Robin Gillett
Encyclopedia
Sir Robin Danvers Penrose Gillett, 2nd Baronet, GBE
, RD (9 November 1925 – 21 April 2009), was Lord Mayor of London
1976-77. He was also Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod
1985 – 30 November 2000.
, 1958-59. He was educated at the Pangbourne Nautical College 1939-43, and Hill Crest School. He married in 1950, Elizabeth Marion Grace (died 1997), the elder daughter of John Findlay, JP, of Busby House, Lanarks. Two children Nicholas (born 1955) and Christopher (the singer, born 1958).
and Admiral of the City Livery Yacht Club. Served Canadian Pacific Steamships, 1943–60; Master Mariner 1951; Staff Comdr 1957; Hon. Comdr RNR 1971.
After the Nautical College he went to sea as a cadet with Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd with which he served on North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Russian convoys. He remained with Canadian Pacific until after the war obtaining his Master Mariner's Certificate in 1951. In 1950 he joined the Royal Naval Reserve
.
From 1953 he served for a year in the Persian Gulf in the frigate HMS Flamingo
doing RNR training and in 1957 became the youngest Staff Commander of the Canadian Pacific flagship the Empress of Scotland, a rank he held until he left the sea in August 1960 having been recruited while serving in the Empress of Britain
.
broking firm of Bevington, Vaizey and Foster and after training commenced as Administration Manager there.
In 1965 he was elected to the Common Council of the City of London and also as an underwriting member of Lloyd's. He was elected an Alderman
in 1969 and Sheriff of the City of London for 1973.
On 29 September 1976 he was elected as Lord Mayor of London and on 12 November he entered the
Mansion House
. Unfortunately his father had died eight days before he was elected. Of the 648 Lord Mayors that preceded him, only 6 had actually succeeded their fathers in a direct line and not one had succeeded in becoming Lord Mayor during his father's lifetime. There followed a very hectic year at the Mansion House, the crowning event of which was of course the Silver Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II. At the end of the mayoralty, Gillett returned to his then home in Knightsbridge and back to his firm after a suitable rest period.
Author: A Fish out of Water 2001. Dogwatch Doggerel 2004.
GBE
GBE or Gbe may refer to:* Gbe languages, a group of languages in West Africa* Gigabit ethernet, a term for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second* Government business enterprise...
, RD (9 November 1925 – 21 April 2009), was Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
1976-77. He was also Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod
Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod
The Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod is the Usher to the Order of the British Empire, established in 1917 and effective since 1918.-Office Holders from 1918:*1918 – 23 August 1952: Sir Frederic Kenyon*30 September 1952 – 2 December 1960: Sir Ernest Gowers...
1985 – 30 November 2000.
Family and education
Born in London on Lord Mayor's Day, as it then was, on 9 November 1925, Robin Gillett was the only child of Captain Sir Harold Gillett, 1st Baronet MC FCA, who was Lord Mayor of LondonLord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
, 1958-59. He was educated at the Pangbourne Nautical College 1939-43, and Hill Crest School. He married in 1950, Elizabeth Marion Grace (died 1997), the elder daughter of John Findlay, JP, of Busby House, Lanarks. Two children Nicholas (born 1955) and Christopher (the singer, born 1958).
Naval career
He was an Elder Brother of Trinity HouseTrinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
and Admiral of the City Livery Yacht Club. Served Canadian Pacific Steamships, 1943–60; Master Mariner 1951; Staff Comdr 1957; Hon. Comdr RNR 1971.
After the Nautical College he went to sea as a cadet with Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd with which he served on North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Russian convoys. He remained with Canadian Pacific until after the war obtaining his Master Mariner's Certificate in 1951. In 1950 he joined the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
.
From 1953 he served for a year in the Persian Gulf in the frigate HMS Flamingo
HMS Flamingo
Two ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Flamingo, after the bird.* The first Flamingo was a composite screw gunvessel launched in 1876, sent to harbour service in 1893, and sold 1923....
doing RNR training and in 1957 became the youngest Staff Commander of the Canadian Pacific flagship the Empress of Scotland, a rank he held until he left the sea in August 1960 having been recruited while serving in the Empress of Britain
Empress of Britain
RMS Empress of Britain was a transatlantic ocean liner built by Fairfield Shipbuilding at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland in 1905-1906 for Canadian Pacific Steamship . This ship -- the first of three CP vessels to be named Empress of Britain -- regularly traversed the trans-Atlantic route between...
.
Lloyd's and the City
On leaving the sea he joined the Lloyd'sLloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
broking firm of Bevington, Vaizey and Foster and after training commenced as Administration Manager there.
In 1965 he was elected to the Common Council of the City of London and also as an underwriting member of Lloyd's. He was elected an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in 1969 and Sheriff of the City of London for 1973.
On 29 September 1976 he was elected as Lord Mayor of London and on 12 November he entered the
Mansion House
Mansion House, London
Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. It is used for some of the City of London's official functions, including an annual dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, at which the Chancellor of the Exchequer customarily gives a speech – his...
. Unfortunately his father had died eight days before he was elected. Of the 648 Lord Mayors that preceded him, only 6 had actually succeeded their fathers in a direct line and not one had succeeded in becoming Lord Mayor during his father's lifetime. There followed a very hectic year at the Mansion House, the crowning event of which was of course the Silver Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II. At the end of the mayoralty, Gillett returned to his then home in Knightsbridge and back to his firm after a suitable rest period.
Chronology
- Elder Brother of Trinity House
- Fellow and Founder Member, Nautical Institute City of London (Ward of Bassishaw): Common Councilman 1965–69
- Alderman 1969–96
- Sheriff 1973
- One of HM Lieuts for City of London, 1975
- Chairman Civil Defence Committee, 1967–68
- President, City of London Civil Defence Instructors Association, 1967–78
- Vice-President, City of London Centre, St John Ambulance Association
- President, National Waterways Transport Association, 1979–83
- Dep. Commonwealth President, Royal Life Saving Society, 1981–96
- Chairman Council, Maritime Volunteer Service, 1998–2000, Governor, 2000–
- Vice-Chairman, PLA, 1979–84
- Master, Honourable Company of Master MarinersHonourable Company of Master MarinersThe Honourable Company of Master Mariners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company was formed in 1926; it was made a Livery Company by the City of London in 1932, making it the first new Livery Company to be formed in over a century...
, 1979–80 - Trustee, National Maritime MuseumNational Maritime MuseumThe National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
, 1982–92 - Chairman of Governors, Pangbourne CollegePangbourne CollegePangbourne College is a coeducational independent school located in the civil parish of Pangbourne, just South West of the village, in the English County of Berkshire....
, 1978–92 - Chancellor, City University, 1976–77
- FIAM (Pres., 1980–84; Gold Medal, 1982)
- FRCM 1991. Hon. DSc City, 1976.
- Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod, Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe 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...
, 1985–2000 - KStJKSTJKSTJ may refer to:* KFRH, a radio station licensed to Boulder City, Nevada, United States, which used the call sign KSTJ from September 1998 to October 2007...
1977 (OStJ 1974) - Gold Medal, Administrative Management Soc., USA, 1983
- Officer, Order of Leopard, Zaire, 1973
- Commander, Order of Dannebrog, 1974
- Johan Setia MahkotaOrder of the Crown of MalaysiaThe Most Esteemed Order of the Crown of Malaysia is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The order was instituted on 15 April 1966. The order has three ranks:...
(Companion of the Order of the Crown of Malaysia) (Malaysia), 1974 - Grand Cross of Municipal Merit (Lima), 1977
Author: A Fish out of Water 2001. Dogwatch Doggerel 2004.
External links
- http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/3278706.jpg%3Fv%3D1%26c%3DViewImages%26k%3D2%26d%3D2C48553CC6AAB74CB161DB0F53CCB1E2A55A1E4F32AD3138&imgrefurl=http://www.jamd.com/image/g/3278706&usg=__-XNHFUwsMy-TrkS8YwwvRzMZ8_g=&h=460&w=594&sz=49&hl=en&start=5&sig2=LtiLwILSCpxVsEkmTBGMxQ&um=1&tbnid=UW9gCOwy6OY0oM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522robin%2Bgillett%2522%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=cwHzScOsIY2ZjAeIopXODAPhotograph]
- Sir Robin Gillett - Daily Telegraph obituary
