NOTABLE SCAMPS
Sir Athelstan Jack SCAMP
The following is the entry in the 1971-1980 "Who Was Who":
SCAMP, Sir (Athelstan) Jack, Kt 1968; DL, Jp; Director: GEC Ltd, since 1962; National Nuclear Corporation, since 1973; b 22 May 1913; 2nd s of Edward Henry and Jane Scamp; m 1939 Jane, d of John Kendall; one s one d. Educ: Birmingham. Chief Personnel Officer, Plessey Co. Ltd, 1953-58; Personnel Dir, Massey-Ferguson (UK) Ltd, 1958-62. Mem., Industrial Arbitration Bd. 1964-; Chm., Motor Industry Joint Labour Council, 1965-69; Member Lord Devlin Cttee of Inquiry Docks, Oct. 1964; seconded to Dept of Economic Affairs as Industrial Advisor, Feb 1965-April 1966. Associate Prof. of Industrial Relations, Univ. of Warwick, 1970-75. Chm. Urwick, Orr & Partners, 1972-77 (Dir, 1969-77); Director: Fairfields (Glasgow) Ltd, 1967-68; AEI, 1967-72; New Opportunities Assoc., 1969-72; Coventry Broadcasting Ltd, 1973-; Coventry City Football Club, 1971- (Chm., 1975-77). Chairman, Courts of Enquiry: Footplate Staff, British Railways, 1965; Transport Drivers, Longbridge Group of Delivery Agents, 1966; Transporter Drivers, Motor Vehicle Collections Ltd, 1966; Maintenance Workers, Birmingham Aluminium Castings Ltd, 1967; British Airline Pilots' Assoc., 1967; Dispute at Liverpool Docks, 1967; Time Workers at Pressed Steel Fisher Ltd, 1968; Sewing Machinists, Ford Motor Co., 1968; Demarcation Dispute, Vickers Shipyard, Barrow-in-Furness, 1969; Chairman: Inquiry into Employment of Coal Trimmers in NE Ports, 1967; Inquiry into Employment of Coal Trimmers, Immingham, June 1970; Council Workers' Pay Dispute, Oct 1970. Governor, William Temple College, 1967-72. CIEE, 1967; FIPM 1970; DL Warwicks 1967. Recreations: Association football, cricket and tennis. Address: Flax Hill, Ufton, Harbury, Leamington Spa, Warwicks. T: 612799. [Died 30 Oct 1977]
Joshua SCAMP
In the quiet churchyard of St Mary's, Odstock in the county of Wiltshire is a gravestone entwined by a pink rambler rose. It marks the resting place of Joshua SCAMP, a gypsy who was executed at Fisherton gaol in 1801. But the inscription on his grave clearly shows that he committed no crime:
In memory of Joshua Scamp
Who died April 1st 1801
May his brave deed be remembered
To his credit here and hereafter
Joshua Scamp's friends persuaded the vicar to bury him in the churchyard, a privilege not usually bestowed on felons but an action perhaps explained by the burial entry in the Parish Register:
4 April 1801: Joshua Scamp, a gypsy, hanged supposed wrongfully
The following is an extract from the Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society, Third Series, Vol IV p190.
From County of Wiltshire: Fisherton Gaol. Statistics of Crime 1801-1850 compiled by the Governor of the Gaol, W Dowding.
1801 Lent Assizes
Executed aged 40, Joshua Skemp (sic), for stealing a horse the property of John Maish at Sevington.
This man was a gypsy and his fraternity made extraordinary efforts to save him from capital punishment in consequence of which he was respited till 2-3 weeks after the others named above.
At his execution he ascended the platform with firmness and looking around saw his wife and daughters, called them to him and asked if they were prepared to take away his body. On their answering to the affirmative he commended their care and then conversed with other persons. Turning to one of many gypsies present he said: "You see what you have brought me to, live soberly and take care of your wife and family".
He asserted his innocence to the last and behaved with undaunted courage, unmixed with indecent levity or stupid insensibility. Having stretched the rope tight and tried it with his own hand, he gave the signal and died almost immediately. He was a remarkably robust and powerful man.
Some time after it became known that the gypsy whom he particularly addressed was his daughter's husband who being afterwards executed at Winchester confessed that his father in law hanged innocently to save the life of his son in law who had stolen the horse.