Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx
Gladys Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx (Baldwin; 12 January 19166 June 2018) was an English poet and the wife of Harold Wilson, who twice served as British prime minister. She was the first British prime minister's spouse to become a centenarian, living to the age of.
Also recorded as Gladys Mary Baldwin · The Lady Wilson of Rievaulx · Gladys Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx

Series: Nixon White House Photographs, 1/20/1969 - 8/9/1974 Collection: White House Photo Office Collection (Nixon Administration), 1/20/1969 - 8/9/1974 · Public domain
- Name
- The Lady Wilson of Rievaulx
- Known for
- Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom (1964–1970, 1974–1976)
- Birth Name
- Gladys Mary Baldwin
- Born
- 12 January 1916
- Birthplace
- Diss, Norfolk, England
- Died
- 6 June 2018
- Place of death
- London, England
- Occupation
- * Poet
- Full name
- Mary Wilson.
- Nationality
- United Kingdom and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- Languages
- English.
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Gladys Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx (Baldwin; 12 January 19166 June 2018) was an English poet and the wife of Harold Wilson, who twice served as British prime minister. She was the first British prime minister's spouse to become a centenarian, living to the age of.
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wikidata · Q3296260
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Key facts
Key facts
• Honorific Prefix — The Right Honourable • Name — The Lady Wilson of Rievaulx • Known for — Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom (1964–1970, 1974–1976) • Birth Name — Gladys Mary Baldwin • Born — 12 January 1916 • Birthplace — Diss, Norfolk, England • Died — 6 June 2018 • Place of death — London, England • Resting Place — St Mary's Old Church, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly • Political Party — Labour • Occupation — * Poet • stenographer • Children — 2, including Robin
Life
Life
Gladys Mary Baldwin was born in Diss, Norfolk, the daughter of the Reverend Daniel Baldwin, who was a Congregationalist minister. She attended boarding school at Milton Mount College leaving aged 16 to attend a secretarial course for two years. She was employed as a stenographer at Lever Brothers in Port Sunlight before marrying Harold Wilson on New Year's Day 1940 at Mansfield College, Oxford. Baldwin and Wilson had two sons, Robin (born 1943) and Giles (born 1948). In 1970, her volume of poetry Selected Poems was published, and, in 1976, Mary Wilson was one of three judges of the Booker Prize, the other judges being Walter Allen and Francis King. According to the Dictionary of National Biography entry for Harold Wilson, written by Roy Jenkins, Wilson was not satisfied with life in politics. It was this detachment which gave the Private Eye spoof "Mrs Wilson's Diary", the supposed diary of Wilson, written in the style of the BBC's daily radio serial Mrs Dale's Diary, a spurious look of authenticity. Politically, she opposed her husband in the 1975 European Communities membership referendum by voting against continued membership and in her support for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Wilson was widowed on 24 May 1995 when her husband died of colorectal cancer and Alzheimer's disease after ten years of illness. They were married for 55 years. She continued to live in Westminster, a short distance from Downing Street. She retained the couple's holiday home in the Isles of Scilly. In 2010, at the age of 94, she attended the funeral of Michael Foot. Three years later, at the age of 97, she accepted an invitation to the funeral of Margaret Thatcher.
Death
Death
Wilson died following a stroke at St Thomas' Hospital in London on 6 June 2018, at the age of 102, having outlived her husband by 23 years. The longest-lived spouse of a British prime minister, she was the first to live beyond the age of 100. A private service followed by cremation took place on mainland Britain, and her ashes were buried with her husband at Old Town Churchyard in St Mary's, Isles of Scilly.
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx was recorded at birth as Mary Wilson. The authorities additionally record the headings Gladys Mary Baldwin, The Lady Wilson of Rievaulx and Gladys Mary Wilson. Her recorded language was English. She was the child of Daniel Baldwin. She married Harold Wilson. 2 children are recorded: Giles Wilson and Robin Wilson.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Harold Wilson and his wife Mary Wilson arriving for a dinner given by the Israeli ambassador Arthur Lourie for the Prime Minister of Israel Levy Eshkol and his wife Miriam Eshkol at The Dorchester hotel on 25 March 1965.ביקור ראש הממשלה לוי אשכול בלונדון, אנגליה. בצילום, ראש ממשלת אנגליה הרולד וילסון ורעייתו (משמאל) מגיעים לארוחת ערב שערך שגריר ישראל ארתור
Moshe Pridan · This is available from National Photo Collection of Israel, Photography dept. Government Press Office (link), under the digital ID D688-036. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the a
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1916
Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx born at Diss.
2018
Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx died at St Thomas' Hospital.
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Diss.
Birth place
St Thomas' Hospital.
Death place
Publications
* * *
Primary material
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authority file
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3296260: Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx
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Mary Wilson, Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx is recorded as poet and stenographer.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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