Sea Scouting History on the Hamble River
Before 1855 access to the Navy as an officer was restricted to those who paid
a fee or to those who could get their fees paid for them. This applied to those
sent to a reformatory or to an orphanage.
The Training Ship Mercury was set up to provide free or almost free seagoing
training for boys, which it did under its original patron Charles Hoare.
When Charles Hoare died in 1908, a great scholar, C.B. Fry, who also
represented England at cricket and athletics, discovered that the establishment
would have to close. So annoyed was he by the sheer stupidity of this act that
he put everything he was involved in to one side to carry on the good work.
Baden-Powell was a frequent visitor to his friend C.B. Fry, so it is not
surprising that Scouting got off to an early start on the Hamble.
Early 1908 saw five patrols of Scouts (40 boys) formed at Mercury under the
leadership of the Rev. Bloomfield, as a naval training establishment the
activities the Scouts carried out had a definite sea going flavour and were
indeed referred to in those early years as Marine Scouts.
Following the first experimental camp in 1907 held on Brownsea Island, Poole
Harbour, Dorset, and the second camp in 1908 at Humshaugh Northumberland. A large
summer camp was formed in August 1909 at Bucklers Hard near the mouth of the
Bueaulieu River in the New Forest, Hampshire, with part of the course for this
camp was taken on board the training-ship Mercury on the Hamble River.
Two troops were present, each spending a week at each site.
Although early reference was made about Sea Scouts around the country, a Mrs
Wade in her book The Story of Scouting referred to the Mercury camp as,
"The beginning of a definite Sea Scout branch of the movement." Reynolds'
made another reference to this camp in his book The Scout Movement when he
says, "This was the beginning of Sea scouts", although he did go on to
say that "they (Sea Scouts) did not officially appear in the regulations
until 1912".
Seeing these developments, 'BP' voiced a hoped that Scouts would be interested
in learning about boat management and seamanship. He stressed the need for young
men to prepare themselves for service on their country's ships.
In December 1910 a Mercury Scout by the name of Maurice Driver jumped overboard
in an attempt to save another boy by the name of Hewitt who had fallen into the
water, unfortunatley Hewitt did not survive. Maurice had not thought of the danger
to himself but on the first alarm, had with the true spirit of the Scout, at once
sprang to the assistance of his comrade in distress. For this he was awarded the
Bronze Cross, the highest award for gallantry. Frederick Yateman, who also tried
to rescue Hewitt was awarded the Scout Association Silver Cross.
This is an account taken from Baden Powell's book, entitled Young Knights of
the Empire, published in 1917.
Seeing these developments, 'BP' asked his brother, Warrington, to draw up
rules for Sea Scouting on the lines of those adopted at Mercury.
This he did and on 10th July 1910 the Mercury Troop was registered as the
first ever Sea Scout Troop.
1908 also saw the formation of a patrol of 8 Scouts within the Hamble village.
These were boys who were not part of the Training Ship Mercury but who wanted to
be Scouts. As there was no Leader available at this time the boys ran the troop
themselves, and as a result the troop did not register until later.
With its well known involvement in sailing and yachting Hamble will continue
to be linked to Sea Scouting.
The history of Sea Scouts in Hamble is long and interesting, we are always
interested to hear from former members, who can add to this information. Please
contact Hamble Sea Scouts