John Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere, GBE, KCMG, PC (22 February 1907 – 3 May 1989)[1] was a British Conservative Party politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1931 to 1964. Subsequently, he served as Governor of Bermuda from 1964 to 1972.
Early life
Robinson was born on 22 February 1907. He was the son of solicitor[2] Roland Walkden Robinson of Blackpool and the former Mary Collier Pritchard, a daughter of Joseph Pritchard, also of Blackpool.[3]
He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1929.[3]
Career
Robinson was elected at the 1931 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Widnes, a seat he held until 1935,[4] when he was elected for Blackpool.[5] He held that seat until the constituency was divided at the 1945 election, when he was elected for Blackpool South,[6] holding that seat until he retired from the House of Commons at the 1964 general election.[7]
Robinson never held ministerial office, but he was Chairman of the Conservative Commonwealth Affairs Committee in the House of Commons from 1954 to 1964. He was knighted in 1954,[8] and admitted in 1962 to the Privy Council.
In 1964, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Martonmere, of Blackpool in the County Palatine of Lancaster.[9] During the latter year, he was also appointed as Governor of Bermuda, a post he held until 1972. He was further honoured when he was awarded a KCMG in 1966 and a GBE in 1973.[10]
Personal life
In 1930, Robinson was married to Maysie Gasque, daughter of Clarence Warren Gasque. After moving to Bermuda, they spent summers at Romay House in Tucker's Town and winters at Lyford Cay in Nassau, Bahamas. They had one son and one daughter:[10]
- Richard Robinson (1935–1979), who married Wendy Patricia Blagden, a daughter of James Cecil Blagden of Bapchild Court, in 1959.[3]
- Loretta Robinson (1939–2022), who married Edward S. Rogers Jr., a Canadian businessman who founded Rogers Communications, in 1963.[11]
Robinson died at his home in Lyford Cay (Nassau, Bahamas) in May 1989, at the age of 82.[10] He was succeeded in the Barony of Martonmere by his grandson, John Stephen Robinson (b. 1963).
Descendants
Through his daughter Loretta, he was a grandfather of Lisa Anne Rogers (adopted), Edward S. Rogers III, Melinda Mary Rogers, and Martha Loretta Rogers.[3]
Arms
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References
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 3)
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 2632
- ^ a b c d Morris, Susan (20 April 2020). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019. p. 3581. ISBN 978-1-9997670-5-1. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 409. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ^ Craig, op. cit., page 93
- ^ Craig, op. cit., page 95
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)
- ^ "No. 40227". The London Gazette. 9 July 1954. p. 4026.
- ^ "No. 43323". The London Gazette. 15 May 1964. p. 4191.
- ^ a b c "Lord Martonmere". The New York Times. 5 May 1989. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ Austen, Ian (3 December 2008). "Edward S. Rogers Jr., Canadian Media Mogul, Dies at 75". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Debrett's Peerage. 2019.
External links
- Cracroft's Peerage page
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere
- John Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere at National Portrait Gallery, London
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