▁his ▁E ton ▁contemporary ▁Anton y ▁Arm strong - J ones ▁to ▁Princess ▁Margaret , ▁but ▁was ▁rejected ▁when ▁v et ting ▁checks ▁indicated ▁that ▁he ▁might ▁have ▁hom osex ual ▁t endencies . ▁The ▁security ▁ag ency ▁M I 5 , ▁which ▁rout in ely ▁keeps ▁records ▁on ▁all ▁M embers ▁of ▁Parliament , ▁added ▁this ▁information ▁to ▁Thor pe ' s ▁file . ▁ ▁Jos iffe , ▁later ▁named ▁Scott ▁Norman ▁Jos iffe ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Sid cup , ▁Kent , ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 0 — he ▁did ▁not ▁assume ▁the ▁name ▁Scott ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁E na ▁Jos iffe , ▁n ée ▁Lyn ch ; ▁Albert ▁Jos iffe , ▁her ▁second ▁husband , ▁abandoned ▁the ▁family ▁home ▁soon ▁after ▁Norman ' s ▁birth . ▁Norman ' s ▁early ▁child hood ▁was ▁relatively ▁happy ▁and ▁stable . ▁After ▁leaving ▁school ▁at ▁ 1 5 ▁with ▁no ▁qual ifications , ▁he ▁acquired ▁a ▁p ony ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁an ▁animal ▁char ity , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁compet ent ▁r ider . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 6 ▁he ▁was ▁pro sec uted ▁for ▁the ▁the ft ▁of ▁a ▁s addle ▁and ▁some ▁p ony ▁feed , ▁and ▁was ▁put ▁on ▁prob ation . ▁With ▁the ▁encourag ement ▁of ▁his ▁prob ation ▁officer ▁he ▁took ▁less ons ▁at ▁West er ham ▁R iding ▁School ▁at ▁O xt ed ▁in ▁Sur rey , ▁and ▁eventually ▁found ▁work ▁at ▁a ▁stable ▁in