John Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere
Encyclopedia
John Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere, GBE
KCMG
PC
(22 February 1907 – 3 May 1989), was a British Conservative Party
politician who served as Governor of Bermuda
from 1964 to 1972.
The son of Roland Walkden Robinson of Blackpool
, Robinson was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, and was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn
in 1929. He was elected at the 1931 general election
as Member of Parliament (MP) for Widnes
, a seat he held until 1935
, when he was elected for Blackpool
. He held that seat until the constituency was divided at the 1945 election
, when he was elected for Blackpool South
, holding that seat until he retired from the House of Commons
at the 1964 general election
. Robinson never held ministerial office but was Chairman of the Conservative
Commonwealth Affairs Committee in the House of Commons
from 1954 to 1964. He was knighted in 1954, admitted to the Privy Council
in 1962, and in 1964 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Martonmere, of Blackpool in the County Palatine of Lancaster. The latter year he was also appointed Governor of Bermuda
, a post he held until 1972. He was further honoured when he was made a KCMG in 1966 and a GBE
in 1973.
Lord Martonmere married Maysie Gasque, daughter of Clarence Warren Gasque, in 1930. They had two children, one son and one daughter. Lord Martonmere died in May 1989, aged 82. He was succeeded in the Barony by his grandson, John Stephen Robinson.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(22 February 1907 – 3 May 1989), was a British Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician who served as Governor of Bermuda
Governor of Bermuda
The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
from 1964 to 1972.
The son of Roland Walkden Robinson of Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Robinson was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, and was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in 1929. He was elected at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
as Member of Parliament (MP) for Widnes
Widnes (UK Parliament constituency)
Widnes was a county constituency in England, based on the town of Widnes, in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
, a seat he held until 1935
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, when he was elected for Blackpool
Blackpool (UK Parliament constituency)
Blackpool was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Blackpool in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. He held that seat until the constituency was divided at the 1945 election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, when he was elected for Blackpool South
Blackpool South (UK Parliament constituency)
Blackpool South is a borough constituency in Lancashire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election, and was created in 1945.-History:...
, holding that seat until he retired from the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
at the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
. Robinson never held ministerial office but was Chairman of the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Commonwealth Affairs Committee in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
from 1954 to 1964. He was knighted in 1954, admitted to the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1962, and in 1964 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Martonmere, of Blackpool in the County Palatine of Lancaster. The latter year he was also appointed Governor of Bermuda
Governor of Bermuda
The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
, a post he held until 1972. He was further honoured when he was made a KCMG in 1966 and a GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1973.
Lord Martonmere married Maysie Gasque, daughter of Clarence Warren Gasque, in 1930. They had two children, one son and one daughter. Lord Martonmere died in May 1989, aged 82. He was succeeded in the Barony by his grandson, John Stephen Robinson.