James Stourton

James Alastair Stourton, (born 3 July 1956 in York, England) is a British art historian and a former chairman of Sotheby's UK. Education Stourton was educated at Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire and then Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he took a History of Art MA Personal life Stourton is the second son of Charles Edward Stourton, 23rd Baron Stourton, 27th Baron Segrave, 26th Baron Mowbray CBE and Jane de Yarburgh-Bateson, the only child of Lord Deramore. In 1993 Stourton married Sophie Stonor, daughter of Thomas Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys. The marriage was dissolved by annulment.. James was partner to Charity Charity, the former worldwide creative director at JWT followed by Saatchi & Saatchi, from 2011 until her death in 2021. Career Stourton began his career at Sotheby's as an Old Master paintings specialist in 1979 and held many positions there, rising to the UK Chairmanship, until he left the auction house in 2012 to become a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research (London University)