By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — I remember reporting in a Jewish travelogue in 1991 about Victoria, British Columbia, that Selim Franklin was elected in 1860 to the second Legislative Assembly on Vancouver Island, and that in 1866 his brother, Lumley Franklin, was elected as Victoria’s second mayor, the first Jew to hold the top municipal position anywhere in British America. In 1871 British Columbia joined the Canadian Confederation and Henry Nathan Jr., was sent by Victoria to Canada’s National Parliament, the first Jew to serve there.
So when the current issue of Western States Jewish History, devoted to the Jews of Victoria, arrived in the mail, I was very interested in learning more from Sarah H. Tobe’s essays about these pioneer Jewish politicians. What were they like? What were some of the issues with which they dealt?
Reading Tobe’s articles, I learned that the Franklin Brothers came to Victoria from Liverpool, England, via San Francisco. Both became auctioneers and land agents, with Selim winning a contract to be the government’s auctioneer. Business interests prompted Selim to become chairman of the Vancouver Island Exploration committee, a position which led to the Franklin River being named for him.
Music was a great love of both Franklin Brothers, who helped to found Victoria’s Philharmonic Society. Lumley liked to compose songs, which the brothers sang together. They also participated in Victoria’s Amateur Dramatic Society, which donated proceeds from ticket sales to local charities.
When Selim decided to run for the legislative assembly, he was aided in his efforts by a group of approximately 400 Black Americans, who had migrated to Canada from the United States. Those of majority age in this group exercised their right to vote in his behalf, drawing a protest from his opponent who said they should not have been enfranchised.
The next controversy occurred when Selim was sworn into office. He did not wish to take his oath “on the true faith of a Christian.” The legislative assembly decided to seat him regardless. He was defeated for another term, subsequently returned to office, and decided to resign his seat in 1866 in protest against the assembly’s vote favoring the unification of Vancouver Island and the mainland colony of British Columbia. He quit Victoria and moved back to San Francisco.
Meanwhile Lumley Franklin ran successfully to become Victoria’s second mayor. He presided on July 30, 1866, over a big celebration to mark the laying of the Atlantic cable, which he said meant that “no longer are we isolated from England…we can communicate with our loved ones in a few hours… No longer must we wait weeks for the post. It is a day Victoria must never forget.”
Unlike his brother Selim, Lumley was an advocate of the two British colonies being unified in a single province and joining the Canadian Confederation.
Lumley was among the supporters of another member of Victoria’s Jewish community, Henry Nathan Jr., to become Victoria’s representative in the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. Previously Nathan had served in the colonial legislature.
Nathan became Canada’s first Jewish MP. In that position, he was successful in obtaining debt relief and financial assistance for British Columbia from the federal government. Having had to travel down to San Francisco and then across the United States by railroad, and on to Ottawa, in order to take his seat in Parliament, Nathan became an advocate for building a transcontinental railroad inside Canada. Some critics said it was improper for him to have also accepted a directorship of the Canadian Railway, but he responded that pursuing a railway was in the interests of Victoria’s citizens.
Another early Jewish settler was Judah P. Davies, upon whose family Tobe’s research for this double issue of Western States Jewish History was focused. In a hotly contested election, Davies was defeated by Amor DeCosmos, who previously had opposed the Franklins and Nathan when they ran for office.
Author Tobe and her husband, Dr. Allan Tobe, moved to British Columbia in 1959. She operated stores that sold such products as wines and oriental carpets, while meanwhile pursuing an avocation as an historian. She served as president and director of the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia, editing its journal from 1993 to 1999.
Western States Jewish History is the parent organization of the online Jewish Museum of the American West, upon which many of its articles and those of other contributors may be found. I am delighted to serve in an honorary capacity as San Diego editor of Western States Jewish History and the Jewish Museum of the American West website. You can access the website at www.jmaw.org
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com