camplin
the story
Edgar Camplin established a trading company in 1850 that included draper's shops in London and Portsmouth. Edgar, together with his brother Henry and their respective sons, developed the family business by acquiring British military contracts to supply the Navy with sailcloth, which later extended to the provision of clothing.
In 1888, Edgar's son Charles presented the Royal Navy with the idea of producing a coat to distinguish Petty Officers from Ordinary & Able Seamen. By 1890, his proposal had been adopted, and the uniform of the Royal Navy become standardised. The Petty Officers were issued with the regulation Petty Officer Coat - abbreviated to P. Coat, then extended to the phonetically named "Peacoat".