Lord John Douglas Montague Scott (1809-1860) was
the 4th Duke of Buccleuch's third son and
brother of the 5th Duke of Buccleuch. He was a
Scottish landlord and a Member of Parliament.
Craig-Brown (in The History of Selkirkshire or
Chronicles of Ettrick Forest, vol. II; "The
Burgh and Parish of Selkirk" {1886}) wrote of
him:
He was returned M.P. for Roxburghshire in 1832,
after a severe contest, in which he
distinguished himself as a ready and effective
public speaker. Much hope was entertained of his
future services to the Conservative party, but
he became early disgusted with Parliament,
preferring the pleasures of a rural life, and
hunting with great energy across that border
country where of yore his ancestors had spurred
the horse on far other errands. He was said to
be the best hand with a salmon-leister on the
Tweed; indeed there was no form of sport or
pastime calling forth dash and energy in which
he did not excel.
During his later years John Douglas entertained
deep and earnest religious convictions, and his
last public appearance at Melrose in defence of
genuine Protestant conservatism is said to have
been a remarkable display of vigorous eloquence.
It was on this occasion that Lord John
enunciated his opinion, since become celebrated,
that the "High Church party in Scotland had
acted the part of sappers and miners for the
Church of Rome." He died in 1860, greatly
lamented by the Duke, their mutual attachment
being of the warmest and most affectionate
nature.
His wife Alicia outlived him by forty years,
dying at the turn of the 20th century.
There is a statue of Scott in a square in the
village of Dunchurch, Warwickshire that in
recent decades has been the ‘victim’ of a
recurring prank — it is dressed as a cartoon
character at the yearend holidays. Scott owned
the majority of the village until he sold it
back before his death in 1860, and his
landlordism is perhaps thus avenged.
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