Jean's
life story
Jean Ruth Robertson was born on January 8th, 1931, in Deptford, London, to Alfred Charles Robertson, a factory worker and Constance Maud Robertson (née Barker), also a factory worker who later became a homemaker. She was their second child, born seven years after her brother Alfred and ten years before her two sisters, twins Muriel and Marian.
The family lived in Deptford until 1933 when they moved to Porthkerry Avenue in Welling, where Jean lived (save for some crucial adventures abroad) until she died in 2022.
Jean as a child.
Jean often fondly reminisced about her childhood. She loved to spend time with her siblings and cousins. She described her brother Alf as “kind and gentle,” although she complained that he would tease and tickle her relentlessly. Of her sisters, she said, “they were intelligent but mischievous!”
Jean loved being their big sister, and they remained close her entire life. She introduced Muriel and Marian to some of their favourite classic books, took them to the theatre and instilled her love of song and dance in them. The twins fondly remember Jean taking them to see shows such as The Mouse Trap and South Pacific and singing musical numbers all the time.
The love for musical theatre was not restricted to being an audience member - for a fundraising event, Jean performed Burlington Bertie, the lyrics of which remained a staple in the Robertson household for years.
As Maud was one of 11 children, Jean and her siblings had many cousins to play with. Jean particularly enjoyed family holidays in classic English seaside spots like Bude and Ramsgate, where the family would go with Maud’s sister Emily (aunty Em), her husband Charlie and their son Bob. Irene and Amy were also cousins Jean loved dearly. Often, they would spend Christmas together too.
Robertson family, 1941.
While living in Welling, Jean attended Hook Lane Infants (now Hook Lane Primary School). “I was never a good girl,” she said of her time there. She often recounted stories from her school days that mostly ended with “... and that’s how I nearly got expelled.”
When the war broke out in 1939, Jean remembered picking hops in Bickley near Northiam when her mother and aunt Rose came out of a nearby shop in tears. She found it very confusing to see grown-ups crying but was delighted to find an Anderson shelter in the garden upon arriving home. “The war was great fun, and my childhood was idyllic,” she once recounted, with the same optimism and innocence that remained with her throughout her life.
Jean (centre) with twins Muriel and Marian, circa 1948.
In London, there were some close encounters with unexploded bombs and air raids which Jean mainly found amusing at the tender age of eight.
She was eventually evacuated with her pregnant mother and aunty Em while her father continued his essential factory work, and her brother went off to fight for Great Britain.
They moved around during the war, first to Blackheath, then Knebworth, followed by St. Ippolyts. They settled longer in London Colney, where Jean attended St Alban’s Girls’ Grammar School. Oblivious to the world at war around her, Jean loved the small-town life she shared with her mother, aunt and younger sisters.
The family then moved to a bungalow in Rhigos, South Wales, where Jean attended Aberdare High School. Even though the locals teased her for her London accent, she remembered Wales fondly - often singing Myfanwy in memory of the 1966 Aberfan disaster. When Winston Churchill announced the war's end in 1945, they returned to the house in Welling.
Jean transferred to Dartford County School (now known as Dartford Grammar School for Girls), from which she graduated in 1947. Her report cards detailed a rambunctious and energetic young girl who was “too noisy in the corridors” and “too easily satisfied with her work.” When she found her school reports years later, she said, “I could have tried harder; I just simply didn’t want to!”
During this time, she spent Saturdays playing defence position for Crackenford Ladies Hockey Club. Sometimes she played mixed hockey which she said gave her an “insight into the male psyche” she hadn’t acquired at an all-girls school.
Jean also had an entrepreneurial spirit and used her seamstress skills to make a little money. She bought a knitting machine to make and sell jumpers and grew mushrooms in the cupboard. These enterprises weren’t particularly profitable, but she continued honing her dressmaking skills, making her sisters’ school uniforms and later Muriel's wedding dress. In true Jean fashion, she ran out of time and needed her friend Dodie to rustle up something for her to wear.
Jean's report cards, 1941-1947
At 17, Jean went on her first of many fantastic holidays; she hitchhiked to Scotland with family friend Joan Donaldson. Soon after, she travelled to France with her school friend Sheila and then to Norway with Olive from the hockey club. She loved travelling and inspired the spirit of adventure in many others. For example, she took her teen niece, Barbara, on a trip to Paris. Barbara was mainly homesick, but Jean insisted a worldly education was crucial!
Jean skiing in Austria, 1951.
After finishing school, Jean went to work at Unilever - a job that lasted one week because she didn’t like wearing stockings or being told what to do. She then got a job at London County Freehold and Leasehold Properties as a transfer clerk.
Jean considered a physiotherapy career and took chemistry and physics night classes but soon realised her grades were “woefully inadequate.”
The expense of training also quashed a career as an accountant. Instead, she learned shorthand and received a prestigious certification from the Chartered Institute of Secretaries in 1952 and subsequently became a partner at John Lewis.
Jean transferred to the branch in Reading and stayed in a house with her colleagues, including Gladys Topps (née Yallup), with whom she remained close. She enjoyed working with a small, tight-knit team of women who supported and empowered one another. She briefly mentioned she had a boyfriend around this time, but it seems he was somewhat irrelevant to her otherwise exciting life.
Voter registry from 1952, showing Jean and her roommates in Reading, Berkshire.
Jean and colleagues, 1950s & 60s
In 1955, the family patriarch, Alfred Charles Robertson, was killed in a tragic factory incident at 51. Jean was devastated by her father's passing. At just 24, she returned immediately to Welling to support her grieving mother and young sisters. It was a very emotional time, and even late in life, Jean remembered the sudden death of her father as shocking and life-altering. Her sisters knew the monumental impact this had on Jean but said, “we never heard her complain.”
Jean moved on to C&A (Coats & ‘Ats, as she called it), where she said everyone was “all hard work and no fun.” After this, she decided she “didn’t like capitalism” and went to work at the Institute of Psychoanalysis in Cavendish Square, London. There she met notable British psychologists like John Bowlby and the Freuds. “They were all half mad! They lived on another plain!” she said of them.
She also did the accounting for her brother, Alf’s engineering company, ARC Engineering.
While working at the Institute of Psychoanalysis, Jean befriended Barbara Goudi, who became a pivotal companion over the next few years. In 1958, Barbara declared she was following a man she loved to Montreal, Canada, and Jean decided to follow! They took a boat called The Saxonia from Liverpool to Montreal on June 15th, 1958. She worked as a nanny to a family in Toronto but hated how cold it was - she promptly moved west to British Columbia.
Jean and her brother, Alfred, early 1950s.
Jean was joined in North America by her friend Dodie Hillier (née Rosemary Manly). The two visited Chicago, St Louis, Las Vegas, Dallas, Washington D.C., San Fransisco, Los Angeles and more notable American cities. They witnessed the grand opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a system of locks, canals, and channels that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America.
Passenger list from shipping records of The Saxonia.
The Saxonia making her signature voyage from Liverpool to Montreal in 1958.
Jean in Montreal, 1959.
They drove through Alberta, visiting Jasper, Banff and the nearby Patricia, Pyramid and Louise Lakes. They camped in many different spots, enjoying the natural scenery, such as deer and bears. They then continued west via Kicking Horse Pass to British Columbia, where they stopped in Golden, Vernon, Osoyoos and Kelowna. To save money, Jean worked as a Clerk-Stenographer in the town of Salmon Arm from September to December 1958.
A reference letter for Jean from the Village of Salmon Arm, 1958.
Banff Highway, Canada, 1958.
In California, they crossed into Mexico with two American sailors. Returning across the border, they realized they did not have their passports. They asked the sailors to return to their hostel and deliver their passports across the border. Much to their amazement, the fellows did just that! Jean often laughed about how lucky they were to meet so many wonderful people on their travels. As two young women, hitchhiking was risky, but aside from losing their travellers’ checks somewhere in Texas, they returned home relatively unscathed.
Travel souvenirs from Canada and Mexico, 1958-1959.
A letter from Jean and Dodie to the sheriff of George West, Texas, thanking him and the town for their hospitality.
Jean in Banff, 1958.
Jean and Dodie's travel itinerary from Salmon Arm to Montreal via Washington D.C.
A thirst for adventure still burning, Dodie and Jean then set off to Spain in the Spring of 1962. They visited Ibiza, then a small fishing town where Jean recalled eating fresh sardines on the beach before settling in Algeciras. They picked up odd jobs with their rusty Spanish to get by. Here they met Americans Susan and Bill Wardlaw and Eleanor Miller and Canadian Claude Girard. Jean remained in touch with them and visited them in Florida numerous times.
Jean’s sister Muriel recalled leaving the house one day and being shocked to see a "tramp" in tatty jeans coming up the path. Upon second look, she realized it was Jean returning from Spain, looking very rugged and suntanned. Their mother said, “come in quickly before the neighbours see you!”
After this adventure, Jean was ready for the next. In 1964, she answered an advertisement to teach accounting to adults at the Polytechnic in Blantyre, Malawi (now the University of Malawi). There, she met other British and Canadian teachers, including Eva Gelmici from Edmonton, with whom she reunited in Vancouver in 2018.
She also met John Blain, a Gambian, who arranged security and vehicles for high-profile politicians. The two courted for a while, and soon Jean became pregnant.
Original job posting in Malawi.
Jean and Antoinette, 1970- 2022
Antoinette's christening, 1967
Baby Antoinette, 1967.
Maud with Antoinette and Lucy, 1972.
When Jean was five months pregnant, doctors notice a fibroid in her uterus. She travelled to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) for a surgery that is still considered rare and risky today. Luckily, doctors were able to remove the fibroid, and she continued a healthy pregnancy. She often commented on how talented the doctors and nurses were, although she did occasionally feel judged by her peers. “Are you aware your baby will be Black?” one colleague had asked her, looking concerned.
Unfortunately, contemporary society frowned upon her situation, and Jean’s employers let her go. She returned to her trusty Welling home, where her mother still resided.
Jean often laughed that because she was 35 years old when she became pregnant, she was referred to as an “elderly primate.” She was given the choice of a date for a planned caesarean section and chose October 31st, forgetting that it was Halloween.
With a newfound passion for teaching, Jean pursued her teaching degree at Avery Hill College and later attended the Open University to further train in special education. Jean enjoyed supporting children with learning difficulties and disabilities. She worked at Woodside Academy, an all-ages school for children and young people with autism and other learning difficulties, and Howbury Grange School in Slade Green.
A former colleague once recounted that an Ofsted inspector came to Woodside and observed Jean teaching. After 10 minutes, the inspector came out of the classroom and exclaimed, "where did you find her?!"
Jean's dissertation.
In 1982, Jean was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through a gruelling period of chemotherapy and underwent a mastectomy. Fortunately, she fully recovered and often made light of only having one boob. MacMillan Cancer Support a became charity close to her heart. Jean and her family often participated in the Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
She was always a fighter and exceptionally resilient. She lived with COPD and asthma and managed to survive COVID-19 in 2021.
Jean and family after completing the Race for Life.
While teaching, Jean met incredible lifelong friends such as Hazel Wilkes. The two bonded over their similar experiences as single mothers to young mixed-race daughters. They went on to make countless memories together; their daughters and, eventually, granddaughters grew up together like cousins.
The two families, along with close family friends such as Kath Briggs and Corrine Cosso, travelled extensively, holidaying many times in France, Spain, Greece and many other places. Jean also travelled and spent a lot of quality time with her sisters Muriel and Marian and their husbands Terry and Barrie. She loved and doted upon her nieces and nephews, Lucy, Graham, Abigail and Elisabeth. She also enjoyed spending time with her brother Alf, his wife Beryl and their children Barbara and Ian. After Alfred passed away at the age of 90 in 2013, Jean continued to be by Beryl’s side.
In 1985, a student asked her to take a puppy from his litter. She said yes on a whim and brought home Ariadne, a border collie mix. Ari was an integral member of the family. Jean brought Ari to school every day, much to her students’ delight. Ari lived for 13 years and was buried at the bottom of the garden after passing peacefully in her sleep.
Jean taught special needs education until retirement. Retirement did not slow her down! She continued to travel to exciting places, including a road trip across the United States, a bowling trip to New Zealand via Singapore, an expedition to Machu Pichu and numerous family holidays to Cuba, Jamaica, The Gambia and more!
Jean, Hazel and her daughter, Rachel on holiday in France.
Jean's granddaughter, Cicely, with Hazel's granddaughters Katie and Charlotte.
Antoinette and Ariadne.
Jean flying a hang glider for her 70th birthday.
Jean on holiday with sisters Muriel and Marian and brother-in-law, Terry.
In France with family and friends.
For many years, she played lawn bowls with Danson Park Ladies, winning many trophies for her skills and becoming an essential part of the bowls community. She also joined Oakwood Bridge Club and played cards multiple nights a week with her friends. Jean also loved to spend her time reading voraciously, watching classic films, singing, dancing, drinking gin and baking bread.
In November 1993, Jean’s first grandchild, Cicely Belle Sampson Blain, was born. Jean played a pivotal role in Cicely’s upbringing, and the two were extremely close, often travelling together and sharing similar interests. She welcomed Cicely’s partner, Ace Chan, into the family with open arms and was delighted to witness their engagement in the final year of her life.
Jean’s grandson, Remy Dexter Blain Chessell, was born in 2003. Jean was delighted to have a grandson whom he cherished. She frequently mentioned how having a daughter and grandchildren was the most wonderful part of her incredible life. She was a fun, generous and exciting grandmother.
Jean and her grandchildren, Cicely and Remy.
Throughout her working life and well into retirement, Jean dedicated her time and money to many important causes. She was passionate about creating a better world for all and believed in fairness and justice. She became a member of the Labour Party in the 1950s and continued to be a fervent socialist for her entire life.
She was a unionist at heart, believing in the power of the people to make collective change. She was a member and long-time supporter of the National Education Union (formerly the National Union of Teachers). Jean also donated monthly to causes such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and MacMillan Cancer Support, among others. Jean co-organized a coffee morning with the Danson Bowls Club for several years and raised thousands of pounds for MacMillan. A lover of both humans and animals, Jean adopted animals at the London Zoo and supported the Royal Society for the Preservation and Care of Animals (RSPCA).
Jean was Chairman of the Danson Youth Trust (DYT), a charity that operates the Danson Youth Centre, which opened in 1941. The DYT provides crucial programming to support the well-being of young people in Bexley and beyond. In 1993, the centre caught fire, and Jean was a key figure in its renovation. She volunteered there for over 30 years and was instrumental in registering the DYT as an official charity in 2001. The DYT named a room the “Jean Robertson Dojo” in her honour.
Jean receiving a Bexley Civic Award in 2021.
Jean's homemade Black Lives Matter sign.
In 2021, Jean was honoured with a London Borough of Bexley Civic Recognition of Outstanding Achievement Award for her services to the local community. Jean was also honoured with the opportunity to meet Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ for her services to education.
She made friends will all kinds of people - even a Russian spy! Her Saturdays were spent having tea with Melita “Letty” Norwood, who was described as the most important British female agent in KGB history.
As the mother and grandmother of Black and mixed-race people and the friend of many people of different races and cultures, Jean was deeply dedicated to ending racism. She was an influential member of the Bexley Council for Racial Equality (a predecessor of the Bexley Council for Equality and Diversity). She donated to international causes like Black Lives Matter and the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. She truly valued everyone she met as equal and wanted nothing more than a peaceful and just world.
Jean will be truly, deeply missed by so many. She had a vast and almost unfathomable network of family, friends and comrades to whom she generously dedicated her time and wisdom. She visited nearly every continent and left memories with people of all backgrounds, with no bias or discrimination. Most importantly, she was fun and would be delighted to be remembered that way - she often answered the phone with the phrase “Hello, Palace of Fun,” regardless of who was at the other end of the line. She lived an extraordinary, unparalleled life full of adventure, laughter and kindness.
Jean would revel in the thought of her legacy of happiness living on for years to come. She leaves behind her only daughter, Antoinette, her son-in-law David, her two grandchildren, Cicely and Remy and her sisters, Muriel and Marion, along with their children. But Jean did not believe ‘family’ was limited to blood; wherever she is now, she can rest in peace knowing her legacy will live on in all those she inspired to do good in the world.
