Sam Beaver King

Sam Beaver King
Mayor of Southwark
In office
1983–1984
Preceded byM Geaton
Succeeded byJames Greening
Southwark Councillor, Bellenden ward, Peckham
In office
1982–?
Personal details
Born(1926-02-20)20 February 1926
Portland, Jamaica
Died17 June 2016(2016-06-17) (aged 90)
London, UK
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
OccupationPostal worker and community activist
AwardsMBE
NicknameMr Windrush
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Years of service
  • 1944–1947
  • 1948–1953
Battles / warsSecond World War

Sam Beaver King MBE (20 February 1926 – 17 June 2016) was a Jamaican-British campaigner and community activist. He first came to England as an engineer in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War but returned to Jamaica in 1947. Failing to settle there, King took passage to London in 1948, sailing on the Empire Windrush. He later became the first black mayor of Southwark and a campaigner in support of West Indian immigrants to the country.