24 replies to this topic

[Darren Galpin]

I received the following e-mail which may be of interest to some:



A search for “somervail” on google.com brought me to the following website. They have some listings for a “Jock Somervail” in some non-championship F1 races around 1953-55, eg


http://www.silhouet..../1956/1956.html


He is listed as belonging to the Border Reivers club and driving either a Cooper Bristol or a Lotus Climax 11.

I am pretty sure that this is actually my Dad, Jimmy Somervail, who claims that he was never known as Jock but he was the only Somervail in the Border Reivers that drove the Bristol. His brother John also drove occasionally but not these cars as far as I know.

He specifically remembers one race at Aintree in which he crashed* on the first lap *(deliberately as there was nowhere else to go) so I think that this must be him. This is also listed as Jock.

Maybe there has been some confusion with Jock McBain who ran the team?

Regards

Mark Somervail


----------------------

I believe that the name Jock Somervail is used in the Black Books. Might this be another case of something being written down wrongly in the initial source, and then propagated outwards as fact?

[Vitesse2]

Graham Gauld's Jim Clark biography calls him Jimmy.

Mr Somervail senior was actually a pivotal figure in Clark's early career with Border Reivers. When Ian Scott Watson was seeking to get Jimmy a good car to drive he persuaded Jock McBain to buy the ex-Henry Taylor D-type. Drivers were to be Somervail and Clark, with Somervail as the "senior" man, having had more experience. According to Gauld, Somervail retired from racing at the end of 1958, "partly because he felt that he couldn't match Clark's brilliant driving".

[David McKinney]

This is all very interesting
I always beleived there were two Somervail brothers, Jimmy and Jock, both Border Reivers drivers about the same time, and both driving the same cars. I was never confident about which was which, as English magazines tended to refer to 'J Somervail', which of course could mean either; for the same reason I tend not to take Black Book data as gospel
Jock is of course a diminutive of John, but if Jimmy says his brother didn't drive those cars then we have to assume he is right (and I am wrong)
I'll look into it further when I get home
There is similar confusion about two other Scottish brothers about the same time, the Birrells, coincidentally also Border Reivers members. Not Gerry and Graham of a later period, but Alastair [sp?] and Sandy. Sandy is a diminutive of Alexander, so we are left with the same problem whenever we come across 'A Birrell'

[deangelis86]

Didn't the aforementioned person also have hits in the 80's with 'Smalltown Boy' and 'Don't Leave Me This Way'?

[Darren Galpin]

That was Somerville.......... As part of Bronski Beat. Don't forget his work in the Communards too.

[RAP]

"I am pretty sure that this is actually my Dad, Jimmy Somervail, who claims that he was never known as Jock but he was the only Somervail in the Border Reivers that drove the Bristol. His brother John also drove occasionally but not these cars as far as I know."

Darren Galpin posted the above from information from Mark Somervail, son of Jimmy. I have revived this because I have a bit of a nagging doubt that it is correct to always assume that Jimmy Somervail was at the wheel of the Cooper Bristol. What caused these doubts was a refernce in the programme notes for Outon Park 7th August 1954 which says -

" Another Cooper Bristol , from the Border Reivers stable, will be driven by JOCK SOMERVAIL, making his first visit to our circuit"

This caused me to go through my Autosports and programmes (far from a complete collection). Most times the entry just appears as J Somervail. This itself is a little strange as contempoary practice was to quote all intials- is it significant? However I found the following occaisions when more information was offered -

7/1953 Silverstone GP meeting F Libre race J S Somervail (Cooper Bristol)
27/6/53 Snetterton prog J S in ERA and Cooper Bristol
12/9/53 Snetteron prog J A Somervail (ERA)
19/9/53 Charterhall Autosport report quote Jimmy and in results appears as J Somervail (ERA)
Easter 54 Goodwood Autosport says Jock on p 519 twice and in results for ERA and Cooper Bristol. Programme just shows J.Somervail
15/5/54 Silverstone Int Trophy prog J A Somervail (Cooper Bristol)
5/6/54 Snetterton prog J A for both Cooper Br and ERA
19/6/54 Crystal Palace prog J A in ERA and J R in Cooper - presumably J R is a printers error for J A?
14/8/54 Snetterton J A in prog but Autosport says Jock
4/9/54 Charterhall prog J A in Cooper and John in Austin Healey
28/5/55 Snetterton prog shows James (Cooper Br) and John (Austin Healey). Autosport mentioned John crashing.
55 GP Aintree 500cc James per prog notes
27/8/55 Crimond Autosport Jim (Cooper Br)
9/9/55 Aintree both James and John shown in prog for 500cc race

Is there any conclusion from this ? Well, it seems probable that J A in Jimmy but is J S John or a programme compilers error??
Why is "Jock" used in Autosport and the Oulton prog? A sassenach just referring to any Scotsman as Jock??

I wonder if Darren is still able to contact Mark Somervail as ascertain the two men's second names?
Also, I have noted Graham Gauld posting on another topic - can you clarify Graham?
RAP

[Graham Gauld]

Reference the Somervail question what was originally written was correct.

Jimmy and "Jock" Somervail were one and the same person. Brother John Somervail had an Austin Healey 100S and raced very little. Jimmy came to my Jim Clark dinner ten years ago and was in fine form and as far as I am aware is still now retired on the West Coast of Scotland.

As for the Birrell confusion once again there was only one, Alastair Birrell, who had an electrical business in Edinburgh. He never officially drove for Border Reivers but, as my new book on the history of Scottish motor racing explains, the confusion arose when Alastair loaned his Cooper Bristol occasionally to Border Reivers. Alastair Birrell and Ron Flockhart originally teamed up with ERA R1A and called themselves Alba Union. However, when Raymond Mays offered Ron R4D type ERA Alastair bought out Ron's share in R1A and continued to race that car.

GG

[RAP]

Graham
Many thanks for the very prompt and definative reply. J S a printing error then.
RAP

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by Graham Gauld
Jimmy and "Jock" Somervail were one and the same person. Brother John Somervail had an Austin Healey 100S and raced very little. GG

Grem - are you sure of this? Wasnae John a wee bit ticked if his brother Jimmy - rather than he - was known as Jock...??? I know border and valley Scots do funny things - as you know I'm married to one (Valerie sends her regards by the way) - but this is verra strange, is it no?

DCN

[Graham Gauld]

Naw : Duggie, y've got yer sporran in a twist. Jimmy was always the keen racing guy and John to me always seemed less interested though he raced his 100S with great verve. I have never heard John called Jock. Poor Valerie: is the house still held up by all those books and magazines of yours. Still the Atlas people will be pleased to know we will be out of action for at least two weeks. See you in Adelaide on Sunday.

GG

[Darren Galpin]

Just to clarify:

James "Jimmy" Alexander Somervail
John Faucus Somervail

These are the full names of the duo in question as confirmed by his son (incidentally, Jimmy is fine in his old age and happy that anyone is even interested in him, although he is a little frail). JS Somervail has to be a missprint in the programme - perhaps because it is next to the letter A on an English keyboard?

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Darren Galpin
J S Somervail has to be a missprint in the programme - perhaps because it is next to the letter A on an English keyboard?

...ore because 'F' and 'S' sound similar when said over the phone?
And where's Jock?

[Graham Gauld]

David,

Read my lips : There was no "Jock " Somervail it was the Sassenachs that invented this name.

Just like " Kiwi McKinney". I think that is what I shall call you from now on.

Smile
GG

[David McKinney]

I heard you the first time, Graham
Was just wondering if Darren had anything further to say on the subject

[Darren Galpin]

As far as I know from my correspondance, Jock referred to Jimmy, but that wasn't what he was known at at home - it was always Jimmy.

[RAP]

Darren
Thanks very much for your efforts in contacting Mr Somervail again and getting clarificatons.
RAP

[David McKinney]

I second that
For more than 40 years I've believed there were two of them (and had considerable difficullty establishing which drove in some races!)
I did not mean to sound as if I was questioning such an eminent authority on Scottish racing as Graham Gauld, but my problem was compounded by a chat with Ian Scott-Watson only a few weeks ago. I asked him whether there were two Somervails, and he confirmed there were. Perhaps I should have been more specific in my questioning, to eliminate the amateur Healey driver from my reckoning

[Doug Nye]

Kiwi - don't worry on account of Jock Gauld ... as we sassenachs know him.... an awesome sight, I regret to assure you, in his shoulder-length orange wig wi' a tartan tam o'shanter on top.... no wonder we ended up a poor second at Bannockburn...



DCN

[john aston]

Jimmy is..my late father's late cousin's son in law and I first met him about 10 years ago on a trip with my dad.I called to see Jimmy again on friday and was pleased to find him well and,as ever , full of stories for me from his racing days.About entertaining Jabby Crombac- who asked to be taken to something very English- JS took him to a pony club event ! About Hawthorn beckoning him to tuck in for a tow at Dundrod and of Clark being so quick in JS ' D Type at Charterhall.Apparently JC had told JS -politely but firmly- that JS was wasting at least a quarter of a second by approaching one corner incorrectly! About crashing at Aintree, about Stirling Moss always offering people a Craven A as the firm had sponsored him to do so .And about Hanuman , which I think had more 'patina' then than now and about the Border Reiver days-'no money compared to Ecurie Ecrosse !'

I asked Jimmy if he had been lucky to survive such a dangerous era -'No- I was CAREFUL;I always drove with at least 5% in reserve'

JS lives near Lockerbie and is now 85 and it is always a privilege to meet him. I did think carefully about posting a private conversation here but I am sure Jimmy would not mind and I know that the audience is a receptive and gentlemanly one

[john aston]

Sad news - I heard last night that Jimmy has died - I think on Tuesday night. He was a lovely man and I shall miss our chats about racing ancient and modern.Ironically his funeral will be on the first day of the Silverstone Classic- and I hope he would approve of my absence for this reason. Perhaps a Motor Sport person- Mr Nye ?- might think about an obituary in a future issue? I would love to see his D Type or ERA at Silverstone- a glass will be raised to his memory.

[ReWind]

Does anyone know WHEN James Alexander Somervail was born?

I found his age but not his actual birth date.

[David McKinney]

I would love to see his D Type or ERA at Silverstone- a glass will be raised to his memory.

Last I heard, his D-type was for sale with Duncan Hamilton Ltd five years ago
The ERA now resides in Thailand

[Graham Gauld]

Sad news - I heard last night that Jimmy has died - I think on Tuesday night. He was a lovely man and I shall miss our chats about racing ancient and modern.Ironically his funeral will be on the first day of the Silverstone Classic- and I hope he would approve of my absence for this reason. Perhaps a Motor Sport person- Mr Nye ?- might think about an obituary in a future issue? I would love to see his D Type or ERA at Silverstone- a glass will be raised to his memory.

John
I thought I had already posted these. JIMMY Somervail driving his ERA at Turnberry and in 1958 with the Border Reivers D type




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[john aston]

Thanks very much for posting these Graham.

[ReWind]

Does anyone know WHEN James Alexander Somervail was born?

Adam Ferrington just told me that he was born on 02 August 1923 at Edrom, Berwickshire.