Walter Scott-Elliot
Encyclopedia
Captain Walter Travers Scott-Elliot (9 October 1895 – 14 December 1977) was a British
company director and politician who served one term as a Member of Parliament
. However, he is chiefly remembered for the manner of his death: he was murdered, along with his wife, by Archibald Hall
, whom he had hired as a butler
.
, and was educated at Eton
. He fought in the Coldstream Guards
during the First World War
, until 1919. On leaving, he joined the Bombay Company Ltd who traded goods, mainly cotton, between Britain and India
. From 1927 he was Managing Director. When he succeeded his father as Laird of Arkleton, he also took over the hill-farming on the estate. In the Second World War
he served as a specialist civil servant at the Ministry of Labour.
, Scott-Elliot was elected as Labour Party
Member of Parliament for Accrington
. His background made him an unlikely recruit for the Labour Party, although he was perfectly sincere in his beliefs that socialist
planning was best for business. His connection with the cotton trade helped him make friends among the weavers in the constituency.
to the Financial Secretaries to the War Office, successively Frederick Bellenger
and John Freeman, from 1946 to 1947. A frequent contributor to House of Commons debates, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Trust
.
which accepted the call by dissident Labour MP Ivor Thomas
for a political truce and a government of national unity. When Thomas left the Labour Party over opposition to steel nationalisation, the Accrington Trades and Labour Party
repudiated the letter, and Scott-Elliot announced that he would not fight the next election.
. In 1977, Scott-Elliot engaged a new butler called Archibald Hall
. Unknown to Scott-Elliot, Hall was a thief and a murderer who was interested only in stealing what he could.
, where he was throttled with a scarf, beaten over the head with a spade, and then buried in the forest.
Scott-Elliot's status as a former Member of Parliament added some interest to the case of Archibald Hall. Hall was nicknamed "the Monster Butler" by some newspapers. As Scott-Elliot had been murdered in Scotland while Hall's other four murders were committed in England, Hall and accomplice Michael Kitto had to be tried separately in Edinburgh for the murder of Scott-Elliot in May 1978. They were convicted and Hall was given a 15-year "tariff" which he had to serve before being considered for release. At his subsequent triple-murder trial in London, he was also convicted and given a whole life tariff
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
company director and politician who served one term as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. However, he is chiefly remembered for the manner of his death: he was murdered, along with his wife, by Archibald Hall
Archibald Hall
Archibald Thomson Hall , 17 June 1924 - 16 September 2002, was a British serial killer and thief. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he became known as the Killer Butler or the Monster Butler after committing crimes while working in service to members of the British aristocracy...
, whom he had hired as a butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
.
Family
Scott-Elliot was from an aristocratic Scottish family based in Arkleton near LangholmLangholm
Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the River Esk and the A7 road.- History:...
, and was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He fought in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, until 1919. On leaving, he joined the Bombay Company Ltd who traded goods, mainly cotton, between Britain and India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. From 1927 he was Managing Director. When he succeeded his father as Laird of Arkleton, he also took over the hill-farming on the estate. In the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served as a specialist civil servant at the Ministry of Labour.
Election to Parliament
At the 1945 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, Scott-Elliot was elected as Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament for Accrington
Accrington (UK Parliament constituency)
Accrington was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-History:...
. His background made him an unlikely recruit for the Labour Party, although he was perfectly sincere in his beliefs that socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
planning was best for business. His connection with the cotton trade helped him make friends among the weavers in the constituency.
Offices held
Scott-Elliot served as Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Financial Secretaries to the War Office, successively Frederick Bellenger
Frederick Bellenger
Captain Frederick John Bellenger was a British surveyor, journalist, soldier and Labour Party politician.-Soldier:...
and John Freeman, from 1946 to 1947. A frequent contributor to House of Commons debates, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
Standing down from Parliament
Scott-Elliot disagreed with the government's policy of nationalising the steel industry (although not to nationalisation in general, and he did not vote against the whip). However, in October 1948 he wrote a letter to The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
which accepted the call by dissident Labour MP Ivor Thomas
Ivor Bulmer-Thomas
Ivor Bulmer-Thomas CBE FSA, originally Ivor Thomas was a British journalist and author who served eight years as a Member of Parliament...
for a political truce and a government of national unity. When Thomas left the Labour Party over opposition to steel nationalisation, the Accrington Trades and Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
repudiated the letter, and Scott-Elliot announced that he would not fight the next election.
Post-Parliamentary career
Going back to his estate and business, Scott-Elliot retired in the late 1960s and spent most of his time collecting antiques. His first marriage to Maria von Groeller had been annulled in 1948 and he had remarried that year to Dorothy Nunn, who was much younger than him. He had a London flat at Richmond Court on Sloane StreetSloane Street
Sloane Street is a major London street which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about half way along, entirely in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712...
. In 1977, Scott-Elliot engaged a new butler called Archibald Hall
Archibald Hall
Archibald Thomson Hall , 17 June 1924 - 16 September 2002, was a British serial killer and thief. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he became known as the Killer Butler or the Monster Butler after committing crimes while working in service to members of the British aristocracy...
. Unknown to Scott-Elliot, Hall was a thief and a murderer who was interested only in stealing what he could.
Murder
When Dorothy Scott-Elliot interrupted Hall and his accomplice discussing their burglary plans, they suffocated her. When her husband arrived back, he was drugged and the two were driven up to the Scottish highlands. Mrs Scott-Elliot was buried in Perthshire, while Walter Scott-Elliot was driven up to Guisachen, near InvernessInverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, where he was throttled with a scarf, beaten over the head with a spade, and then buried in the forest.
Scott-Elliot's status as a former Member of Parliament added some interest to the case of Archibald Hall. Hall was nicknamed "the Monster Butler" by some newspapers. As Scott-Elliot had been murdered in Scotland while Hall's other four murders were committed in England, Hall and accomplice Michael Kitto had to be tried separately in Edinburgh for the murder of Scott-Elliot in May 1978. They were convicted and Hall was given a 15-year "tariff" which he had to serve before being considered for release. At his subsequent triple-murder trial in London, he was also convicted and given a whole life tariff
Whole life tariff
This is a list of prisoners who have received a whole life tariff through some mechanism in jurisdictions of the United Kingdom.Eight of these prisoners have since died in prison, while three of them have had their sentences reduced on appeal, meaning that there are currently at least 48 prisoners...
.