her passing in 1976. Her legacy lives on as the so-named "Queen of Crime" as she introduced a number of twists that influenced generations of mystery authors.

Answer: Coldplay

Chris Martin was born in Exeter, Devon on 2nd March 1977. In 1997, he formed the band Coldplay with three of his university classmates. The band was originally named Big Fat Noises and then Starfish before the members settled on Coldplay. Their first album was released in 2000 and was called "Parachutes". Martin also embarked on a solo career and has made a number of small acting cameos in film and on television.

Answer: Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh was born in East Budleigh, Devon on or around 22nd January 1552. He is best known for leading expedition to the New World which led to the colonization of North and South America. He is also famous for defeating the Spanish Armada. Raleigh published "The Discovery of Guiana" in 1596. Raleigh widely exaggerated many of the claims in the book, especially regarding his claims of wide-spread gold deposits.

This led to the revival of the El Dorado myth and inspired many to search for the lost city of gold.

Answer: He never married

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in Ottery St. Mary, Devon on 21st October 1772. He is best remember for his poems such as "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and was one of the Lake Poets. He married Sara Fricker and had four children, three of whom were authors in their own right. His marriage was unhappy and he eventually separated from his wife when he no longer needed her for status. Late in life, Coleridge suffered from depression which led him to become an opium addict. In 1817, he coined the term "suspension of disbelief' a phrase meaning to abandon logic and reason in order to belief something impossible for the sake of believing it.

Coleridge and fellow poet Robert Southey planned to build a utopia named Pantisocracy in the middle of Pennsylvania. Although they agreed on how the society would work, they could not agree on the location as Southey kept proposing new locations all over the world. They then abandoned their plans for Pantisocracy.

Answer: Diving

Tom Daley was born in Plymouth, Devon on 21st May, 1994. He is a four-time Olympic medalist in diving, winning gold at the 2020 Games in the 10m Synchro Platform event alongside Matty Lee. His other three medals are bronzes with another medal in the 10m Synchro and 2 in the 10m Platform. Outside of diving, Daley is known for his LGBT+ activism and his knitting.

Answer: Michael Foot

Michael Foot was born in Plymouth, Devon on 23rd July 1913. He became the leader of the Labour Party in 1980 near the beginning of Margaret Thatcher's term as prime minister although he was largely seen as ineffective. He was unpopular with both the public and members of his own party.

He resigned as party leader in 1983 after Labour suffered then-historic losses in the general election. He earned the nickname Worzel Gummidge, after the children's book scarecrow, because of his disheveled, curmudgeon-like appearance.

Answer: Parson

Jack Russell was born in Dartmouth, Devon on 21st December 1795. He became vicar of Swimbridge in 1832. Prior to this, he attended Exeter College and it was there he acquired his first dog, a white Terrier named Trump. Russell bred Trump with other dogs which eventually led to the creation of the Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier.

He was also a founding member of the Kennel Club.

Answer: Breast cancer

Jane McGrath was born Jane Steele in Paignton, Devon on 4th May 1966. She was working as a flight attendant when she met and married famous Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath in 1999. In 1997, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her cancer recurred in 2003 and metastasized. IN 2005, she and her husband founded the McGrath Foundation to raise breast cancer awareness in rural areas of Australia.

She died from breast cancer on 22nd June 2008.

Answer: Education

Mary Carpenter was born on 3rd April 1807, in Exeter, Devon. She was the daughter of clergyman and spent much of her life dedicated to advancing education reforms for women and poor children. She founded a series of schools called ragged schools, so-named because the poor children dressed too raggedly to attend any other school.

In addition, Carpenter was an anti-slavery advocate, fought for equal rights for women and advocated for prison reform.

Answer: St. Boniface

St. Boniface was born around the year 675. His birthplace is unknown but popular lore says it was around Crediton in Devon. Although he was believed to be born in Devon, most of his work was done in what is now Germany and he is known as the Apostle of Germany.

He died in Frisia at an old age when he was attacked by bandits. He was originally buried in Utrecht before his remains were relocated to Fulda Cathedral in Germany.