Anne Scott-James

Who was Anne Scott-James?

Anne Eleanor Scott-James, Lady Lancaster was an English journalist and author. She was one of Britain's first women career journalists, editors and columnists, and latterly author of a series of gardening books.

Anne Scott-James was born in Bayswater, London in 1913. Her father was the Liberal journalist and literary critic R. A. Scott-James, later editor of the London Mercury; her mother was also a journalist. She was educated at St Paul's Girls' School and Somerville College, Oxford. She gained a First in Honour Moderations but did not complete her degree. She joined the staff of Vogue in 1934, initially as a secretary, but quickly advanced to become a columnist, and latterly, Beauty Editor. In 1939 she married the editor and publisher Derek Verschoyle, but they soon divorced. On the outbreak of war she joined the staff of Picture Post and was its Women's Editor from 1941 to 1945. While at Picture Post, she met and married the journalist Macdonald Hastings. They had two children, one of whom is the journalist and former editor of The Daily Telegraph Max Hastings.