In October 2017 an Australian Trefoil Guild Member joined the Agnes Baden-Powell Guild in England where she learned the Guild was in the process of refurbishing the Baden-Powell family grave in England which was in need of repair. She had always been in awe of the remarkable Agnes Baden-Powell who was born on 16th December 1858 in Paddington, England and died 2nd June 1945 (she was 86 years of age). Have you ever thought how the sister of Lord Robert Baden-Powell (Agnes) started Girl Guiding?

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Their father, Reverend Professor Baden Powell 1796-1860, was the Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford from 1827-1860, married 3 times and was the father of 14 children. His first wife, Elizabeth Rivaz (no children) died 1836. His second wife, Charlotte Pope, had 4 children (Charlotte Elizabeth, Baden Henry, Louisa Ann and Laetitia Mary) died 1844. Henrietta Grace Smyth 1824-1914 was his third wife. She was a gifted musician, artist, mother of 10 children and a Widow at 36 years of age.

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To honour her husband after his death, Henrietta added Baden (her husband’s Christian name) to the surname of that branch of the family and has since been known as Baden-Powell. Henrietta was determined to instill in her children, the desire to succeed.

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Agnes was one of the 14 children – Charlotte Elizabeth 1838, Baden Henry 1841, Louisa Ann 1843, Laetitia Mary 1844, Henry Warington Smyth 1847, George Smyth 1847, Augustus Smyth 1849, Francis Smyth 1850, Henrietta Smyth 1851, John Penrose Smyth 1852, Jessie Smyth 1855, Robert Stephenson Smyth 1857, Agnes Smyth 1858 and Baden Fletcher Smyth 1860. Agnes was the only daughter to survive into adulthood.

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Agnes was only 2 years old when her father died. She became an accomplished musician - playing the organ, piano and violin. She also included natural history, astronomy, cycling, swimming, driving, skating, an excellent cook, knowledge of 11 languages, kept bees, birds and butterflies in her home. In April 1901, Agnes became engaged to Sir William Bisset Berry, the Speaker of the South African Parliament, but they didn’t marry. She was also very friendly with Guglielmo Marconi. With her brother Baden Fletcher Smyth Baden-Powell, Agnes made aeronautical balloons, working with silk for the envelope, and they made many flights together. Later she helped him with aeroplane building. Agnes was an honorary companion of the Aeronautical Society from 1938. She was, for some years, President of the Westminster Division of the Red Cross and worked for the League of Mercy and for Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild.

Following the creation of the Boy Scout Association, Robert Baden-Powell organised a gathering of Scouts at the Crystal Palace in London in 1909. Amongst the many thousands of Boy Scouts gathered, there were several hundred Girl Scouts. Popular opinion at the time was against mixed activities for girls and growing pressure persuaded Robert Baden-Powell to consider setting up a separate organisation for the Girl Scouts. Having been turned down by the first aid societies, he approached his sister Agnes. She reluctantly agreed to take on the organisation of the new sister group, Girl Guides. Agnes Baden-Powell’s character was useful in counteracting negative opinions of the new Girl Guides.

A friend of hers wrote "Anyone who had come in touch with her gentle influence, her interest in all womanly arts and for her love of birds, insects and flowers, would scoff at the idea of her being the president of a sort of Amazon Cadet Corps".

In late 1909, Robert Baden-Powell published: 

‘Pamphlet A: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls’ and

‘Pamphlet B: Baden-Powell Girl Guides, a Suggestion for Character Training for Girls’.

These were the precursors to the Girl Guide handbook. 

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By April 1910, there were 6,000 young girls registered as Girl Guides. In 1912, Agnes brought about the formation of the 1st Lone  Company and was the de facto president of the Girl Guide Association. During this time, Agnes wrote the Guides first handbook called ‘The Handbook for the Girl Guides or How Girls Can Help to Build up the Empire’, published in 1912. It was the reworking of the Scouting for Boys book written several years earlier, but with chapters added by Agnes on a number of subjects.

The Girl Guides Association was officially given recognition in 1915.

In early 1916 Agnes’s young sister-in-law Olave Baden-Powell was appointed Sussex County Commissioner.

In September 1918 the new County Commissioners voted Olave into the new post of Chief Guide, putting her in charge of Guiding.

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Agnes was offered the honorary post of President which she reluctantly accepted.

In 1919, following pressure, Agnes resigned from the presidency in favour of Princess Mary, who was also a keen supporter of the Girl Guides and Agnes became Vice President. Agnes continued as Vice President until her death. She was buried in the family grave in Kensal Green Cemetery in London, though her name was not listed on the monument.

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