Sir James Louis Fitzroy Scott Douglas, 6th Baronet (24 October 1930 – 16 July 1969) was a British racing driver and a

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

Early life and baronetcy

He was born in

Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upp ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. He succeeded his great uncle, Sir

George Brisbane Scott Douglas Sir George Brisbane Scott Douglas (1856–1935) was a Scottish poet and writer, as well as a Baronet. Douglas was born on 22 December 1856 in Gibraltar, of which his mother, Doña Sanchez de Pina, was a native. He combined the running of a larg ...

, the 5th Baronet, who died in 1935 unmarried and without heirs, to the title ''6th Baronet Douglas, of Springwood Park''. James never resided at the family home of five generations, Springwood Park, near

Kelso, Scottish Borders Kelso ( sco, Kelsae gd, Cealsaidh) is a market town in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Roxburghshire, it lies where the rivers Tweed and Teviot have their confluence. The town has a po ...

.Charles Mosley, “Burke’s Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage" (Burke’s Peerage (Genealogical Books), , 1999) He was educated at

Wellington College, Berkshire Wellington College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the village of Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. Wellington is a registered charity and currently educates roughly 1,200 pupils, between the ages of 13 a ...

, before serving with the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars, where he gained the rank of

2nd Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

. He gained the rank of

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

whilst serving with the

Lothians and Border Horse The Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence and was based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothians – East Lothian ( Ha ...

Racing driver

James was a competent racing driver mainly between 1952 and 1954, but suffered from a

congenital disorder A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities ca ...

, which made it difficult for him to keep his weight down. Despite that, he raced in 1952 for

Ecurie Ecosse Ecurie Ecosse (French: "Scotland Stable") was a motor racing team from Edinburgh, Scotland. The team was founded in November 1951 by Edinburgh businessman and racing driver David Murray and mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson. Its most notable achievem ...

in his own

Jaguar XK120 The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since SS 100 production ended in 1939. The XK120 is a highly desirable model. In 2016, Bonhams sold a matching numbers left-hand- ...

, recording a number of good results, including a third place in the Grand Prix de Reims and a sixth place in the British Empire Trophy. When the team switched to Jaguar C-Types, Scott Douglas needed to obtain one to remain at Ecurie Ecosse. However, all UK orders had been taken up, so he used his influence and brought an ‘export’ version from France for the 1953 season. He used this car to score his only victory, an unlimited national event at

Castle Combe Castle Combe is a village and civil parish within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wiltshire, England. The village is around north-west of Chippenham. A castle once stood in the area, but was demolished centuries ago. The vi ...

, as well as his greatest racing achievement, when partnered by Guy Gale, he finished second in the 24 Heures de Spa Francorchamps. During the 1954 season, it became clear to James, that he was spending his inheritance too quickly, so he decided to move to Argentina and become a farmer. After he was left another inheritance, he returned to Britain to resume his hedonistic lifestyle. By now, he had tired of motor sport, and sold his C-Type and retired from racing. After spending his second inheritance, he worked for the '' Daily Express'' newspaper selling advertising space, and auctioned the contents of Springwood Park, leaving the house to decay until it was demolished.

Death

Sir James Louis Fitzroy Scott Douglas died at the age of 38 in Bucklow, Cheshire.Civil Registration Death Index, General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 10a; p. 356 Upon his death, his baronetcy became extinct.

Racing record

Career highlights

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results

Complete 12 Hours of Reims results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott Douglas, James Sportspeople from Malmesbury British racing drivers 1930 births 1969 deaths 24 Hours of Spa drivers 12 Hours of Reims drivers Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain World Sportscar Championship drivers