Sir Lawrence William Robson, FCA, (8 August 1904 – 24 August 1982) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

accountant and

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

activist. Born in

Norton-on-Tees Norton is a market town in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England. It stands on higher ground to the south, further away from the River Tees than Stockton town centre. They are small areas west of the area called Roseworth an ...

, Robson studied at Stockton Grammar School and the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

before becoming an

accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...

. In 1927, he was a founder of Robson, Rhodes & Company, remaining a partner until 1975.ROBSON, Sir Lawrence (William)
, ''

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'' In 1940, Robson married

Inga-Stina Arvidsson Inga-Stina Robson, Baroness Robson of Kiddington (''née'' Arvidsson; 20 August 1919 – 9 February 1999), often known as Stina Robson, was an Anglo- Swedish political activist. Born to a wealthy family in Stockholm as Inga-Stina Arvidsson, she ...

, a Swedish woman, and this led to him becoming active in the

Anglo-Swedish Society Founded in the aftermath of the First World War, the Anglo-Swedish Society was established to foster greater understanding and friendship between Britain and Sweden. The continued strong bond between these two nations has allowed the Society to ...

. From 1949 to 1969, he served on the council of the

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is a professional membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports chartered accountants and students around the world. As of July 2022, it has over 198,000 members ...

. He also served on the Herbert Committee's inquiry into the electricity industry, and chaired the Britain in Europe Committee, then later served on the council of the

European Movement The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it. History The origins of the ...

. Robson was also active in the Liberal Party. He stood unsuccessfully in

Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshire ...

at the

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

and 1951 general elections,Duncan Sutherland,
Robson, Inga-Stina
, ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' and served as its President in 1953/4. Inga-Stina later held the same post. In 1950, Robson moved into

Kiddington Hall Kiddington Hall is a large Grade II listed manor house located in Kiddington, near Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. History Kiddington Hall was built in 1673, and in the 18th century "Capability" Brown laid out the gardens. The Reverend Thomas ...

. In later life, he used his money and organisational skills to save the

National Liberal Club The National Liberal Club (NLC) is a London private members' club, open to both men and women. It was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 to provide club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly enlarged electorate f ...

from closure.Eric Kemp, ''Shy But Not Retiring'', p.113 In 1981, he was created a Knight Commander of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

, and the following year he was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

References

* ''The Times'', Thursday, Aug 26, 1982, (his obituary). {{DEFAULTSORT:Robson, Lawrence 1904 births 1982 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Commanders of the Order of the Polar Star English accountants English knights People from Norton, County Durham Presidents of the Liberal Party (UK) Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Knights Bachelor Spouses of life peers 20th-century English businesspeople