Geneva Bible translation, Tudor statesman (privy councillor and 1549 Lord Mayor of London) philanthropist and scholar, associated with the character "Old Sir Rowland" in the Shakespeare comedy As You Like It Sir Thomas Adams, 1st Baronet (1586 in Wem – 1667/1668) Lord Mayor of London and MP for the City of London from 1654–1655 and 1656–1658. William Wycherley (1641–1716) a restoration dramatist, brought up at nearby Trench Farm. George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys (1645-1689) aka 'Judge Jeffreys' took his title as Baron Jeffreys of Wem in 1685; had house at Lowe Hall near the town. Samuel Garbet (died 1751?) master at Wem Grammar School, wrote the first history of Wem Philip Holland (1721 in Wem – 1789) nonconformist minister. John Astley (1724 in Wem – 1787) portrait painter and amateur architect William Hazlitt (1778–1830) an essayist, drama and literary critic, painter and philosopher. Sir John Bickerton Williams (1792-1855 in Wem), lawyer, nonconformist historian. Edward Whalley-Tooker (1863 in Wem – 1940) cricketer, played for Hampshire. Anna Essinger (1879–1960) a German Jewish educator; during WWII cared for refugee children in Trench Hall Donald Court (1912 in Wem-1994) paedriatician. Peter Jones (1920 in Wem – 2000) actor, screenwriter and broadcaster and for 29 years a regular contestant on the panel game Just A Minute Peter Vaughan (1923 in Wem – 2016) character actor, known for his role as Grouty in the sitcom Porridge Barry Davies (1944 in Wem - 2016) SAS soldier and author Sybil Ruscoe (born 1960 in Wem) radio and television presenter Greg Davies (born 1968) stand-up comedian, actor was brought up and went to Thomas Adams School in Wem Neil Faith (born 1981) English semi-retired professional wrestler, went to Thomas Adams School in Wem Further reading Woodwood, Iris "A Story of Wem". 1952, Wem Urban District Council, Wildings of Shrewsbury. Everard, Judith et al "Victoria County History Shropshire – Wem", 2019. The History of Wem by Samuel Garbet (1818) Freedom of the Town The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Town of Wem. Military Units RAF Shawbury: 1 August 2018. See also Listed buildings in Wem Urban Listed buildings in Wem Rural References External links Wem Town Hall – history, events, information Old Pictures of Wem Towns in Shropshire Market towns in Shropshire Towns of the Welsh Marches