Sir Gawaine Baillie, 7th Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Gawaine Baillie, 7th Bt (8 March 1934 – 21 December 2003) was an amateur motor racing driver, engineer
, industrialist, stamp collector, and the owner of the ancient estate surrounding Leeds Castle
, the ancient fortress in Kent. After his death, it was discovered that he had amassed, almost entirely in secret, one of the greatest collections of stamps of the former British Empire
.
, the ancient fortress in Kent
that his mother Lady Baillie (née Olive Cecilia Paget), a Whitney heiress, had bought with her sister Dorothy Paget
in 1928. At age five, after World War II
broke out, Baillie went to live with his American cousins, the Whitney family. Soon after returning to England, his father died, and he succeeded to the family title, becoming 7th Baronet of Polkemmet
, Linlithgowshire on 8 January 1947.
Following education at Eton
and Cambridge
, he created HPC Engineering in 1959, a company which specializes in sub-contract manufacturing for the automotive, aerospace, computer, defence, medical and machine tool industries. He served as chairman and managing director of the company for the rest of his life. He was also an amateur race car driver, competing in numerous championships against Stirling Moss
, Mike Hawthorn
and Jackie Stewart
. After retiring from motor racing, he returned to his boyhood hobby of collecting stamps.
sports car. By 1958, he became a member of the Equipe Endeavour team, earning several wins in a Jaguar Mark 1
including the John Davy Trophy at Brands Hatch
as part of the inaugural British Saloon Car Championship
season. By 1960, Sir Gawaine had purchased a Lotus Elite
and entered several rounds of the World Sportscar Championship
, including his first attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
.
In 1961, Sir Gawaine entered the Tour de France automobile
competition, finishing second in the touring car category. The following year, he crashed his Jaguar E-Type
during the same competition and fell 100 ft (30.5 m) down a hillside. Sir Gawaine returned to the British Saloon Car Championship the following year, now campaigning an American-built Ford Galaxie
. The Galaxie was also transported to Australia in 1964, where Sir Gawaine and Lex Davison
entered the Sandown 6 Hour International
.
After Sir Gawaine's Australian tour with the Galaxie, he purchased a Ford Mustang
for the 1965 British Saloon Car Championship, he finished second in the class championship behind his teammate Roy Pierpoint. By 1967 Sir Gawaine had retired from racing.
Sir Gawaine's goal in stamp collecting was to build a comprehensive collection of postage stamps from Great Britain
and the British Empire, starting with the earliest issues of Queen Victoria
through to the present. Sir Gawaine was interested in only the most perfectly preserved stamps and his collection is distinguished from others of comparable scale by his exacting standards. He mastered at least ten areas of specialisation and acquired over 100,000 stamps, of the highest quality including a copy of the scarce Edward VII 2d Tyrian plum
. The collection was considered the most comprehensive of its kind and, when Sotheby's
put the stamps up for auction, after his death, the collection was described as the most important to be sold in more than 50 years. Sotheby's divided the stamps into ten separate auctions, the first nine of which exceeded the initial estimate of £11m, by more than £4m.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, industrialist, stamp collector, and the owner of the ancient estate surrounding Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle, southeast of Maidstone, Kent, England, dates back to 1119, though a Saxon fort stood on the same site from the 9th century. The castle is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds....
, the ancient fortress in Kent. After his death, it was discovered that he had amassed, almost entirely in secret, one of the greatest collections of stamps of the former British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
Early life
Sir Gawaine was raised at Leeds CastleLeeds Castle
Leeds Castle, southeast of Maidstone, Kent, England, dates back to 1119, though a Saxon fort stood on the same site from the 9th century. The castle is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds....
, the ancient fortress in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
that his mother Lady Baillie (née Olive Cecilia Paget), a Whitney heiress, had bought with her sister Dorothy Paget
Dorothy Paget
Dorothy Wyndham Paget was a British racehorse owner.She was the daughter of Lord Queenborough and Pauline Payne Whitney of the United States Whitney family. She was a cousin of Jock Whitney, owner of the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Easter Hero and latterly American Ambassador in London. She...
in 1928. At age five, after World War II
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...
broke out, Baillie went to live with his American cousins, the Whitney family. Soon after returning to England, his father died, and he succeeded to the family title, becoming 7th Baronet of Polkemmet
Polkemmet Country Park
Polkemmet Country Park is located west of the town of Whitburn in West Lothian, Scotland. It is adjacent to the M8 motorway, east of the "Heart of Scotland" services at Harthill. It was developed on the estate of Polkemmet House, a country house which was demolished in the 1960s...
, Linlithgowshire on 8 January 1947.
Following education 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"....
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, he created HPC Engineering in 1959, a company which specializes in sub-contract manufacturing for the automotive, aerospace, computer, defence, medical and machine tool industries. He served as chairman and managing director of the company for the rest of his life. He was also an amateur race car driver, competing in numerous championships against Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
, Mike Hawthorn
Mike Hawthorn
John Michael Hawthorn was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.-Racing career:...
and Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart
Sir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
. After retiring from motor racing, he returned to his boyhood hobby of collecting stamps.
Racing career
Sir Gawaine's driving career began in 1956 when he first started racing a Lotus ElevenLotus Eleven
The Lotus Eleven was a racing car built in various versions by Lotus from 1956 until 1958. The later versions built in 1958 are sometimes referred to as Lotus 13, although this was not an official designation...
sports car. By 1958, he became a member of the Equipe Endeavour team, earning several wins in a Jaguar Mark 1
Jaguar Mark 1
The Jaguar Mark 1 was a saloon car produced by Jaguar between 1955 and 1959. Referred to in contemporary company documentation as the Jaguar 2.4-litre and Jaguar 3.4-litre, the word "Saloon" was often added. The designation "Mark 1" was included retrospectively upon its replacement by the Mark 2...
including the John Davy Trophy at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
as part of the inaugural British Saloon Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
season. By 1960, Sir Gawaine had purchased a Lotus Elite
Lotus Elite
Not to be confused with the Lotus Elise.The Lotus Elite name was used for two vehicles from Lotus Cars.-1957:The first Elite or Lotus Type 14 was an ultra-light two-seater coupé, produced from 1958 to 1963....
and entered several rounds of the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
, including his first attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
.
In 1961, Sir Gawaine entered the Tour de France automobile
Tour de France automobile
Tour de France Automobile was a sports car race held on roads around France, first held in 1899 at speeds of 30 mph . The first event was won by René de Knyff driving a Panhard et Levassor...
competition, finishing second in the touring car category. The following year, he crashed his Jaguar E-Type
Jaguar E-type
The Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
during the same competition and fell 100 ft (30.5 m) down a hillside. Sir Gawaine returned to the British Saloon Car Championship the following year, now campaigning an American-built Ford Galaxie
Ford Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...
. The Galaxie was also transported to Australia in 1964, where Sir Gawaine and Lex Davison
Lex Davison
Alexander Nicholas Davison was a racing driver who won the Australian Grand Prix four times between 1954 and 1961 and won the Australian Drivers' Championship in 1957...
entered the Sandown 6 Hour International
1964 Sandown 6 Hour International
The 1964 Sandown 6 Hour International was an endurance race for saloon cars complying with FIA Group 1 regulations.The event was held at the Sandown Park circuit in Victoria on 29 November 1964 and was the genesis of what we now know as the Sandown 500....
.
After Sir Gawaine's Australian tour with the Galaxie, he purchased a Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
for the 1965 British Saloon Car Championship, he finished second in the class championship behind his teammate Roy Pierpoint. By 1967 Sir Gawaine had retired from racing.
Stamp collecting
Postage stamps and postal history of Great Britain
Postage stamps and postal history of Great Britain surveys postal history from the United Kingdom and the postage stamps issued by that country and its various historical territories until the present day....
and the British Empire, starting with the earliest issues of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
through to the present. Sir Gawaine was interested in only the most perfectly preserved stamps and his collection is distinguished from others of comparable scale by his exacting standards. He mastered at least ten areas of specialisation and acquired over 100,000 stamps, of the highest quality including a copy of the scarce Edward VII 2d Tyrian plum
Edward VII 2d Tyrian plum
The two pence Tyrian plum was a postage stamp produced by Britain in 1910 as a replacement for the existing two colour 2d stamp of King Edward VII....
. The collection was considered the most comprehensive of its kind and, when Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
put the stamps up for auction, after his death, the collection was described as the most important to be sold in more than 50 years. Sotheby's divided the stamps into ten separate auctions, the first nine of which exceeded the initial estimate of £11m, by more than £4m.