Jerry Williams
1926 - 2017Jerry Williams was Camden’s first black Mayor and a community activist who played a pivotal role in turning a bombed site in Kentish Town into Talacre Gardens. His campaign to develop Talacre into a space for recreation was motivated by seeing children playing in the streets. He was elected Mayor of Camden in May 1987.
Jerry Williams was Camden’s first black Mayor and a community activist who played a pivotal role in turning a bombed site in Kentish Town into Talacre Gardens. His campaign to develop Talacre into a space for recreation was motivated by seeing children playing in the streets. He was elected Mayor of Camden in May 1987.
About Jerry Williams
“When he became mayor it was the icing on the cake for him. I’m so proud of what dad achieved. My dad helped lots of people with their housing problems and needs. He was there for everyone ”
Angela Beale, Jerry's daughter
Jasper Haldane Williams, known as Jerry, was born in Bridgetown, Barbodos in 1926, to a large family of seven children. He was the eldest and his father, Clayton, worked on ships transporting sugar from Barbados to Cardiff, in Wales. Jerry emigrated to England in 1957 and settled in Kentish Town in the mid 1960s. He was one of the 500,000 people who came from the Caribbean to Britain during the Windrush era between 1948 and 1970.
Jerry worked as a railway guard for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway for most of his career, on trains running north from St Pancras station. He joined the National Union of Railwaymen and later became a shop steward, supporting the rights of his colleagues.
Jerry Williams and community
While his wife remained in Barbados with their children, Jerry became involved in the local Camden community. He had a strong sense of social justice and wanted to enable people to have better lives. He joined the Labour party and became a local Councillor for what was Castlehaven ward.
Jerry loved life and people. He was a good dancer and followed sports such as boxing and cricket all his life. His love for boxing was passed down to his only son Tony Williams who became a boxer for Barbados.
He wanted people to have the chance to enjoy life outside of work and this led him to work with local arts charity Inter-Action to help transform a bombsite in Kentish Town into the Talacre Gardens in the early 1970s. This site, earmarked for new builds, had been used by local children to play in. Inter-Action set up a six week play scheme at the site in the summer of 1971 which was so popular that they called for the site to become a permanent green and open public space. Through a public campaign the site, (extended through the demolition of neighbouring damaged houses) became an open space in 1975. Jerry, as a councillor, was instrumental in helping this happen.
Jerry Williams became Camden’s first black Mayor in 1987. At a party after the mayoral ceremony, to celebrate his achievement the Camden branch of the Asante Tribe of Ghana made him an honorary chief. This was bestowed on him by the King and Queen of the tribe, Nana Menfahbonfu and Agnes Menfahbonfu.
Jerry Williams died in August 2017 at the age of 91. He had worked hard to ensure that Camden residents had access to opportunities for a better life, working closely with residents and campaigning for their needs.
Written with Emily Momoh, Founder of Camden Black British History Group, as part of the We Were Here exhibition, 2022.
