Sir James Sidney Rawdon Scott-Hopkins (29 November 1921 – 11 March 1995) was a British
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
politician.
Born in
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
, Scott-Hopkins was educated at
Eton College
Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
,
New College, Oxford
New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...
and
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mo ...
. He joined the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in 1939. He was commissioned in the
3rd QAO Gurkha Rifles in 1942 and served on the
North-West Frontier, commanding C Company of the 4th Battalion, and in
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 ...
until 1946, having taken a regular commission in the
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a Light infantry, light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somers ...
in 1944. He retired from the Army in 1950 and became a farmer. He married Geraldine Hargreaves in
Eton in 1946 (three sons, one daughter); she died in 2023.
Scott-Hopkins contested
Bedwellty
Bedwellty () is a small village in Caerphilly County Borough in south Wales. The village stands on a ridge of high ground between the Rhymney Valley, Rhymney and Sirhowy Valley, Sirhowy valleys. The village comprises St Sannan's parish church, ...
in 1955. He was
Member of Parliament (MP) for
North Cornwall from 1959 until he lost the seat to the
Liberal John Pardoe
John Wentworth Pardoe (born 27 July 1934) is a British retired businessman and Liberal Party politician. He was Chairman of Sight and Sound Education Ltd from 1979 to 1989.
Early life and education
Pardoe was the son of Cuthbert B. Pardoe and ...
in 1966. He had served as joint
Parliamentary Secretary at
MAFF MAFF(S) may refer to:
* MAFF (gene), a transcription factor
* Malmö Arab Film Festival, held in Malmö (Sweden), the largest Arabic film festival in Europe
* Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom), a former department of UK g ...
1962–64. He was re-elected as MP for
West Derbyshire at a 1967
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
, and served until 1979.
His successor was
Matthew Parris
Matthew Francis Parris (born 7 August 1949) is a British political writer, broadcaster, and former politician. He served as Member of Parliament for West Derbyshire from 1979 to 1986. Ideologically a liberal conservative, he is a member of t ...
. He had served, concurrently (to 1979), as a
Member of the European Parliament
A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...
(MEP) from 1979, when he was elected for the
Hereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester ( ) was an English non-metropolitan county created on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 from the areas of the former administrative county of Herefordshire, most of Worcestershire (except Halesowen, Stourbridg ...
European constituency, serving until 1994. He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
in the
1981 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1981 were appointments by most of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other countrie ...
"for political and public service."
He died in
Westminster
Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...
, aged 73.
References
* ''Times Guide to the House of Commons October 1974''
*
External links
*
1921 births
1995 deaths
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of New College, Oxford
Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Royal Gurkha Rifles officers
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry officers
Indian Army personnel of World War II
British Army personnel of World War II
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Derbyshire
UK MPs 1959–1964
UK MPs 1964–1966
UK MPs 1966–1970
UK MPs 1970–1974
UK MPs 1974
UK MPs 1974–1979
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for North Cornwall
Conservative Party (UK) MEPs
MEPs for the United Kingdom 1973–1979
MEPs for England 1979–1984
MEPs for England 1984–1989
MEPs for England 1989–1994
Knights Bachelor
Ministers in the Macmillan and Douglas-Home governments, 1957–1964
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