All cities, towns, villages and hamlets in Britain can allude to Local Characters of note. Great Yarmouth and Gorleston-on-Sea are no exception and can include amongst its most notable worthies, people who have been important in national terms.
One such person was George William Manby (1765-1854) who, although, not being born in Great Yarmouth, envisaged his best known invention "The Manby Mortar" whilst living in the town.
The hospital which is local to Great Yarmouth and Gorleston-on-Sea is named after James Paget (1814-1899) the eminent 19th century surgeon who was born in the town. During his lifetime he received many accolades not least being appointed surgeon extraordinary to Queen Victoria, and subsequently in 1863, surgeon in ordinary to the Prince of Wales.
William Adams (1864-1913)was a truly heroic figure. He started his lifesaving exploits when he was eleven years old, rescuing a girl who had fallen into the sea from the South Pier at Gorleston. His final rescue was made whilst he was not in the best of health and may have contributed to his own untimely death at the age of forty nine years.