Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere

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.

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 (1907-02-22)22 February 1907
Died	3 May 1989(1989-05-03) (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

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

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.