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Sir Gilmour Jenkins, KCB,
KBE, MC, lived at Goldhanger House in the 1950s and 60s, and was a senior civil
servant who reached the level of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Transport from 1947 until his retirement in 1959. The photograph on the left
above was taken in the late 1940s, the one on the right was taken in the late
1960s. He preferred to be known as “Sir Gilmour Jenkins”, but was born
“Thomas Gilmour Jenkins” in Neath, Glamorgan in 1894, and was educated at
Rutlish School, South Wimbledon. He joined the civil service in the Exchequer
and Audit Department in 1913. He married Evelyne Mary Nash (1892-1976) and
they had a son and daughter. In the First World War he was commissioned in the Royal Garrison Artillery and was awarded the Military Cross and bar in 1918. On demobilization he joined the Board of Trade. At the outbreak of the Second World War the Ministry of Shipping took over the shipping divisions of the Board of Trade, and he became Second Secretary and was involved in shipping policy, ensuring that shipping was available for essential imports. He was made a CB in 1941, and KBE in 1944, taking the Title of Sir Gilmour Jenkins. In 1946 he was promoted to
Permanent Secretary, and in 1947 joined the Foreign Office. In the same year
he returned to the Ministry of Transport as Permanent Secretary. In 1948 he
was made a KCB. He remained as Permanent Secretary of the restyled Ministry
of Transport and Civil Aviation until he retired from the Civil Service in
1959. He was the Permanent Secretary at the time of the de Havilland DH
Comets crashes in 1953 and 1954. On one of these occasions he was hosting a
dinner at Goldhanger House when he received a phone call urgently recalling
him to London to supervise the Ministry's investigation. On retirement he published
a book entitled: The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (ISBN:
0043540090 - images below). He was President of the
Institute of Marine Engineers in 1953-54 and of the Institute of Transport in
1954-55. In 1960 he chaired the International Conference on Safety of Life at
Sea, and in 1962 over an international conference on the prevention of oil
pollution of the sea. His main interest outside work was undoubtedly
music and he was an accomplished baritone. From conducting several Civil
Service choirs he established a place in the musical world, and became a
close friend of the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams with whom he frequently
stayed in London during the week, returning to Goldhanger at the weekends. In
1953 he was best man at Ralph Vaughan Williams London wedding and sung Pilate in the Dorking performance of
Bach's St. John Passion. Sir Gilmour Jenkins played a major role in Making Musicians, a study and report
published in 1965 by a committee of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which
he chaired. The report resulted in the Inner London Education Authority
introducing a specialist music course at the Pimlico School, and many other
music courses in university music departments and schools followed. The
report also recommended the creation of repertory opera companies outside
London in regional centres and many have been formed since 1965. In 1967 he was appointed vice-president and an
honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and then its chairman, and was
also a member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra council. It was said that
his appearance and manner were distinguished, but he was always approachable
and friendly. He died at Wadhurst, Sussex in 1981. An obituary of Sir Gilmour was published in The
Times and there is an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies
(66858), both of which have been used for the compilation of this webpage. |
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Sir Gilmore Jenkins, his
wife Evelyne and the Rector at the opening of the Church
Bazaar in the Village Hall in 1967 |
Sir Gilmore as Chairman of
the Royal Academy of Music in 1972 Ralph Vaughan Williams
wife Ursula is seated next to him |
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with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visiting the RAM Library in 1967 |
a poster from 1954 |
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From... Who's Who in the Motor Industry, 1953 edition: JENKINS, Sir Thomas
Gilmour, K.C.B., K.B.E., M.C. Born 18th July, 1894 Educated at Rutlish School and London University Served during 1914 war, with R.G.A. (M.C. and Bar) Joined staff of Board of Trade, 1919 became Assistant Secretary, 1934 Principal Assistant Secretary, Board of Trade, 1937 Second Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, 1939 Deputy Director-General, Ministry of War Transport, 1941-6 Permanent Secretary, Control Office for Germany and Austria, 1946-7 Joint Permanent Under Secretary of State, Foreign Office, 1947 Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Transport 1947 Member of Council, Institute of Transport Decorations: Grand Officer, Order of Orange, Nassau; Commander, with Star, Order of St. Olaf; Commander, Order of the Crown, Belgium. Recreation: Music. Club: Union Address: Goldhanger House, Goldhanger, Maldon, Essex Telephone: Goldhanger 214 |
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