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Which was the first Scout troop?

It's impossible to say with certainty which was the first Scout Troop to be formed.

Robert Baden-Powell, who started Scouts, had not initially planned to start a separate Scout Movement. It took a while for the infrastructure of the organisation to be formed, but in the meantime Scouts was taking off all over the country.

For the first 11 years of Scouts, local associations were registered at HQ and troops were registered locally. This was the same for Cub Packs from 1914 onwards. It wasn’t until 1919 that troops and packs were registered at Headquarters. This means that evidence of early troops and packs can be difficult to find and verify.

Returning in 1901 from the war in South Africa, Robert Baden-Powell found that his book, ‘Aids to Scouting’, was being used by youth organisations all over the UK. 

The book had originally been written for soldiers. Urged on by Sir William Smith, Founder of the Boys’ Brigade, Baden-Powell decided to rewrite it with an intended readership of young boys.

Before doing so, however, he wanted to try out some of his ideas. It was with this in mind that he brought together 20 boys at a camp on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, during the first week of August 1907.

Having tried out his ideas, Baden-Powell set about writing his handbook.

He had selected Pearson’s as the publisher having been impressed with the charity work Arthur Pearson, who ran the company, was already involved in. 

Pearson’s saw the great potential in the Scouts and, prior to publication, Baden-Powell travelled the country raising awareness and anticipation in advance of the launch. For this reason, some Scout Patrols were started before the handbook was even published.

The first issue of ‘Scouting for Boys’ went on sale in January 1908. It was published in fortnightly parts for fourpence a copy, sometimes known as a groat or fourpenny bit. Its sales were terrific.

Soon Scout Patrols, as suggested in ‘Scouting for Boys’, were emerging all over the country.

On the 24 January 1908, Baden-Powell publicly announced the launch of a specific Scout Movement. This occurred during a publicity visit to the Birkenhead branch of the YMCA. 

In April of the same year, a special office had to be set up to deal with the large number of enquiries coming in concerning Scouts.

A plaque marking the location of the launch of the Boy Scout Movement by Robert Baden-Powell
A plaque marking the location of the launch of the Boy Scout Movement

The following extracts from ‘Twenty-one years of Scouting’ by Mrs E.K. Wade, who was for many years Secretary to the Chief Scout, records the first Troop that Robert Baden-Powell visited.

It references to other early Troops. Another ‘first Scout Troop’ to compete for the title was the 1st Glasgow Scouts, which has in its possession a registration certificate dated 26 January 1908. It was founded by Mr Robert Young.

In another entry in his diary, the Chief mentions that, on 4 February 1908, he arranged for the starting of three Scout Troops in Nottingham. They were created under Mr Hemmingway of the YMCA. Therefore, the Nottingham Scouts are close to the Sunderland and Glasgow groups in the matter of ‘firstness’.

The Hampstead Troop, known as ‘The Firsts’, was another Troop very early in the field. With their Scout volunteer, Captain Colbron Pearce, they took part in the first inter-Troop competition to be held, alongside the 1st SW London Troop. This took place on Wimbledon Common in May 1908 and involved competitions in cooking, tent-pitching, fire-lighting and tree-felling.

These factors all prove how difficult it is to say exactly which was the first Troop to be formed.

The spectacular growth of Scouts, from a handful of boys at that first camp on Brownsea Island in 1907 to a world membership of around 50 million Scouts, is a phenomenon unequalled in world history. The Movement has grown so fast that hours could have separated the formation of first Troops and records may not have kept pace with these developments.

A list of troops who are thought to have started in 1908

  • 1908 foundation - Current status (2019)
  • 1st Birkenhead (YMCA) - Registration cancelled, April 1983
  • 8th Stockport - Cancelled 2009 
  • 8th Southport - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Henley-on-Thames - Active, Thames Chiltern district
  • 1st Newport (The Old Guard) - Active, Isle of Wight district
  • 1st Parkstone (Lady B.-P.’s Own) - Active, Poole district
  • 1st Reading (YMCA) - Active, Reading central district
  • 1st Nottingham (YMCA) - Cancelled 2007
  • 6th Eccles (1st Worsley) - Active, Ellesmere, Greater Manchester West
  • 1st Hunts (Hartford) - Active, Hinchingbrooke, Cambs
  • 1st Wolverton - Active, Milton Keynes
  • 1st Cheadle Hulme - Active, Cheadle,  Manchester East
  • 1st SW Leeds (St. Luke’s) - Registration cancelled, date unknown 
  • 3rd Epping Forest South (originally registered as 1st Woodford) - Registration cancelled 2011
  • 11th North London (1st Stoke Newington) - Registration cancelled, date unknown 
  • 151st North London (1st Bounds Green) - Registration cancelled, date unknown 
  • 3rd Sunderland (Vaux’s Own) - Registration cancelled, 2009
  • 1st SW Herts (Countess of Clarendon’s Own, Watford) - Active, now 1st Watford South (Countless of Clarendon's Road), Watford South
  • 3rd Portobello (St. James’ Church) - Active, now 3rd Edinburgh North East (St James') - South East Scotland 
  • 1st Don & Dearne (Goldthorpe) - 6th Barnsely (Goldthorpe) registration cancelled 2005
  • 1st Bishops Latimer (107th Birmingham Central) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 13th Lanarkshire (1st Larkhall) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Arundel (Earl of Arundel’s Own) - Active, Arundel Littlehampton district
  • 2nd Kensington - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 2nd SW Leeds (Wortley Parish Church) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 3rd Grimsby - Registration cancelled, 2005
  • 2nd Bristol (1st Ashton) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st North Devon (Barnstaple) - Active, North Devon district
  • 1st New Cross (The Greys) - Active, Lewisham district
  • 1st Colchester - Active, Colchester Estuary district
  • 1st Jarrow (St. Pauls) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Romsey - Active, Romsey district
  • 1st Croydon - Active, Croydon district
  • 1st Streatham Common - Active, Lambeth district
  • 1st Hednesford - Active, Cannock district, Staffordshire
  • 5th Wolverhampton - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • Weybridge (Brookland’s Own) - Active, Walton and Weybridge district 
  • 3rd Glasgow (Waverley) - Active, South Western district
  • 1st Hirst (Ashington, Northumberland) - Active, Wansbeck district
  • 1st Rochdale (St. James) - Active, Pennine district, Greater Manchester North 
  • 1st South Lambeth (Blackstaves, West Norwood Brotherhood) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 89th Lanarkshire (1st Coatbridge, Garturk) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Toxteth (8th Liverpool, YMCA) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 3rd Wallasey (Emmanuel) - Active, Wallasey district, Merseyside 
  • 1st Hanwell (St. Mary) - Active, Ealing and Hanwell district, GLMW
  • Duckworth Street Congregational - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Chiswick - Registration cancelled, 2002
  • 2nd Chesterfield - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Hythe - Active, Folkestone and Hythe district
  • 90th Lanarkshire (2nd Coatbridge) - Active, Calder, Clyde area
  • 6th Lanarkshire (1st Carluke, St. John’s) 1st Isleworth - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Stirlingshire - Active, Stirling and Trossachs district, Forth area
  • 1st Dereham - Active, Central Norfolk district
  • 1st Shanklin (Isle of Wight) - Active East Wight
  • 4th Woking (Christchurch) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 3rd Fulham - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Wigan - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st East Putney - Active, Wandsworth district, Greater London South 
  • 1st Cleethorpes - Active, Grimsby and Cleethorpes district
  • 1st Westcliffe (Essex) - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Market Harborough - Registration cancelled, 2009
  • 9th Edinburgh - Registration cancelled, 2009
  • 1st Buxton - Active High Peak district
  • 1st Plymouth - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Islington - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 2nd Islington - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 3rd Islington - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 4th Islington - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 5th Islington - Active, North London district
  • 12th North London - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 23rd North London - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st City of London - Active, North London district
  • 20th/28th Paddington - Registration cancelled, date unknown
  • 1st Malvern  Link - Active, The Malverns district, Hereford and Worcester
  • 1st Attleborough, Nuneaton - Active, now 1st Nuneaton (Attleborough), Nuneaton District, Warwickshire
  • 1st Tonbridge - Active, Tonbridge district, Kent
  • 1st Formby - Active, Formby district, Merseyside
  • 1st Elstree & Borehamwood - Active, Esltree, East Herts
  • 1st St Marylebone - Active, City of Westminster district
  • 1st St. Helen’s YMCA, Merseyside - Active, St Helens district, Merseyside
  • 1st Cheshunt - Active, East Herts district
  • 1st Forest Hill - Lewisham, registration cancelled 2009 
  • 1st Norwich Sea Scouts (Captain Bower’s Own) - Active, Southern Norwich district
  • 24th Birmingham / 1st Sparkhill - Active, now 24th Birmingham (Manor Farm), Cole Valley South District
  • 2nd / 8th Stockport - Registration, cancelled 2009 
  • 1st Cheltenham (Highbury) - Active, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 
  • 1st Longford (18th Manchester) - Active, 1st Stretford (1st Longford), Stretford, Greater Manchester West
  • 3rd Macclesfield (Upton Priory) - Active, Macclesfield and Congleton, Chesire
  • 8th Holborn (Lady Peat’s Own) - Active, North London district
  • 1st Keynsham (St. John’s) - Active, Wansdyke district, Avon
  • 7th Manchester St John’s Failsworth – Active, North Manchester district