History of Lord Baden-Powell

In 1857 a baby boy was born whose mother named "Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden Powell". When he was 8 years old he loved to draw and could do so with either hand. When he was 13 in 1870 he won a scholarship to "Charterhouse" a boarding school for boys. He wasn’t there long before he began to make a name for himself. With the help of the Headmaster, he lead a school relief party in the friendly feud against the Smithfield Butcher boys. BP participated in a school concert and filled in for one of his classmates who had hidden.

In 1872 the school moved to new premises at Godalming and it was here in ‘The Copse’ that Baden Powell discoverered another thrill which is woodcraft including stalking and mimicking the animals. At the end of term BP planned a sailing trip with his older brothers where they encountered some bad weather, however with all of them working together they made it into port safely.

BP’s schooldays passed. B-P was very keen on sport, woodcraft, sailing etc. year by year becoming more self-reliant. In 1876, when he was 19 and second monitor of his house, he was called to the Headmasters study where the Headmaster pointed out an advertisement to join the Army. Baden-Powell completed the exam and came second place in cavalry and fourth in infantry and was gazetted 2^nd Lieutenant in the 13^th Hussars.

BP sails for India to join his regiment and immediately on arrival at Lucknow, reports to the commanding officer. On his first hunt for wild boar, Baden Powell very bravely faces an enraged tusker and together with his Colonel, succeeds in spearing it. But after a bout of fever, B-P returned to England. In 1880, he rejoined his regiment near Kandahar, on the North-West Frontier of India. On his return he discovered that his regiment is involved with clashes with the Afghans. The Afghans were continually stealing the valuable horses. BP plans on putting the feistiest horses at either end of the horse lines so when the Afghans come to raid their horse lines again, the horses drive them away.

In 1884, the regiment leaves India. Baden Powell, now a Captain, visits Africa before doing some home service. In January 1888, Africa calls him again….. In Africa, a Zulu uprising has started. With Major McKean and John Dunn, BP goes to relieve a besieged fort. While scouting on his mission, he is surprised by an enemy warrior. He goes to their camp and invites them to surrender to join their loyal comrades whilst sparing their lives. Meanwhile the fort is rescued and a search party goes out for BP. During the morning of the first days search BP arrives at the fort with the Zulus marching behind him.

For his work Baden Powell is promoted to Brevet-Major. At the end of 1889, he goes to Malta and is appointed Intelligence Officer for the Mediterranean. In Dalmatia (now part of Yugoslavia) he changes into a neat disguise. BP disguised himself as an old English gentleman collecting butterflies. Two soldiers, who find him close to secret gun sites, seize his notebook.

The clouds of unrest gather over Africa again – this time on the Gold Coast. In 1895, Baden Powell is chosen for special service in the feared Ashanti country, where rules an evil king named Prempeh. BP landed at Cape Coast Castle, about 150 miles away and is met by Sir Francis Scott. A month later after training up some men from local tribes they start off. While walking through the forest the men hear drums. One of the tribesmen interpret them to mean that another tribe is asking for protection against Prempeh. After joining forces with the friendly King of Bekwai, BP sets out for Kumasi, the enemy HQ, intending to meet Sir Francis Scott on the way. They arrange a palaver (some sort of meeting) for the next day, however BP goes scouting, accompanied by a soldier. They see two men leave Prempeh’s hut and come in his direction when they try and kill BP, however his soldier helps to save him. BP then holds them till the next day for the meeting. BP and Sir Francis search the village for evidence of evil doing and find some grim trophies as well as a treasure house.

King Prempeh is put into exile and BP returns to the coast, leaving peace in the Ashanti country. BP heads home to London where he is promoted to Brevet-Lieutenant – Colonel when he is posted to Matabeleland in Africa.

So in 1896, Baden Powell finds himself once more in Africa, hastening by train and coach towards Southern Rhodesia, where the Matable tribe is in open rebellion. Once there he is introduced to a Zulu Scout – Jan Grootboom – they go out on a reconnaissance, but get lost due to a faulty map. The two men are desperately in need of water when BP sees a buck that had been looking for water. He goes to where the buck was and finds a puddle of water – he tells his Zulu Scout to help him dig and they will find water there. The Scout then gives him one more of his many names – "The wolf that never sleeps! Impeesa!". One night BP and Jan discover a Matabele camp by their cooking fires. BP creeps forward over rocks to try and get a closer look to size up the enemy’s strength when he is discovered and finds himself between two groups of warriors. Due to BP’s fitness and surefootedness he is able to get back to Jan who has the horses saddled and ready to go.

After months of outwitting the Matabele BP brings the good news that they want a peace ‘indaba’. Jan informs the General that they refer to BP as Impeesa and have agreed that the Wolf has outwitted them. An unarmed party ride out to meet with the Matabele chiefs, however BP is not among them as he is very ill with dysentery.

The peace indaba was successful. The Matabele and the British will now work together for the good of their country. BP is sent home to England to recover his health. BP recovered his strength and was then sent to India. In a certain Polo match between the Dragoons (BP’s Regiment) and 4^th Hussars was a young cavalry subaltern named Winston Churchill! BP stayed in India for 2 years when he was recalled to England. He is then posted to South Africa as there is a danger of war with the Boers in the year 1899.

BP arrived in South Africa and immediately starts organizing Mafeking due to its strategic positioning. Within a few months Mafeking is ready for any emergency. War is Declared on October 11^th 1899. The Boers also believe that Mafeking is an important port and decide to take it at once. Meanwhile at Mafeking they are readying themselves for battle. Despite heavy shelling and a shortage of food Mafeking holds out. One day, BP ordered two trucks to be loaded with dynamite, pushed to the top of a rise and sent hurtling down the far slope into the Boer lines.

May 12^th 1900. The Boer leaders are now desperate. They decide to try a surprise attack on Mafeking, but are seen approaching. Baden-Powell puts his plan for defeating them into operation by letting the Boers think that they have broken through, however the front men will circle around behind them. Try as they will the Boers cannot break through to Mafeking. The Boers try to retreat and run straight into BP’s men. The Boers as they were trapped, surrendered. On May 16^th 1900 seven months after war was declared the British relief column arrives. BP’s big brother arrives with the relief column. England goes wild with delight with Queen Victoria sending BP a telegram congratulating him. The telegram read:  

Baden Powell was promoted to Major-General and was awarded the C.B. However the war with the Boers is still continuing. Four famous men get together. They are Kitchener, Smith-Dorrien, Ian Hamilton and Baden-Powell they are all trying to work out where the Boer leader De Wet will go. They go where they thought that De Wet would try and cross some mountains only to find that De Wet had already passed through and was higher up the mountain. The war continues on and BP is summoned to Cape Town to form the South African Constabulary. After 2 years of hard fighting and after losing at first, the British learned how to master the Boer method of fighting. Britain was eventually victorious and peace was signed at Pretoria on May 31^st 1902.

In 1903 BP leaves Cape Town for England to become Inspector-General, the highest rank in the cavalry. Back in England he strolls through some woods on leave and finds some boys in the woods. He asked them what were they doing and they replied " Strewth, Guv’nor! You didn’t ‘arf make us jump – anyone ‘ud thought you was BP ‘isself!" The boys had been reading Aids to Scouting which BP had written and were teaching themselves how to track, observe and read signs. This leads BP to start thinking "they’ve got something there. Scouting WOULD make an exciting game for boys, and help them to be self-reliant. I wonder if I could work out a scheme?".

BP had been inspecting a mass parade of the Boys Brigade. He was telling Sir William Smith, founder of the Boy’s Brigade what a fine crowd of boys he had and how envious he is. Sir William Smith replies that the boys idolize BP and suggests that he too start a movement. He also suggested rewriting that scouting manual for the boys. BP decides that he will do it and Sir William Smith even helped give him the name for the boys – BOY SCOUTS.

After BP’s book is published the Scout Movement grows very rapidly. The Movement spreads from land to land and becomes world wide. Later, the Scouts are joined by the Girl Guides, Wolf Cubs and Brownies.

In 1909 King Edward VII sends for BP at Balmoral to be knighted. The King enquires about the Scout Movement and BP admits that he is trying to do two jobs to the detriment of both. His sovereign believed that the greatest service he could do would be to resign from the Army and devote himself to Scouting full time.

In 1914 when the first world war breaks out, BP immediately promises help from the Scouts. Baden Powell puts himself at the service of the War Office, but is told that while several competent Divisional Generals are available, no one else can carry on the invaluable work of the Boy Scouts. Then at last with peace BP is able to expand the Movement and make plans for the future.

In Richmond Park 6000 Boy Scouts prepare for their first Jamboree to be held at Olympia, London. Scouts come from 20 nations not to mention the different countries of the British Empire. Now acclaimed Chief Scout of the World, BP is created Baronet-Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell.

As the years tick by, Baden Powell and his family travel extensively, greeting and being greeted by Scouts of many nationalities. But in 1934, he is taken seriously ill, and is forced to curb his activities. Then in 1938 he returns to Kenya to Paxtu. At Nyeri he paints and writes incessantly until he passes away on January 7^th 1941.

• More History on BP can be found here
• And information on Olave Baden-Powell can be found here