Hilda Robinson was once one of the biggest names in television - though few even knew who she was.

Mrs Robinson, who has died aged 94,'s claim to television fame was never for appearing in front of cameras. For she was the woman who brought television into the homes of millions of people for the very first time. She, with her husband Joseph, was the creator of the rental company Rediffusion.

The couple, who lived for many years lived at Bayworth Manor, near Abingdon, also put wireless sets into many homes.

But it was the advent of television in 1947 which saw their business empire take off. First they set up Rentaset, with Mrs Robinson acting as director, and then they merged with Radio Rentals.

Mrs Robinson, nee Powell, was born in August 1904, left school at 17 and married Cambridge undergraduate Joseph Robinson in 1927 after they met on a blind date.

After the couple divorced in 1960, Mrs Robinson spent three months every year in South Africa visiting friends - and became a bitter opponent of apartheid. When one of her friends allegedly tried to assassinate former South African prime minister Hendrick F Verwoerd, she visited him every year in prison until he died.

Mrs Robinson was a great benefactor to Westminster College, the Dragon School in Oxford and Trinity Methodist Church, Abingdon. She also gave £23,000 to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, and £1,000 each to Watlington and Wallingford hospitals.She went on a Rhine river cruise when she was 93 - and her biggest disappointment was being unable to go up in a hot air balloon to celebrate her 90th birthday. She famously used to drive a car despite not having a driving test.

Mrs Robinson, who lived at Sotwell Hill House nursing home, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, had five children and 32 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Story date: Saturday 06 February

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