Editing Samson, Isles of Scilly (section)

==History==
The twin hills of Samson were formerly associated with [[breast#The breast as an anthropomorphic geographic feature|breasts]], in a similar way to the [[Paps of Jura]] in [[Scotland]] and the [[Paps of Anu]] in [[Ireland]]. There are large ancient [[burial]] grounds both on the North Hill and South Hill.<ref>[http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=7617 Samson, South Hill Chambered Cairn]. The Megalithic Portal.</ref><ref>[http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=6333306 Samson, North Hill]. The Megalithic Portal.</ref>

The first written evidence for the habitation of Samson comes from the [[Interregnum (England)|Interregnum]] Survey of 1651–1652, where it was recorded that:<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Cowan |first=Zelide Teague |title=The Story of Samson |publisher=Englang Publishing |year=1991 |pages=4 |language=en}}</ref>

{{blockquote|"{{Sic|the Sampsons}} have been formerly occupied by one or two tenants and divers pieces of the same enclosed & improved as Arable ground. But the houses and inclosures are now fallen downe & ruin'd since the taking of Scilley from the Enemy so that the whole Island of Sampson doth now lay wast & is a Mountainous Rocky & Rugged peece of pasture & Arable ground now used only for some Goates and Conies."<ref name=":0" />}}

The two most prominent families on Samson, the Woodcocks and the Webbers, allegedly first settled Samson after they came into conflict with two other local families, the Banfields and the Mumfords, who had ordered them to leave their homes and move to [[Hugh Town]]. The Woodcocks and Webbers instead opted to move to Samson.<ref name=":1" />

During the 18th century, Samson was used as sort-of [[penal colony]] by the Council of Twelve, the local administration at the time. Local "undesirables" would be banished to the island.<ref name=":1" />

The island was inhabited until 1855, when the [[Lord Proprietor]] [[Augustus Smith (politician)|Augustus Smith]] removed the remaining population from the island. By this point, the population was found to be suffering from severe deprivation—particularly due to a diet of [[limpet]]s and [[potato]]es—and consisted of only two families: the Woodcocks and the Webbers. Smith then built a deer park on the island, but the deer escaped from their stone walled enclosure, and some attempted to wade across to Tresco (at low tide).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Larn |first1=Richard |title=Augustus John Smith: Emperor and King of Scilly |last2=Larn |first2=Bridget |publisher=Shipwreck and Marine |year=2013 |isbn=978-095239-718-2 |language=en |author-link=Richard Larn}}</ref> By the 1880s the island was grazed by cattle, sheep and rabbits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anon |title=A Fishy Story and Fishing |work=The Cornishman |issue=597 |date=12 December 1889 |page=4}}</ref>

In August 1933 a major fire occurred which was put out by the staff of [[Arthur Dorrien-Smith|Major Dorrien-Smith]], by digging ditches to stop the spread.<ref>{{cite news|title=Heath Fire Threatens Farm House|work=The Cornishman and Cornish Telegraph|date=14 September 1933|page=8}}</ref>

In recent times the area has become a protected wildlife site. The island is home to many different birds, such as [[tern]]s and [[gannets]], and many wild flowers. In 1971 the island, along with the nearby islands of Green Island, Puffin Island, Stony Island and White Island, was designated a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI) for its [[Flora and fauna of Cornwall|biological]] characteristics.<ref>{{cite web|title=Samson (with Green, White, Puffin and Stony Islands) |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002012.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |access-date=11 February 2012 |date=12 December 1986}}</ref>