VANISHING TINKERS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 100, 21 January 1933, Page 15

VANISHING TINKERS

Nomads of Scotland

Since a departmental committee reported on the question of tinkers in Scotland in 1917, no report on these nomadic people of such an interesting and informative character l as appeared as the one just prepared by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

It appears from this report that the Scottish tinkers are disappearing, and that they are showing an increasing desire to settle dotvn in cities and towns. The report has been drawn up as a result of an investigation by the Society regarding the school attendance of tinkers’ children.

“The great demand of the tinkers everywhere,” the report says, “is for places where they can settle down. Some of them, indeed, are anxious to get houses, but at least they want a camping place where, they can remain all winter. . . If camping grounds were obtained, they should be located near a school at which the children might attend, and if such camping grounds were found, then the parents would probably settle down there, at least during the winter months. Caravans are coming more into use, and tents are not now in favour. 7 Referring to the contiguity of camping grounds and schools, the report states: “Speaking generally, the parents are beginning to take some interest in their children getting book learning. Even illiterate parents wish their children to get on better than themselves.”

In a reference to the fact thaj the tinker is disappearing, the report points out that “the distinctive trades of the tinkers have gone, and they are now hawkers and pedlars, taking out regular licenses.” The vanishing of the old nomadic, half-beggar, half-tinsmith type, is indicated by a further statement from a report of the Inspector of the Border counties branch of the society, who says that the tinker class has quite died out in the Borders, while in rhe Lofhians there now remain very few members of this wandering community. It is well known that in Perthshire, and other parts of the Highlands, there are still a good many tinkers, and the report explains that in the Glasgow district there are no fewer than fifteen camping grounds, six of which are occupied more or less permanently, although the admission is made that the population of these camps does not consist of the tinker class, but of show people. —