People from Beith

John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense realism, and while president of the College of New Jersey (1768–1794; now Princeton University) became an influential figure in the development of the United States' national character. Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. Later, he signed the Articles of Confederation and supported ratification of the Constitution of the United States.

Dugald Patterson McDougall Semple (7 February 1884 – 19 January 1964) was a Scottish advocate of simple living and animal rights, naturalist, prolific author, and fruitarian. He is sometimes credited with co-founding the vegan movement in 1944 (with Dorothy and Donald Watson and other friends) without using the term "vegan".

Patrick Travers (28 May 1883 – 5 February 1962) was a Scottish football player and manager in the first half of the 20th century. He played for many clubs in his native Scotland and for Barnsley in England, before becoming involved in coaching, and later, management, winning the Scottish Cup with Clyde on two occasions either side of World War II.

General Sir Rob McGregor MacDonald Lockhart KCB CIE MC (23 June 1893 – 11 September 1981) was a senior British Army officer during the World War II and later a leading member of the Scout Association. He served as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army upon India's independence.

Henry Faulds (1 June 1843 – 24 March 1930) was a Scottish doctor, missionary and scientist who is noted for the development of fingerprinting.

James Frederick Skinner Gordon (1821–1904) was a Scottish antiquary and a minister in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Marjory Newbold (25 May 1883 - 15 November 1926) was a leading Scottish socialist and communist, prominent in the Independent Labour Party and in the 'Red Clydeside' movement demanding reforms for the working class. Newbold organised pacifist and Marxist activism in 1917 - 1920s across the UK, and was one of the first British people to visit Russia after the revolution when she travelled incognito into Russia with delegates including Sylvia Pankhurst, to the Second World Congress of the Comintern (Communist International).

George Higgins was a Scottish amateur football centre half who played in the Scottish League for Queen's Park.

William McGuire (born 24 March 1860) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre forward.

John "Jock" Walker (born 1882 in Beith; died 16 December 1968) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Raith Rovers, Beith, Rangers, Swindon Town, Middlesbrough, Reading and Scotland.