St Lawrence Scout Troop is one of the central strands in the history that leads to today’s Stroud Valley Scouts. First started in 1928, later re-established by Netlam Frederick Cordwell Bigg in 1937, and rooted at Hollow Lane, the St Lawrence story includes local service, wartime duty, Air Scouts, remembrance, international Scouting and the continuing legacy of Scouting in Stroud.

St Lawrence Scout Troop, around 1942. Image from The World of Netlam Bigg by John Gardiner, reproduced with permission.

On this page

The first St Lawrence Scout Troop

St Lawrence Scout Troop first began in April 1928. It was founded under the leadership of the Revd Arthur Braybrooke, with Archibald Andrews as Assistant Scoutmaster and Oliver Durr as Cubmaster.

The early group was not insignificant. It began with 17 Scouts and 22 Wolf Cubs, showing that there was already a strong appetite for Scouting among young people connected with St Lawrence in Stroud.

However, this first version of the troop did not last. In 1931, the Scoutmaster left the church and the incoming curate was not able to take over the Scout duties. Without the necessary adult leadership, the troop ceased.

Netlam Bigg re-establishes the troop

In 1937, Netlam Frederick Cordwell Bigg re-established St Lawrence Scout Troop. The group was registered on 15 January 1937.

The re-established troop began with 16 Scouts and 8 Wolf Cubs. Netlam Bigg brought energy, organisation and ambition to the revived group, building on his existing experience at Standish House Scout Group.

He was assisted by a capable team. Charles Docwra served as Scoutmaster, the Revd George Meek as Assistant Scoutmaster, and Albert Matty as Cubmaster. This combination of lay leadership and church connection gave the group the practical support it needed to grow.

This revival is one of the most important moments in the history of Scouting in Stroud. From this point, St Lawrence became a strong and active group, with its own headquarters, wartime service, Air Scout section, international outlook and lasting connection to the Scout Centre at Hollow Lane.

The link with Standish House

The St Lawrence story is closely connected to the story of Standish House Scout Group. Netlam Bigg had founded Standish House Scout Group in 1934, creating a pioneering Scout Group for boys who were hospital patients at Standish House.

When he re-established St Lawrence Scout Troop in 1937, he brought with him experience from that earlier work. The connection was also personal. Charles Docwra, who became Scoutmaster at St Lawrence, had previously been Cubmaster of Standish House Group.

This means the Standish House and St Lawrence stories are not separate threads. They are joined by people, leadership and a shared belief that Scouting should be active, inclusive and outward-looking.

A new home at Hollow Lane

One of the most significant developments for St Lawrence Scout Troop was the creation of a headquarters and training ground at Hollow Lane.

The site was a half-acre piece of land owned by Mrs Bigg. A large hut, approximately 60 feet by 27 feet, was donated by Mr A. C. Cook. This hut provided a main hall, a meeting room and two smaller rooms.

A smaller hut became the Rover Den, while existing greenhouses were converted into a kitchen, toilets and storerooms. This combination of land, donated buildings and practical adaptation gave the St Lawrence Scouts a proper base for meetings, training and group life.

The new St Lawrence headquarters and training grounds were officially opened on Saturday 17 September 1938 by Lt Col G. Walton, Home Commissioner from Imperial Headquarters.

Hollow Lane would remain central to the story. The later Stroud Valley Scouting Centre grew from this long association between the site and local Scouting.

Wartime service

During the Second World War, St Lawrence Scouts were involved in practical service to the local community. Their work reflected the wider Scout tradition of service and the particular demands placed on communities during wartime.

Scouts supported the Stroud Women’s Voluntary Service by collecting materials such as bones, old iron and rags. These collections were part of the wider national effort to make use of waste and salvage materials during the war.

Netlam Bigg also represented the Scout Association on the Evacuation Reception Committee. Senior Scouts helped evacuees at Tuck’s Hall on Sundays, supporting the practical work of receiving and assisting people displaced by the war.

St Lawrence Scouts and Stroud and Uplands Scouts also helped with fire watches at Stroud General Hospital. They ran messages and manned telephones at the Trinity Rooms and First Aid Post.

This wartime work shows how St Lawrence Scouts were trusted with real responsibility. They were young people, but they were also part of the practical civic response to war in Stroud.

The Waste Paper Campaign

One of the most substantial wartime contributions associated with local Scouting was the Waste Paper Campaign.

In February 1940, Netlam Bigg was appointed organiser for the Waste Paper Campaign by the Stroud and Tetbury Scouts’ Association. Scouts collected waste paper as part of the wartime salvage effort.

Over seven years, Scouts collected nearly 1,500 tons of paper and raised around £7,000 for Scouting. The scale of that achievement is remarkable. It shows both sustained commitment and the ability of local Scouts to organise work that had real value.

This same spirit of fundraising, collecting and working together appears again in the later Kandersteg story, when St Lawrence Scouts collected waste paper and cardboard every Saturday to help fund their 1949 expedition to Switzerland.

St Lawrence Air Scouts

In July 1941, Netlam Bigg received permission to start the first Air Scout troop in Gloucestershire. This was a significant development for St Lawrence and gave the group a distinctive wartime identity.

The St Lawrence Air Scouts developed links with RAF Aston Down. Their activities included aircraft identification, use of a link trainer and flights in Miles Master aircraft. These were serious and practical aviation-related experiences, not simply symbolic activities.

The Air Scouts’ colours were presented and dedicated in March 1943. In April 1943, the group camped at RNAS Yeovilton. The St Lawrence Air Scouts also had a prominent Drum and Fife Band, which became part of their public identity.

St Lawrence Air Scouts entering Stroud Parish Church grounds. Image from The World of Netlam Bigg by John Gardiner, reproduced with permission.

The creation of the Air Scout troop shows the ambition of St Lawrence at this point in its history. The group was not only maintaining ordinary Scout meetings during wartime. It was adapting, expanding and giving young people access to experiences connected with aviation and national service.

St Lawrence Air Scouts Drum and Fife Band. Image from The World of Netlam Bigg by John Gardiner, reproduced with permission.

Remembrance and the silver birches

The wartime story of St Lawrence Scout Troop also includes loss and remembrance.

At the VE Thanksgiving Service in May 1945, Netlam Bigg paid tribute to members connected with the group who had died: Albert Matty, John Roseblade, John Wilmot and Norman Jennison.

On 13 October 1945, a special service was held. A memorial scroll was dedicated, followed by a procession to the headquarters. Five silver birches were planted in memory of Lord Somers and the four members connected with St Lawrence who had died in service.

Planting a silver birch in memory of John Wilmot at St Lawrence. Image from The World of Netlam Bigg by John Gardiner, reproduced with permission.

This act of remembrance is one of the most moving parts of the St Lawrence story. It shows a group that did not simply pass through the war and move on. It paused, named those who had died, and created a living memorial at its headquarters.

The St Lawrence name

The name of the group also became part of its history. In 1953, the Local Association changed the title to 2nd Stroud. The church council objected because the deed referred to St Lawrence (Stroud).

The District Commissioner explained that the form 2nd Stroud (St Lawrence) followed headquarters administrative policy. The St Lawrence name, however, remained important and continued to identify the group’s roots and character.

This detail may seem administrative, but it matters because names carry history. St Lawrence was not just a convenient label. It marked the group’s church connection, its place in Stroud, and the identity built by the Scouts, Cubs, leaders and supporters who had carried it through the 1930s, the war years and beyond.

The legacy today

St Lawrence Scout Troop is one of the key roots of today’s Stroud Valley Scouts. Its story includes early growth, revival, practical service, wartime responsibility, a permanent home at Hollow Lane, Air Scouting, remembrance and international adventure.

It also connects many of the other pages in this history project. Standish House connects through Netlam Bigg and Charles Docwra. Hollow Lane connects through the headquarters and Scout Centre. Kandersteg connects through the international outlook and fundraising spirit of the group.

The values that shaped St Lawrence are still visible in Scouting today: service, friendship, courage, belonging, practical skills, community support and adventure.

Help continue the St Lawrence legacy

A short timeline

Continue exploring our history

Sources and acknowledgements

Back to top ↑