Person    | Male  Born 22/2/1857  Died 8/1/1941

Robert Baden-Powell

Army officer and founder of the boy scouts and girl guides. Born as Robert Stephenson Smyth Powell at 6 Stanhope Street, Paddington. His mother changed the family name to Baden-Powell after her husband's death in 1860 (Baden was his first name). In his military career he served in India, Afghanistan and eventually in South Africa, where he was in command at the Siege of Mafeking in 1899. In 1907 he organised a camp for boys on Brownsea Island, which led to the founding of the boy scouts movement. Knighted in 1907 and made a baronet in 1922. Married Olave in 1912. In 1939 the Baden-Powells moved to a cottage in Kenya which they called Paxtu, and here he died.

In 1929 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Baden-Powell of Gilwell; Gilwell Park having become the British Scout Headquarters after the 1919 purchase of the estate for the Boy Scout Association.

There have been suggestions that he was a Nazi-sympathiser. He certainly had made use of the swastika, inspired by Kipling's use of it, but both of them were probably using it the same way it is used on on the 8th London Howitzers memorial.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Robert Baden-Powell

Commemorated ati

Baden-Powell statue

Unveiled by the Duke of Gloucester, President of the Scout Association as par...

Read More

Robert Baden-Powell

Greater London Council Robert Baden-Powell, 1857-1941, chief scout of the wor...

Read More

Robert Baden-Powell - Wimbledon

{Below the Boy Scouts' badge:} In the Mill House Robert Baden-Powell, Chief S...

Read More

Scouting for boys re-published

To mark the re-publication of Robert Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys as part...

Read More

Other Subjects

W. Willy

W. Willy

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
H. A. Clark

H. A. Clark

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
M. H. Gillingham

M. H. Gillingham

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Charles Spackman, VC

Charles Spackman, VC

Soldier. Born Charles Edward Spackman. He was a sergeant in the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. On the 20th Novenber 1917 at Marcoing in France, his company came under heavy gunfire. He fought his ...

Person, Armed Forces, France

War served, WW1
1 memorial
T. Blandon

T. Blandon

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Galen of Pergamum

Galen of Pergamum

A.D. 131-200, Roman.

Person, Medicine, Italy

1 memorial