What is the uniform?

[BHH]

Hi
I have a photo of my husband's grandfather as a youth in Hartlepool in about 1900-1905 with a group of uniformed people of various ages.  I am trying to find out what it was.  The hats look wrong for the boys brigade and I can't make out the badges.  Any ideas?
I have the full photo if it helps I can email it.
Thanks for the help
cheers Barbara

[jess5athome]

Hi, I'm not sure if these are the same, the cap badge is different, however, the belt buckle could well be the same.

Its near the bottom of the page on the attached link

Frank.

http://hangingonmyword.blogspot.co.uk/2011_11_01_archive.html

[BHH]

Thanks - it does look very like the boys brigade uniform in those photos. I have since looked on the boys brigade website and they are very similar to those as well.  We may have it solved thanks! 
cheers Barbara

[jess5athome]

Hi again, this looks to be a very close match for the cap badge on the young lad sat on the ground in the photograph.

Frank.

http://www.superiormilitaria.com/images/don4.jpg

[philipsearching]

Best I can do for the cap badge

[jess5athome]

Best I can do for the cap badge

Nice one 

Frank.

[BHH]

Thanks Frank and Philip.  I have had a look at the original scan and the badge is not all that much clearer but it certainly looks like the one you found.  Which appears to be from the Church lads brigade, which would fit with the religious history of the family as well.

Thanks heaps 
cheers Barbara

[philipsearching]

I would rule out Boys Brigade and Boys Life Brigade because their emblem (cap badge and belt buckle) was generally an anchor in front of a square cross.  The belt buckle looks more like a tree or a grenade and is not the same as the cap badge.  The Church Lads Army cap badge is certainly possible, but I haven't found a good image of a CLA belt buckle yet.

Philip

MODIFIED - http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/churchladsbrigade/interesting/ images at the bottom of the page show Richmond Church Lads Brigade 1909 with similar belt buckles.

[BHH]

Happy with Church Boys Brigade - they do look like the Richmond 1909 photo. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/3048803444_9442b4ec22.jpg

The hat badges look correct.  And there are also sash badges that look like alternate hat badges: http://www.wthsoc.org.uk/_/rsrc/1403003838271/gallery/photographs-1/great-war-commemoration/Cecil_Gravestock_Church_Lads_400.gif?height=200&width=200

I have cropped to the buckle but still not completely clear.  What do you think about this one?
http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/images/g/4F8AAOSwwE5WVx4m/s-l225.jpg.

So am happy with that conclusion.  Thanks Philip and Frank