The Start of the Local Brigade's


St. Hugh's was not the first Brigade Company in the area. In the files of "The Star" (a newspaper no longer with us) some ninety years ago, a reference was made to the inauguration of the first local Church Lads' Brigade. That was in 1908, and it was reported that the first company was started in 1900. It was attached to St. Lawrence's Church and met in the old Frodingham School. The company was led by the Revd. W.C.Thompson and Mr L. Beardsley. Also at this time a company was started at St. John's Church under the command of the Revd. A. G..Smith and Lieut. Haines. St Lawrence's closed in 1916, probably due to the war, and St. John's followed in 1921.
There is no record of any Brigade activity in the Scunthorpe area until the 1950's, when St. Hugh's was formed by the Revd. J.E.Roberts and Mr W.H.Walker.

During the 1950's other companies were formed by Mr W. H. Walker and the Revd. D. Graham Jakeman (by now the Vicar of St. Hugh's) These included Alkborough, Messingham, Lincoln, Owston Ferry and at the RAF Camp at Waddingham. St. Lawrence's was also reformed. St. John's had reformed sometime prior to 1950 and was kept going with the help of St. Hugh's after the Revd. Swaby had left St. John's for Mablethorpe.

Of all the companies that were formed in this period only St. Hugh's still exists today, as strong as ever - fifty years without a break.