~ Edward VII Pattern Colonel’s Sir Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton-Jodrell Uniform Set RE MP ~
This superb set is comprised of the blue cloth helmet, dress tunic, service great coat, cross belt, waist belt with sword suspension belts, ceremonial waist belt, short sword suspension belt, aquilette, trousers, uniform’s named tin and the original pouches for shoes and accessories.
The set comes with a few photocopies of the 1885 Army Lost and some extra information about the owner.
The set was owned by Colonel’s Sir Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton-Jodrell of the Royal Engineers, as stated on the plate of the uniform’s tin.
The tunic is complete with its epaulettes, buttons and silver braid trim. All buttons are present.
The tunic is made of red wool with a cream silk lining inside.
The officer’s pattern knotted shoulder boards have bullion colonel’s stars and crown and letters ‘TR’ (Territorial Corp).
The cuffs bear silver braid decorations over red and black velvet cuffs.
The buttons bear King Edward VII cipher on the front and the makers name ‘Jennes & Co., London’, on the reverse.
The waist belt with sword suspension belts is decorated with silver braid over red leather and has a silver buckle with the gold colonel’s rank badge (the lion over the crown).
The cross belt and the ceremonial waist belt are decorated in the same manner with silver braid over red leather, having also attached red and silver knots.
The aquillettes are made of red and silver bullion wire with engraved silver tassels.
The great coat iis also complete with its epaulettes, buttons, silver braid trim, colonel’s stars and crown and the letter ‘T’ (Territorial Corps). All buttons are present and identical with the ones on the red tunic. It is made of dark navy blue coloured wool with a black silk lining.
The coat bears two medal ribbon for the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal and The Volunteer Long Service Medal.
The trousers are made of dark navy blue coloured wool with cream silk lining and labelled with the colonel’s name. All buttons are present but the red stripes were removed at one point in time.
The blue cloth helmet bears to the front the Royal Engineers Volunteer Corps badge.
The helmet is lined with cream coloured fabric and has a cream leather and mauve silk sweatband. The chin scales are lined with soft black velvet. Its frontal and rear visors are lined with green fabric.
The uniform’s tin is complete with all its locks and handles. On the lid is attached a plaque etched with the colonel’s name and rank.
The pouches are marked with a blue stamp ‘Portman Square, London, W.’
~ Dimensions ~
The tunic is 30 inches (76 cm) long (rear side) from the collar to the end of the tunic. The width from shoulder to shoulder is 17 inches (43 cm). The arm length (on the outside) from shoulder seam to end of cuff is 26 inches (66 cm). The waist is 16 inches (40.5 cm) across. The chest (when laid down flat) from armpit to armpit is 19 inches (48.2 cm).
The trouser’s length is 49.5 inches (125.7cm) and the waist is 14.5 inches (36.7 cm).
The great coat is 42 inches (106.7 cm) long (rear side) from the collar to the end of the tunic. The width from shoulder to shoulder is 16.5 inches (42 cm). The arm length (on the outside) from shoulder seam to end of cuff is 25 inches (63.5 cm). The waist is 16.5 inches (42 cm) across. The chest (when laid down flat) from armpit to armpit is 19.5 inches (49.5 cm).
The tin length is 44.1 inches (112 cm), its width is 14.1 inches (36 cm) and it stands 9.9 inches (25 cm) high.
The helmet size is small, measuring inside (left to right) 6 inches (15.2 cm) and front to rear (without peaks) 8 inches (20.3 cm). The outside measurements are 7 inches (17.8 cm) wide, 10.2 inches (26 cm) long from peak to peak and 11.2 inches (28.3 cm) tall, including the spike.
The set weighs 18.2 Kg in total.
~ Condition ~
The set is in a very good condition for its age with some signs of wear.
The tunic is excellent with one minor area of unstitching to the inner section of the collar, as shown in the pictures. There are no moth holes. Except for a couple of barely visible spots (2-3 mm by 1mm each) on the top right sleeve, near the shoulder board, where the wool has deteriorated, the tunic is free of damage. It has only the normal signs of wear.
The great coat is near immaculate with almost no signs of wear except for the left shoulder board end which is unstitched and a few centimetres of the inner lining, unstitched as well, there is no damage.
The trousers are excellent with minimum wear, remaining free of damage. The red stripes were removed, as previously said.
The aquilette looks almost unused and is free of damage.
The ceremonial waist belt is excellent with minimum wear.
The cross belt and the waist belt with sword suspension belts have more serious signs of wear. Part of the red leather lining is worn, looking more used than the other set components.
~ Sir Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton-Jodrell ~
Sir Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton-Jodrell K.C.B. (29 June 1847 – 13 October 1917), known until 1890 as Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton, was a British army officer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1900.
Cotton-Jodrell was the son of Rt. Rev. George Edward Lynch Cotton and his wife Sophia Ann Tomkinson and baptised with the name of Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton. His father was a master at Rugby School and later Bishop of Calcutta. Cotton was educated at Rugby, Marlborough College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He joined the Royal Artillery and became captain. Then with the Cheshire Royal Engineers (Railway Battalion) he attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Cotton was elected at the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wirral at the 1885 general election and held the seat until he stood down at the 1900 general election. In 10 July 1890 his name was legally changed to Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton-Jodrell by Royal Licence.
Cotton-Jodrell was J.P. for Cheshire, and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the county in 1901. He was on the Headquarters Staff of the War Office from 1906 to 1912 and became Colonel in the Territorial Forces. He was invested as a Knight Commander, Order of the Bath (K.C.B.).
Cotton-Jodrell had residences at Yeardsley and Reaseheath, Nantwich, Cheshire, and at Shallcross, Cheshire. He died at the age of 70.
Cotton-Jodrell married Mary Rennell Coleridge, daughter of William Rennell Coleridge and Katherine Frances Barton, on 24 April 1878 and had two surviving daughters.