Humshaugh
Encyclopedia
Humshaugh is a parish in Northumberland
, England
. This small village is just north of Chollerford
, which is located near Chesters Fort on Hadrian's Wall
and is about 21 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne
. The village of Humshaugh lies just off the military road running from Newcastle to Carlisle which was built by General Wade
during the Jacobite rebellion. Other nearby villages include Low Brunton
and Walwick
.
The paper mill near Humshaugh, on the River North Tyne
close to Barrasford
, among other mills in various rural locations around England
, was used during the Napoleonic Wars
to make the paper that was used to print fake French money in a bid to flood France
with the forged notes, which was intended to cause a marked devaluation
of the currency.
It is also attributed as the site of the first official Scout
camp, held in August, 1908, a year after the more famous experimental camp
on Brownsea Island
. However, this is misleading, Humshaugh was a large Parish, before sub division, and the Scouts took the train to Chollerford, the nearest station to Humshaugh, and walked up through Walwick and the woods to the site, which is known as Look Wide! The actual site is on land belonging Park Shields Farm (grid reference NY 885 697), near to Fourstones
, and is now marked by a cairn commemorating the event.
who were members of recognised Scout Troops who followed the Scout Method and Scout Law as developed by Baden-Powell and published in his Scouting for Boys
.
This voting scheme was not the choice of Baden-Powell, but rather that of the magazine's publisher, C. Arthur Pearson, and many consider the idea to be a cynical marketing scheme designed to increase the sales of the magazine. Baden-Powell himself wrote "There is something in it which I fear will put off some readers of the better sort". However, this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Scouts themselves. Lists were published in each issue, building up to the event, allowing Scouts to see who was in the top fifty nominees. When the voting had closed, the first placed Scout, F. D. Watson, had gained nominations from over 29,000 "friends".
Baden-Powell personally awarded the top fifty nominees a special edition "Scout" camera, along with a free copy of Scouting for Boys to the next fifty.
A number of adults also participated in the camp, many of whom were to become key figures in the Scout Movement in the years following the camp:
It is also believed that there were two instructors from the United States of America
, but very few details are known about these participants.
, Hexham Abbey
, and Walwick Grange
. They also spent time exploring the nearby stretches of Hadrian's Wall.
However, much of the programme was based around the gully
in which the camp was sited, and saw many of the Scout games and Scoutcraft activities which Baden-Powell and his fellow instructors had developed for the Movement.
See also: Jamboree 2008
In August 2008 Jamboree 2008 was held at a campsite close to Carr Edge, and was attended by groups from the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association, a Scout Group from Portugal
and members of The Scout Association
. This event included the several features of the original camp, including a visit to Hexham Abbey
and other local attractions.
On 22 August these Scouts retraced Baden-Powell's route from the former Fourstones railway station to the Carr Edge site, where a commemorative service was held (pictured).
and Settle
used the site to mark the centenary of the Scouting movement
. They held a ceremony for Scouting's Sunrise on 1 August.
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. This small village is just north of Chollerford
Chollerford
Chollerford is a village in Northumberland, England. It is situated approximately four miles to the north of Hexham on the B6318 road, not far from Hadrian's Wall. There is a roundabout in the village where the B6318 and B6320 roads meet, and the traffic light-controlled Chollerford Bridge...
, which is located near Chesters Fort on Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
and is about 21 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. The village of Humshaugh lies just off the military road running from Newcastle to Carlisle which was built by General Wade
George Wade
Field Marshal George Wade served as a British military commander and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.-Early career:Wade, born in Kilavally, Westmeath in Ireland, was commissioned into the Earl of Bath's Regiment in 1690 and served in Flanders in 1692, during the Nine Years War, earning a...
during the Jacobite rebellion. Other nearby villages include Low Brunton
Low Brunton
Low Brunton is a small village in Northumberland, England. Nearby settlements include Humshaugh, Chollerford and Walwick.-Early history:...
and Walwick
Walwick
Walwick is a village in Northumberland, England near Hadrian's Wall. Nearby villages include Humshaugh, Chollerford and Low Brunton.- Governance : is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham....
.
The paper mill near Humshaugh, on the River North Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
close to Barrasford
Barrasford
Barrasford is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated to the north of Hexham, on the North Tyne. Barrasford is an ancient village that lies within the shadow of Haughton Castle. The village is notable for being the location of a Bronze Age burial site where The Reaverhill Dagger...
, among other mills in various rural locations around England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was used during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
to make the paper that was used to print fake French money in a bid to flood France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the forged notes, which was intended to cause a marked devaluation
Devaluation
Devaluation is a reduction in the value of a currency with respect to those goods, services or other monetary units with which that currency can be exchanged....
of the currency.
It is also attributed as the site of the first official Scout
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
camp, held in August, 1908, a year after the more famous experimental camp
Brownsea Island Scout camp
The Brownsea Island Scout camp was a boys camping event on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, southern England, organised by Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell to test his ideas for the book Scouting for Boys. Boys from different social backgrounds participated from 1 August to 8 August 1907 in...
on Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole...
. However, this is misleading, Humshaugh was a large Parish, before sub division, and the Scouts took the train to Chollerford, the nearest station to Humshaugh, and walked up through Walwick and the woods to the site, which is known as Look Wide! The actual site is on land belonging Park Shields Farm (grid reference NY 885 697), near to Fourstones
Fourstones
Fourstones is a village in Northumberland, England. The village lies on the north bank of the River South Tyne about west of Hexham.- Landmarks :...
, and is now marked by a cairn commemorating the event.
First official Scout camp
While Brownsea Island was the site of the experimental camp run by Baden-Powell in 1907, Humshaugh hosted what is recognised as the first official Scout camp from August 22 to September 4, 1908. The difference between the two camps is that the 1907 event was not attended by any invested members of Scouting, since there was no movement at the time. The Humshaugh camp saw 30 invested Boy Scouts from around the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who were members of recognised Scout Troops who followed the Scout Method and Scout Law as developed by Baden-Powell and published in his Scouting for Boys
Scouting for Boys
Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship is the first book on the Scout Movement, published in 1908. It was written and illustrated by Robert Baden-Powell, its founder...
.
Build-up
The camp was advertised in the first issue of The Scout magazine in April 1908. The magazine asked the question "Who of you would want to spend a fortnight under canvas with a Troop of other boys, and under the care of General Baden-Powell?", which was met with great enthusiasm by the members of the fledgling movement. However, there was a catch – there were only thirty places available for Scouts on the camp, and they were to be selected by a voting system. Each issue of the magazine included a coupon which was to be sent back to the publisher with the name of a Scout being nominated to attend the camp.This voting scheme was not the choice of Baden-Powell, but rather that of the magazine's publisher, C. Arthur Pearson, and many consider the idea to be a cynical marketing scheme designed to increase the sales of the magazine. Baden-Powell himself wrote "There is something in it which I fear will put off some readers of the better sort". However, this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Scouts themselves. Lists were published in each issue, building up to the event, allowing Scouts to see who was in the top fifty nominees. When the voting had closed, the first placed Scout, F. D. Watson, had gained nominations from over 29,000 "friends".
Baden-Powell personally awarded the top fifty nominees a special edition "Scout" camera, along with a free copy of Scouting for Boys to the next fifty.
Participants
The thirty nominated participants became known as the "Gallant Thirty". They were divided into five Patrols, and joined by a further six Scouts who were invited by Baden-Powell himself, including his own nephew, Donald Baden-Powell (who was also a participant of the Brownsea Island camp).A number of adults also participated in the camp, many of whom were to become key figures in the Scout Movement in the years following the camp:
- Percy EverettPercy EverettSir Percy Winn Everett was an editor-in-chief for the house of Pearson and an active Scouter who became the Deputy Chief Scout of Great Britain....
- was an editor in the employ of Pearson, and also attended the Brownsea Island camp - Victor BridgesVictor BridgesVictor Bridges was a prolific British author.-Works:*Camping Out: For Boy Scouts and Others *The Man From Nowhere *Jetsam *A Rogue by Compulsion: An Affair of the Secret Service *Mr...
- became Secretary of the Scout Movement in its early years - W B Wakefield - one of the first two Scout Inspectors, and donated the land which was to become Great Tower Scout Camp
- Eric Sherbrooke WalkerEric Sherbrooke WalkerMajor Eric George Sherbrooke Walker, MC was hotelier and founder of the Outspan Hotel and Treetops Hotel in Kenya, as well as a decorated military officer...
- the other of the first Scout Inspectors - Henry HoltHenry HoltHenry Holt , was a book publisher and author.Henry Holt was born in Baltimore, Maryland on January 3, 1840.He graduated from Yale in 1862....
- became the QuartermasterQuartermasterQuartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
of the Scout Movement, and started what became the Scout ShopScoutingScouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society.... - Captain Dennis Colbron Pearse was Assistant Commandant. Late he was instrumental in the formation of the local Scouting committees which were to become the DistrictDistrictDistricts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
and County organisations. In 1922 he moved to TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and was involved in Scouting thereScouting in TasmaniaScouting in Tasmania, a State of Australia, is predominantly represented by the branch of Scouts Australia and Girl Guides NSW & ACT, a member organisation of Girl Guides Australia...
. - J L C Booth
It is also believed that there were two instructors from the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but very few details are known about these participants.
Programme
The camp participants visited many local sites of interest, including Haughton CastleHaughton Castle
Haughton Castle is a privately owned country mansion situated to the north of the village of Humshaugh on the west bank of the North Tyne. It is some 10 km north of Hexham, Northumberland ....
, Hexham Abbey
Hexham Abbey
Hexham Abbey is a place of Christian worship dedicated to St Andrew and located in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in northeast England. Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham.-History:...
, and Walwick Grange
Walwick Grange
Walwick Grange is a privately owned 18th century country house situated on the bank of the River North Tyne close to Hadrians Wall at Warden, Northumberland. It is a Grade II* listed building....
. They also spent time exploring the nearby stretches of Hadrian's Wall.
However, much of the programme was based around the gully
Gully
A gully is a landform created by running water, eroding sharply into soil, typically on a hillside. Gullies resemble large ditches or small valleys, but are metres to tens of metres in depth and width...
in which the camp was sited, and saw many of the Scout games and Scoutcraft activities which Baden-Powell and his fellow instructors had developed for the Movement.
Centenary Commemoration
Jamboree 2008 (Northumberland)
Jamboree 2008 was developed as "an Inter-organisational & International event" which was intended to "bring 600 young people from Scouting and Guiding together — to develop skills & friendships that will lay the foundations for the next 100 years of Scouting"...
In August 2008 Jamboree 2008 was held at a campsite close to Carr Edge, and was attended by groups from the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association, a Scout Group from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and members of The Scout Association
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
. This event included the several features of the original camp, including a visit to Hexham Abbey
Hexham Abbey
Hexham Abbey is a place of Christian worship dedicated to St Andrew and located in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in northeast England. Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham.-History:...
and other local attractions.
On 22 August these Scouts retraced Baden-Powell's route from the former Fourstones railway station to the Carr Edge site, where a commemorative service was held (pictured).
Scouting's Sunrise
In 2007, Scouts from IngleboroughIngleborough
Ingleborough is the second highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales. It is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the other two being Whernside and Pen-y-ghent. Ingleborough is frequently climbed as part of the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, which is a 24-mile circular challenge walk starting and...
and Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
used the site to mark the centenary of the Scouting movement
Scouting 2007 Centenary
The Scouting 2007 Centenary comprised celebrations around the world in which Scouts celebrated 100 years of the world Scout movement. The original celebrations were focused on the United Kingdom, such as the camp on Brownsea Island, the birthplace of Scouting, and the 21st World Scout Jamboree in...
. They held a ceremony for Scouting's Sunrise on 1 August.