Jean Robinson
Jean Robinson, CBE; JP; ( 8 December 1899 – 5 November 1987) was the first female mayor of Blackpool, Lancashire from 1968–1969, after having been member of the town council for 14 years.
She served as a Magistrate in the Juvenile Court and was President of the Blackpool Soroptomists.
She was appointed a CBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on the 14th June 1969;
Jean and her husband Noel, ran the café at Abingdon Street Market for 26 years.
She was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire and died in Richmond, Surrey.
The following is a biography dictated by Jean Robinson to her grandson Vaughan Griffiths in 1984.
Alderman Jean Robinson, J.P., C.B.E. (1899-1987)
• Born December 8th 1899 as Jane Yates in Ashton-under-Lyne (AUL) to Jane Williams (1863-1907) and John Yates (1962-193?).
• Jean attended the Trafalgar Day School in AUL.
• From a young age Jane preferred to be known as Jean.
• Jean had 2 older brothers , Jack (1886-c1933), Joe (1890-1914), and an older sister, Rebecca (1893-1914).
• Jean’s mother died in 1907.
• Jean’s father left home in c1910 leaving the offspring to fend for themselves in John St, AUL.
• In 1912, Jean gets PT employment learning to weave at Whittaker's Mill, AUL.
• Joe and Rebecca die within 5 weeks of each other in April and May 1914.
• Jack and Jean go to live in Albion St, AUL.
• In 1915, Jean gets a weaving job in Stalybridge. She would leave home at 5:30am, walk a mile and then take a half-penny ride on the tram.
• In 1915, Jack was sent to a hospital/institution and was never to come out, so Jean age 14 had lost all her family. Jean moves to Arundel St., Carrbrook, nr. AUL. She lived with a woman whose husband was in the army (1st World War).
• In 1918, Jean moves with her friend Jesse Wells to work at Vickers Shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, sweeping up in the submarine shop. They lived on Walney Island with Jesse’s cousin.
• In 1919, Jean moves to Scalby, near Scarborough to work as a domestic at Wrea Head Hall which was being used as a convalescence home for released conscientious objectors after the war.
• In 1921, Jean returns to Hyde. She lived in Well Meadow, Hyde with a Mrs. Renwick who was a national organizer for the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives.
• In 1922 Jean went for 9 months to Golders Green, London working as a domestic for a bank manager. She said she was lonely there, but went to Socialist Sunday school in London when she got a chance. After London, she returned once more to Hyde weaving.
• In 1923, Jean returns to AUL to work for a Mrs. Heap who ran the Stamford Nursing Home.
• In 1922, Jean meets her future husband, Noel Robinson (1901-1988) in AUL. Noel goes to Russia from 1922-24. When he returned he looked Jean up at the Nursing Home.
• In 1925 Noel gets a job working for Vickers in Weybridge, Surrey as a skilled fitter and millwright and lives in Byfleet (nr. Weybridge). Noel’s mother encourages Jean to visit Noel in Surrey.
• In 1926 Jean leaves the Nursing home to move to Byfleet and they get married on 21st May 1926 in Kingston, Surrey.
• In 1927 with Jean pregnant, they move back to AUL to live with Noel’s mother.
• Only child Decia Robinson (1927-2011) born in AUL at 213 Portland Street on 10th December 1927. Delivered by Mrs. Heap.
• In 1928 Noel gets a job in Bristol, but Jean and Decia stay in AUL with Noel’s mother. After some unemployment in 1929-1930, Noel returns to a job in Miles Platting in 1930.
• In 1933, Jean and Noel move to Blackpool to open a café in the Abingdon Street market which they ran for the next 26 years until 1959.
• They initially rented a flat on 54 Caunce St and then for many years at 26 Cheapside, Blackpool.
• Decia went to school at Devonshire Rd Junior School from 1934-1936, and then the Blackpool Collegiate School for girls from 1939-1946.
• In 1940, Noel went to work as a tool fitter at Vickers in Blackpool as part of the war effort making aircraft.
• Jean’s son-in-law was Will Griffiths M.P., who represented Manchester Moss Side and Manchester Exchange constituencies as the Labour M.P. for 28 years from 1945-1973. Both Will and Decia were opticians and Fellows of the British Optical Association (F.B.O.A.). Jean and Noel had 2 grandchildren Vaughan (1953-) who is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, USA and Stella (1957-) who is an optician in Huddersfield.
• In 1957, Jean and Noel bought a house at 203 Hornby Road, Blackpool.
• Jean is elected to the Blackpool local council in 1954 representing the Talbot Ward.
• In 1954 she also became an Alderman and Justice of the Peace.
• Jean becomes the first woman, and second Labour Mayor of Blackpool (1968-69). That year, Blackpool hosted both the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences and the TUC.
• Jean receives the C.B.E. from the Queen at Buckingham Palace on the 14th June 1969.
• Jean was almost entirely self-educated. In the 1970s she went back to college to study for O- and A-levels.
• She was active in the Soroptimists and the Workers Education Association (WEA).
• In 1986, Jean and Noel move from 203 Hornby Road, Blackpool, to 24 Onslow Avenue, Richmond, Surrey to live with their daughter Decia.
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