James Alexander Hamp
James Alexander Hamp (1881-1950)
1951 Obituary.[1]
James Alexander Hamp, who died at his home in Bournemouth on the 27th October, 1950, was born in 1881, well within the sound of Bow Bells, and was educated at Whitgift School, Croydon, and Finsbury Technical College. In his early days he helped in the construction of the "Twopenny Tube" from Waterloo to the City. In 1909 he joined the Sao Paulo (Brazilian) Railway Co. as an electrical and telephone engineer, continuing to serve in Brazil until 1947, when he returned to England with his wife to enjoy a well-earned pension.
During his long career with the Sao Paulo Railway, in which he reached the position of Chief Electrical and Workshops Engineer, Jimmy Hamp was responsible for the introduction of many technical improvements, being in charge of all electrical maintenance, as well as taking a hand in the projection and construction of new works. He was a popular and forceful character, prominent in Masonic circles both in England and in Brazil.
He became a Member of The Institution in 1912.