Unidentified uniform or costume - help please photographer was S. Edwin

[rossko57]

Detail here on the many Portsmouth forts and units who manned them
https://www.victorianforts.co.uk/rga.htm

Sorting out which were regular/volunteer units looks tricky.
With the navy connections, be aware of Marine artillery (RMA) units existence too.

EDIT - this looks a likely militia unit for dockyard men
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Wessex_Artillery
2nd Hampshire (2nd Hants) Artillery Volunteers (AV)
AKA
1st Volunteer (Hampshire) Brigade, Southern Division, Royal Artillery (SDRA)


Not a gunner or marine uniform in the photo, mind!  This carpenter is an interesting chap.

[aus*jen]

Thanks for the links Rossko,  very interesting reading, good historical background.  Yes the
carpenter is a an interesting chap but from the records of the Canadian NA it seems he was an army
man during WW1 with previous experience in the Garrison Artillery.  Probably not our man in the
photo.

Jen.

[aus*jen]

While reading the great links posted by Rossko57 and John915 on RN uniforms I came across
a curious term 'fore and aft'.  Could this refer to the creases in the trousers?  I note the subject
of the photo has sharp creases in the front of the trousers.  Is this a significant feature of a
particular uniform?

Jen.

[John915]

Good afternoon,

Yes, "fore and aft" refers to the creases in the trousers on no 1 and 3 dress. Worn by CPOs, WOs and officers.

Ratings, PO and down wore the bell bottoms which had 7 horizontal creases across each leg. I remember watching my uncle ironing them in when it was time to report back to ship after leave.

John915

[rossko57]

Great photos here of cadets at 'private' maritime colleges.  Some would go on to careers in merchant shipping, some to the Navy.   Apparently standard practice to make all lads sign up to RN Reserve.
http://www.pandosnco.co.uk/cadets.html

Doesn't help a great deal here, but notable in the older c.1900 photos are the cadet uniforms - very navy of course, but some details differ from official "Cadet RN".
Cap badges similar to RN, not identical.
TS Worcester lads in particular have no collar insignia that you'd find on RN (see other colleges)

[aus*jen]

Thankyou John915,   It must have been tricky getting all those creases straight on the bell
bottom trousers!

Jen.

[aus*jen]

Rossko57,  Thanks for the link and info. on Cadet uniforms.

At my request, Wiggy has kindly refined the image of the cap making the insignia clearer.

[Wiggy]

Well . . . .  not much clearer to be honest.   

[aus*jen]

Well Wiggy, To me it is clearer   Might even work out what it is.