J. G. Scott
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Sir James George Scott (pseudonym Shway Yoe, 25 December 1851 – 4 April 1935) was a Scottish journalist and colonial administrator who helped establish
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
colonial rule in Burma, and in addition introduced
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
to
Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
.


Life

He was born in
Dairsie Dairsie, or Osnaburgh, is a village and parish in north-east Fife, Scotland. It is south-southwest of Leuchars Junction, and east-northeast of Cupar on the A91 Stirling to St Andrews road. The village grew out of two smaller settlements (call ...
, the second son of Mary Forsyth and Rev. George Scott, a
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
minister. His elder brother was
Robert Forsyth Scott Sir Robert Forsyth Scott (28 July 1849 – 18 November 1933) was a mathematician, barrister and Master of St John's College, Cambridge Life Scott was born in Leith, near Edinburgh, the eldest son of Reverend George Scott, a Minister in the c ...
, who was to become Master of
St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...
. Three years after the death of Rev. Scott, Mary moved with her two sons to
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
, where they lived until the outbreak of the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...
. After returning to the United Kingdom, Scott was educated at
King's College School King's College School, also known as Wimbledon, KCS, King's and KCS Wimbledon, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon, southwest London, England. The s ...
. He went on to Lincoln College, but was unable to complete his studies there due to a decline in the family fortune. He worked first as a journalist. For the London ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' he covered the
reprisal A reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of international law to punish another sovereign state that has already broken them. Since the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (AP 1), reprisals in the laws of war are extremel ...
s for the murder of J. W. W. Birch, in
Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...
, in 1875. He then reported from
Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
, usually in
Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...
but also travelling to
Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
, for the London '' Daily News'' and the ''
St James's Gazette The ''St James's Gazette'' was a London evening newspaper published from 1880 to 1905. It was founded by the Conservative Henry Hucks Gibbs, later Baron Aldenham, a director of the Bank of England 1853–1901 and its governor 1875–1877; the ...
''. He remained in Burma until 1882, and during most of this period was a schoolmaster (briefly acting headmaster) at St John's College, Rangoon. His most famous book, '' The Burman: His Life and Notions'', was published at this period, under a pseudonym which mystified literary London but was no secret to people in Rangoon. In 1884 Scott was again a full-time journalist, reporting, once more for the ''Evening Standard'', on the French invasion of
Tongking Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain ''Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, including both the N ...
(now northern Vietnam). This was when he began his collecting of manuscripts, documents and ephemera, which eventually became the Scott Collection at
Cambridge University Library Cambridge University Library is the main research library of the University of Cambridge. It is the largest of over 100 libraries Libraries of the University of Cambridge, within the university. The library is a major scholarly resource for me ...
. On the British annexation of
Upper Burma Upper Myanmar ( or , also called Upper Burma) is one of two geographic regions in Myanmar, the other being Lower Myanmar. Located in the country's centre and north stretches, Upper Myanmar encompasses six inland states and regions, including ...
he was invited to join the Burma Commission, the nucleus of the colonial civil service; he returned to Burma in 1886, stationed initially at Mandalay,
Meiktila Meiktila (; ) is a city in central Burma on the banks of Meiktila Lake in the Mandalay Region at the junctions of the Bagan- Taunggyi, Yangon- Mandalay and Meiktila-Myingyan highways. Because of its strategic position, Meiktila is home to Myanm ...
and Hlaingdet. He was a Deputy Commissioner in Burma, and was knighted as a
Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander ( GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) Appoint ...
(KCIE) in November 1901. In ''The Trouser People: a Story of Burma in the Shadow of the Empire'', Andrew Marshall recounts Scott's adventures as he cajoled and bullied his way through uncharted jungle to establish British colonial rule in the
Shan States The Shan States were a collection of minor Shan people, Shan kingdoms called ''mueang, möng'' whose rulers bore the title ''saopha'' (''sawbwa''). In British rule in Burma, British Burma, they were analogous to the princely states of Britis ...
, where the administration was initially established at
Fort Stedman The Battle of Fort Stedman, also known as the Battle of Hare's Hill, was fought on March 25, 1865, during the final weeks of the American Civil War. The Union Army fortification in the siege lines around Petersburg, Virginia, was attacked in a p ...
but soon moved to
Taunggyi Taunggyi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Shan State, Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast As ...
. Scott wrote more than 15 articles for the 1911
Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...
. s:Author:James George Scott His collection of manuscripts and documents was given by his brother's widow to Cambridge University Library in 1934, and, long afterwards, was catalogued by
Sao Saimong Sao Sāimöng (also Sao Sāimöng Mangrāi; 13 November 1913 – 14 July 1987) was a member of the princely family of Kengtung State. He was a government minister in Burma (now Myanmar) soon after independence; he was also a scholar, historian and ...
and
Andrew Dalby Andrew Dalby, (born 1947 in Liverpool) is an English linguist, translator and historian who has written articles and several books on a wide range of topics including food history, language, and Classical texts. Education and early career ...
. His photographs and some of his diaries are in the India Office Library.
Bogyoke Market Bogyoke Aung San Market (; formerly the Scott Market) is a major bazaar located in Pabedan township in central Yangon, Myanmar. Known for its colonial architecture and inner cobblestone streets, the market is a major tourist destination, dominat ...
in Rangoon, originally called "Scott Market", was not named after James George Scott but after the municipal commissioner of the time, Mr. Gavin Scott, who was commissioner from 1922 to 1930.


Family

He was married three times. His third wife was the author Geraldine Mitton, who survived him and wrote his biography.


Published works

*1882 '' The Burman: His Life and Notions'' (under the pseudonym Shway Yoe) **New edition: New York: The Norton Library, 1963 *1885 ''France and
Tongking Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain ''Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, including both the N ...
'' *1900-1901 ''Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States''. 5 vols *1906 ''Burma: a handbook of practical information'' *1908 ''Cursed Luck'' *1911 ''Wholly Without Morals: A Romance of Indo-Burman Life and Racing (under the pseudonym Shway Dinga)'' *1924 ''Burma: from the earliest times to the present day'' *1932 ''Burma and beyond''


Jointly with G. E. Mitton

*1913 ''In the Grip of the Wild Wa'' *1922 ''The Green Moth'' *1923 ''A Frontier Man'' *1924 ''Under an Eastern Sky''


Bibliography

*
Charles Crosthwaite Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite (5 December 1835, Dublin – 28 May 1915) served as Chief Commissioner of the British Crown Colony of Burma from March 1887 to December 1890. Early life He was born in Dublin, educated at Merchant Taylors ...
, ''The Pacification of Burma''. London, 1912 * G. E. Mitton, ''Scott of the Shan Hills''. London: John Murray, 1936. *
Sao Saimong Sao Sāimöng (also Sao Sāimöng Mangrāi; 13 November 1913 – 14 July 1987) was a member of the princely family of Kengtung State. He was a government minister in Burma (now Myanmar) soon after independence; he was also a scholar, historian and ...
, ''The Shan States and the British Annexation''. Cornell: Cornell University, 1969 (2nd ed.) *Andrew Dalby, "La collection Scott de Cambridge et l'imprimerie dans le Sud-Est asiatique" in ''Revue française de l'histoire du livre'' (April–June 1984). *Stephen Wheeler, ''History of the Delhi Coronation Durbar''. Delhi, 1991 *Andrew Dalby, "Sir George Scott, 1851-1935: explorer of Burma's eastern borders" in ''Explorers of South-East Asia'' ed. V.T. King (Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press/Penerbit Fajar Bakti, 1995) pp. 108–157. * Andrew Marshall, ''The Trouser People: a Story of Burma in the Shadow of the Empire''. London: Penguin; Washington: Counterpoint, 2002. *B.R.Pearn, "A History of Rangoon". Rangoon: American Baptist Mission Press, 1939


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, James George 1851 births 1935 deaths Scottish diplomats Football people in Myanmar Administrators in British Burma Tai history London Scottish F.C. players Scottish colonial officials Scottish journalists Scottish Presbyterians Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire