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The Right Honourable
The Lord Martonmere
GBE KCMG PC
The Right Honourable The Lord Martonmere GBE KCMG PC
Governor of Bermuda
	In office; 1964–1972
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Julian Gascoigne
Succeeded by	Sir Richard Sharples
Member of Parliament for Blackpool South
	In office; 5 July 1945 – 25 September 1964
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Peter Blaker
Member of Parliament for Blackpool
	In office; 14 November 1935 – 15 June 1945
Preceded by	Clifford Erskine-Bolst
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament for Widnes
	In office; 27 October 1931 – 25 October 1935
Preceded by	Alexander Gordon Cameron
Succeeded by	Richard Pilkington
Personal details
Born	John Roland Robinson; 22 February 1907
Died	3 May 1989 (aged 82); Lyford Cay, Nassau, Bahamas
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Maysie Gasque; (after 1930)
Relations	Edward S. Rogers III (grandson); John Stephen Robinson, 2nd Baron Martonmere (grandson)
Children	2, including Loretta Robinson
Alma mater	Trinity Hall, Cambridge

John Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere, GBE, KCMG, PC (22 February 1907 – 3 May 1989^[1]) was a British Conservative Party politician who later 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

He 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 was Chairman of the Conservative Commonwealth Affairs Committee in the House of Commons from 1954 to 1964. He was knighted in 1954,^[8] admitted in 1962 to the Privy Council, and in 1964 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 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.^[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, Tucker's Town and winters at Lyford Cay. 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, Edward S. Rogers III, Melinda Mary Rogers, and Martha Loretta Rogers.^[3]

Arms

Coat of arms of Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere
	Crest A lion's head erased Or in the mouth a crescent Gules. Escutcheon Argent a three masted merchant ship of early eighteenth century date the mainsails furled Proper on a chief Azure a portcullis chained between two roses Or. Supporters Dexter a lion Or collared flory counterflory Gules sinister a stag Gules attired and unguled collared flory counterflory Or.^[12] Motto Integrity and understanding.

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

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Alexander Gordon Cameron	Member of Parliament for Widnes 1931–1935	Succeeded by Richard Pilkington
Preceded by Clifford Erskine-Bolst	Member of Parliament for Blackpool 1935–1945	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Blackpool South 1945–1964	Succeeded by Peter Blaker
Political offices
Preceded by Sir Julian Gascoigne	Governor of Bermuda 1964–1972	Succeeded by Sir Richard Sharples
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Baron Martonmere 1964–1989	Succeeded by John Stephen Robinson