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Flag of Anguilla at the Foreign Office. Photo by Foreign and Commonwealth Office- Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Most Famous People from Anguilla

Anguilla is a captivating and enticing heavenly island in the Eastern Caribbean. The island’s most appealing feature is its pristine white sand beaches, combined with nice locals, remarkable crystal clear waters, and a totally awesome island ambience that cannot be found in other regions of the Caribbean. Due to the tranquil and serene nature of life, you can do as much or as little as you want.

1.Carlos Newton

Carlos Newton was born on August 17, 1976. He is a former Canadian MMA fighter of Anguillian origin. He is a Pride FC Japan MMA Legend and retired UFC Welterweight Champion. He was recognised as “The Ronin” and participated in the world’s top MMA institutions, such as the UFC, Pride FC, IFL, K-1, Shooto, and most recently W-1.

He holds a 3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Renzo Gracie at Warrior MMA in Newmarket, Ontario, together with his coach Terry Riggs.

Newton has always been regarded as a fan favorite and a “Submission Master,” and he has termed his personal boxing style — a hybrid of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling, Karate, and Boxing — “Dragon Ball Jiu-Jitsu” in honor of the Dragon Ball manga and anime company.

Newton is among the only a few MMA athletes who has ever been permitted to participate in both the UFC and Pride FC at the same time, demonstrating his international appeal. He is regarded as a mixed martial arts innovator in Canada, having become the first Canadian UFC Champion at UFC 31 (Welterweight) by defeating Pat Miletich.

2.Shara Proctor

Shara Proctor during 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. Photo by Erik van Leeuwen- Wikimedia commons

Shara Proctor was born on born the 16th of September 1988. She is a British long jump championship winner, who retired after a brilliant career which included awards at world, European, and Commonwealth games, as well as a sixth-place finish at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

While she first set the British record in 2012, the 33-year-old broke it in 2015 with her silver medal-winning leap at the World Championships in Beijing. Proctor had led the competition going into the final round however, was only surpassed on the day by Tianna Bartoletta of the United States, who jumped a world record 7.14m to win the gold medal.

She managed to win bronze medals at the World Indoors in Istanbul in 2012, the European Championships in Berlin in 2018, and the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.

In recent years, the women’s long jump has been one of the greatest events for the British team. Proctor, along with Lorraine Ugen and Jazmin Sawyers, was one of three British women long jumpers to make the final in Berlin for the first time in more than a half-century.

Furthermore, the three-time British champion has won five Diamond League throughout her career.

3.Chesney Hughes

Chesney Francis Hughes, born 20 January 1991, is a West Indian cricketer who represents the Leeward Islands. He was born on the Caribbean island of Anguilla.

Hughes, who holds a British passport, joined Derbyshire in June 2009 and made his List A first appearance against Warwickshire in the 2009 Pro40 League, he managed to score four runs.

Hughes began the early 2010 season by scoring 41 on his first-class breakout performance against Middlesex at Lord’s in May 2010. Two weeks later, in only his fifth innings of county cricket, he attained three figures for the first time in first-class cricket.

Hughes went on to score another century, 156 against Northamptonshire at Chesterfield, and three half centuries, one of which was a match-winning 96* on a debatable wicket at Bristol.

Hughes scored 784 runs at an average of 41.26 in Championship cricket in 2010. He managed to score 422 runs at an average of 35.16 in limited overs cricket.

Hughes spent the winter of 2010/11 in the Caribbean after being selected for the Leeward Islands squad.

Hughes managed to score 270 not out against Yorkshire at Headingley in 2013, his highest first-class score. It was also the second-highest personal innings in Derbyshire’s record at the time. Within the same year, he was eligible for both England and the West Indies.

Notwithstanding averaging 53 in the County Championship that season, he transferred from Derbyshire and played his final first-class match for the Leeward Islands in 2017.

4.Omari Banks

Omari Banks. Photo by AMC03- Wikimedia commons

Omari Ahmed Clement Banks, born on July 17, 1982, is an Anguillan musician and retired cricket player who played in 10 Tests for the West Indies as well as national tournaments for the Leeward Islands. Banks started pursuing a professional musical career in 2011, and has become less engaged in playing domestic cricket since. He officially retired from cricket on January 31, 2012.

5.Keith Connor

Keith Leroy Connor (born September 16, 1957 in Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory) is a former athlete who played for Great Britain and England.

In 1964, Connor moved to the United Kingdom with his parents. He went on to participate in the Great Britain as an athlete, primarily in the triple jump. At the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, he represented England and won a gold medal in the triple jump event.

He won the triple jump gold again four years later when he played for England at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He went on to win gold at the 1982 European Athletics Championships and bronze at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Connor studied at the University of Texas at El Paso in the United States from 1978 to 1980 before transferring to Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he contested with distinction in the US national collegiate championships (NCAA).

Following an injury, he stepped down from active tournaments in 1984 and started an outstanding record as a team manager and sports supervisor. After retiring from competing, Connor spent many years coaching on the American college scene before being assigned head coach at the New South Wales Institute of Sport in 1990.

Due to the good work in restructuring the New South Wales Institute of Sport, he was commended with assisting Australian athletes in winning medals at the Olympics in Barcelona, Atlanta, and Sydney. There after his success at the NSW Institute of Sport, Connor was hired as Athletics Australia’s head coach in 2001.

The Australian media has praised him as a tough-minded disciplinarian. The chairman of an Australian Sports Commission evaluation of the sport, Herb Elliott, stated:

“Some argue that he has advanced the sport. He’s had to take some drastic measures. As a result, he’s irritated a few individuals, and some are against him… however, he’s done a terrific job.”

Keith was rejected for the position of Head Coach by the British Athletics Board in 2006, despite being generally viewed as the strongest choice.

BAB rejected him for the second time, the first being in 1990. Racial prejudice accusations surrounded his isolation.

6.Bankie Banx

Banky Banx is the leading musician on Anguilla and has a great restaurant/bar/night club on the beach there. Photo by Alan Turkus- Wikimedia commons

Bankie Banx, a founding father of Anguillan reggae artist born in 1953, has worked with artists such as Bob Dylan and Jimmy Cliff. He is one of the Eastern Caribbean’s most unique and praised musicians.

In 1977, Banx and his band The Roots and the Herbs released their debut self-titled album. His music combines components of classical reggae, folk, jazz, funk, rhythm and blues as well as his raspy baritone voice has been compared to a cross between Bob Dylan as well as Bob Marley, reggae’s pioneer.

He has since earned the gentle and loving nickname “Anguillan Bob Dylan.” Banx rose to prominence after appearing in the breakthrough 1983 reggae documentary Cool Runnings, which was shot at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where he performed along with other recognized musicians like Gil Scott Heron.

Banx, who is still based in Anguilla, has released 12 albums and is the creator of the Moonsplash Festival, which he founded in 1991. Every March, the independent music festival features performances by well-known performers including Rita Marley, The Wailers, and Toots and the Maytals.

Banks is also an outspoken advocate for environmental preservation and youth challenges and he recently launched Project Stingray, a music and arts education program for the less fortunate youth.

7.Cardigan Connor

Cardigan Connor (born 24 March 1961) was a politician from Anguilla who served in the House of Assembly. He was also a professional cricketer in the past.

Connor went to West End Primary School and The Valley Secondary School. He continued his studies at Langley College in England.

As per his excellent professional cricket career with Hampshire County Cricket Club, he is an absolutely stellar sports ambassador for Anguilla. Sports are being used as a strong influence to advance Anguilla’s youth.

On 30 May 1984 (Anguilla Day), he made his first-class appearance for Hampshire ccc, where he stayed for 15 years.

Connor took over 1,000 wickets for Hampshire in all tournaments after being discovered by sports agent Charlie Knott while playing for Buckinghamshire. There has never been a finer sportsman in the whole country like him. Connor was said to have tried to contend for tempo with his new-ball partner, Malcolm Marshall, early in his career. Connor’s real value became evident right after Marshall stepped down, and it was no coincidence that his career-high 9 for 38 came at the age of 35.

Connor moved back to Anguilla after retiring from cricket to work as a hotel massage therapist.

Connor managed to win the District 7 West End seat on an Anguilla United Front ticket in his very first election on April 22, 2015. Kristy Richardson of the Anguilla United Movement gained 313 votes (44.27%), while Connor gained 389 votes (55.02%).

8.Ronald Webster

James Ronald Webster was born on the 2nd of March 1926 was an Anguilla politician. He was Chief Minister of the island region from 10 February 1976 to 1 February 1977, and once more from May 1980 to 12 March 1984.

Before becoming a Chief Minister, Webster was appointed Chairman of the Anguilla Island Council when the region seceded from the Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla government in 1967, owing to his leadership of the Anguillan Revolution.

In response to claims of unfair treatment of the public and governmental abuse of funds (for instance, Anguilla got financial support from Canada to construct a pier on the island; the funds were transferred to the central government on Saint Kitts, and a pier was constructed – on Saint Kitts).

Anguillans dominantly voted in a referendum on July 11 to gain independence from the Associated State and become a distinctive British colony.

From January 1968 to January 1969, Britain sent a consultant, Tony Lee, to exercise “interim basic administrative authority” in conjunction with Ronald Webster; St. Kitts declined to extend the interim deal and the British authorities left.

In February 1969, islanders voted once more to secede from Saint Kitts and Nevis and form a “independent republic.”

A British Junior Minister from the United Kingdom landed in March 1969 to develop another “interim agreement,” but was promptly evicted. Three hundred British army soldiers and two warships turned up eight days later to “maintain order.” Tony Lee was appointed as a Commissioner for Local Government.

Following an interim agreement in 1971, a new constitution was adopted in 1976. Anguilla was officially separated from Saint Kitts and Nevis in 1980 and reverted to being a British colony.

9.Barbara Webster Bourne

Since July 17, 2020, Hon. Barbara Webster-Bourne has served as Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly. She also worked there from February 27, 2010 to May 11, 2015.

She ran for the Island Harbour constituency three times. In the 1999 general election, she ran for the Anguilla Democratic Party, as well as the 2000 and 2005 general elections, she ran as an independent.

After the 2010 Anguillan national election, Webster-Bourne was elected Speaker of the House of Assembly on February 27, becoming the first woman to hold the position in Anguilla’s history. She took over for outgoing speaker David Carty.

Alistair Harrison, the Governor of Anguilla, said of her appointment, “I believe she holds one of the most stressful tasks in Anguilla, and I wish her well in her significant priorities.”

She chastised the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Leroy Rogers, in 2012 after he publicly criticized her on Radio Anguilla.

He contended that Webster-Bourne should not have had a viewpoint on whether one of the presented violations should have been represented during the passage of the Vehicles and Road Traffic Amendment Bill 2011.

She reminded him that the office of speaker is non-political however, she has such privileges under the Anguilla Constitution Order 1982.

The very next year, she had a public spat with members of the opposition party, who accused her of not staying neutral and enabling the ruling coalition to pass laws as they saw fit. She responded with a public letter posted in The Anguillian, to which they responded by threatening to bring a motion of no-confidence against her in the House of Assembly.

All of this was part of an ongoing feud between Webster-Bourne and the opposition party, the leader of which, Evans McNiel Rogers, she had dismissed from the chamber on numerous times. Following the 2015 Anguillan national election, Webster-Bourne was succeeded as speaker by her deputy, Leroy Rogers, on May 11, 2015.

10.Shellya Rogers-Webster

Miss Rogers has competed in a number of beauty contests. She was won The miss CCB Talented Teen in 2006, competed in the Haynes Smith Caribbean Talented Teen in December 2006 and was awarded the title Miss Digicel Caribbean Talented Teen in 2005. She was crowned Miss Anguilla in 2010.

Miss Rogers is a firm believer that each individual is accountable for shaping their own future and that optimism is the foundation for success. Shellya Rogers is a young woman to be commended for her perseverance to have an impact while also assisting the growth of her community.