Colonial Despatches

Edmiston and Son were manufacturers of the “pocket siphonia” also known as a “waterproof overcoat.”1 In this despatch, Edmiston and Son make an alleged claim on their part against Mr. Franks, who was treasurer of British Columbia in the mid-1860s and known for his undistinguished character, requesting that Franks pay for his purchase of a siphonia.2

• 1. Edmiston's Pocket Siphonia or Waterproof Overcoat Advertisement, Tea with Charles Dickens.
• 2. Enclosure in Cardwell to Birch, 30 December 1865, NAC RG7:G8C/12, p.432.