Historical and Art Medals, Numismatic Books

British Historical Medals, Joseph Hume, c. 1830, a white metal medal by T. Halliday, draped bust almost facing, rev. legend, 38mm (BHM 1531; E 1241); James Blomfield Rush Executed, 1849, a brass medalet, unsigned, 26mm (BHM 2350; cf. DNW 57, 1277); James Watt & Co, 1871, an advertisement medal by J. Moore, in copper, 39mm (BHM 2922; E 1617); together with other miscellaneous medals, etc, mostly British, in silver (2), base metal (12) [17]. Second fine, others mostly very fine (£60-80)

Provenance:
B.M. Greenaway Collection.

James Blomfield Rush was a tenant farmer on the estate of Isaac Jermy (1789-1848), the recorder of Norwich. Jermy succeeded to the family property, Stanfield Hall, in 1837, but his claim was disputed by others, including one John Larner who, accompanied by a lawyer and a rabble, took possession of the Hall by force in September 1838. They were eventually expelled by troops and 82 indviduals were arrested and imprisoned. On 28 November 1848 Rush, a sympathizer of Larner, entered the Hall and shot and killed Jermy and his son, Isaac Jr, wounding his daughter-in-law and the housemaid in the process. Rush conducted his own defence at his trial at Shire Hall, Norwich, and was hanged on a scaffold outside Norwich Castle on 21 April 1849