The Hackney Scout Song Book

Although originally intended for the use of Scouts in the Hackney district of East London, it quickly became the standard work of its type in the UK and around the world.

The book has its origin in a series of indoor "campfire" gatherings for Hackney Scouts organised by Stanly Ince, a local Scout Commissioner, who had been paralyzed by polio following his service in World War I.

It was a soft-covered pocket-sized book in the traditional Songster format[3] and included a mix of folk and popular songs, together with some hymns and items composed specifically for Scouts.

The "National Anthem of the Ancient Britons" and "Michael Finnagen" appeared in print for the first time in its pages.

The book was "dedicated to the undying memory of those Hackney Scouts who died in the service of their country 1914 – 1918".