The Baden Powell Scout (Prior to the establishing of the movement)
Written by Paul Pelham, composed by Henry E. Pether.
Sung by Tom Leamore
1900
260mm x 357mm
Sold Oct '26
Victorian music hall sheet music titled "The Baden Powell Scout", written by Paul Pelham, composed by Henry E. Pether, and sung by the popular music hall comedian Tom Leamore.
Published in London by Francis, Day & Hunter (with Roman numeral copyright MDCCCC for 1900), it captures a very specific moment in Anglo-Boer War culture and public hysteria.
1. Boer War "B-P Mania" and the Relief of Mafeking
Published in 1900, this song was rushed to press at the height of "B-P Mania"—the fanatical public adoration of Colonel Robert Baden-Powell following the 217-day Siege of Mafeking (October 1899 – May 1900) during the Second Anglo-Boer War.
When news of Mafeking’s relief reached London, the public celebration was so wild and unruly that it birthed a new English verb: "to maffick" (meaning to celebrate wildly and riotously in public). Baden-Powell became an instant national hero, and music halls across Britain flooded the market with topical songs, postcards, and memorabilia bearing his name and iconic slouch hat.
2. Satirizing Household "Siege Hysteria"
Rather than being a serious patriotic anthem, the song is a humorous, satirical music hall comedy routine about how Boer War newspaper reports were driving everyday British citizens "mad."
The Inset Illustration: The vignette in the upper-left shows a wife marching around the bedroom with a feather duster like a sentry, labeled "(SHE FANCIES WE'RE SHUT UP IN LADYSMITH)"—referencing the simultaneous Siege of Ladysmith. Her bewildered husband cowers in bed.
The Printed Chorus:
"Oh, Mister Baden Powell, what have you done for me! / You've sent my missus off her chump, She's driving me into the Lump; / She wakes me up in the dead of the night, In my shirt she turns me out, / Bungs me over the garden wall, And says 'Go out and scout!'"
3. Pre-Dates the Boy Scout Movement
While the cover features a man in a khaki slouch hat, broad-brimmed campaign hat, and tunic that closely resembles a Boy Scout uniform, this publication pre-dates the founding of the Boy Scouts by eight years.
In 1900, "scouting" referred strictly to military reconnaissance and tracking.
During the Siege of Mafeking, Baden-Powell organized local youth into the Mafeking Cadet Corps to deliver messages and perform light duty.
That experience, combined with his 1899 military manual Aids to Scouting, eventually led Baden-Powell to conduct his experimental camp on Brownsea Island in 1907 and publish Scouting for Boys in 1908. This sheet music is a rare piece of popular culture that captures the word "scout" in transition from military jargon to pop-culture satire.
4. Sung by Music Hall Legend Tom Leamore
The cover prominently credits the song as being "Sung by Tom Leamore". Tom Leamore (1866–1939) was one of the premier English music hall comedians, dancers, and singer-songwriters of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. Known for his rapid-fire delivery, expressive facial pantomime, and eccentric dance steps, Leamore performed in full stage costume—depicted in the central color lithograph wearing the khaki military uniform.
5. Famous Charing Cross Publishing House & Lithography
Francis, Day & Hunter: Located at 142 Charing Cross Road, London, this firm was the undisputed giant of Victorian music hall publishing.
H.G. Banks Litho: The cover illustration was lithographed by H.G. Banks, the premier cover artist for 19th-century sheet music, whose colorful, character-driven designs are now highly sought after by ephemera and music hall collectors
