17th Cambridge District

Cambridge District Scout Archive

‘much to their delight’

1915 A Troop was listed by number only and no name attached.

A number of overlapping records exist after this date and the over lap with the 5th Cambridge District is a little unclear.

1916

The Parish Magazine of December ‘With the help of Rev C T Wood of Queens’ the DSM, a troop has been formed for this parish under the charge of Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Nutter junior and Mrs. Morland. There is now a parol of Wolf Cubs under Miss Rolfe and Miss Clark. A large committee has been formed to back up and support those who are doing the bulk of the work.’ ‘The Troop was formally enrolled on 22nd January 1917 and nine boys who had been Scouts before renewed their promises. Six new Scouts were received into the brotherhood.’

  • Mrs Harrison SM
  • Mrs Nutter (junior)ASM
  • Mrs. Morland ASM
  • Miss Rolfe CM
  • Miss Clark ACM

The troop was quickly active engaging in District events and and badges and local camps were recorded in August.

  • Miss Bickerstaff ASM

The Troop camped and the pack slept in the loft above the vicarage stables ‘much to their delight’ joining the Scouts during the day. Miss Bickerstaffe was clearly the driving force as Mrs. Harrison fell ill and was called SM in 1919 at the Scout Camp. However, when she left the area in November 1919 the troop failed and the remaining Scouts joined the Barton Troop. The pack continued and one member of the pack was chosen, Victor Baker, along with five Grantchester Scouts in the Barton and Grantchester Troop, to attended the Jamboree in London in August.

1919 Barton and Grantchester from Oct 1st 1919 – Oct 1st 1924 having both Pack and Troop and an IHQ number of 50

A Grantchester Cub Pack existed from 1st Oct 1919 – 25/Jam 1922 [first registered locally 1916]

Cambridge 1st Grantchester ‘P’ Cub Pack 13th Apr 1922 – 1st Oct 1928 reg 5054. The ‘P’ designation for Packs suggest that it either had a very early registration and this an historical designation and that it was not linked to a Troop

Barton Troop is also listed as 5th District in 1919/ 1920

In October 1921 the Parish Magazine again records ‘Some of the older boys (in the Cubs) now formed a Boy Scout Patrol under the supervision of Miss Bickerstaff and her officers PL H Searle and Second. Clearly named the Barton and Grantchester 17th Cambridge District in June 1922 when it went to camp at Hunstanton with Miss Bickerstaff it was active in gathering badges but dropped out of the Parish magazine news round up.

  • 1921 Barton registered in 1921
  • 1923 Listed as Barton and Grantchester. Listings as Barton are possibly shortened versions but with the complex records (above) the sequence is not clear.
  • 1926 Barton opened in 1926 with an IHQ number of 15046. Pack and Troop.
  • 1929 Barton closed in 1929 with an IHQ number of 7579. Pack and Troop.

It is possible that these last two entries were a continuous Group and the change in IHQ number followed a change in registration or hiatus in the yearly re registration.

1926 The Grantchester Parish magazine recalls Mr. J King as planning to take a party of Boy Scouts into camp as soon as school breaks up. This was to Lowestoft and it described them as ‘our boys’, as distinct from Barton boys but the same Troop.

  • Mr Armstrong
  • Mr. Jack King

In 1927 the 2nd Cambridge and he 1st Barton Boy Scouts were at a Garden Fete, and ‘our Grantchester Scouts since they belong to the Troop were part among the hosts. No more mentions of Scouts is found until the end of the archive in November 1932.

1935 move initially to West Cambridge as the very large Cambridge District splits in four. It then moves to South Cambridgeshire.

JWR Archivist Jan 2021