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 London, 1958–59. He was educated at Pangbourne 1939–43, and Hill Crest School. He married in 1950, Elizabeth Marion Grace, the elder daughter of John Findlay, JP, of Busby House, Lanarks. Two children Nicholas and Christopher.
Naval career
He was an Elder Brother of Trinity House 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 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.
On leaving the sea he joined the Lloyd's 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. He was knighted GBE in 1976. 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 six 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 the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. At the end of the mayoralty, Gillett returned to his then home in Knightsbridge and back to his firm after a rest period. He was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod of the Order of the British Empire from 1985 to 2000.
Chronology
Elder Brother of Trinity House
Fellow and Founder Member, Nautical Institute City of London : Common Councilman 1965–69
