Coins and Historical Medals

Borough of Ashton-under-Lyne, Mayor’s badge, an oval gold and enamel award by Fattorini, arms, back named (Councillor John James Broadhurst, Mayor, 1918-1919, 1919-1920), hallmarked Birmingham 1930, 80 x 45mm, 9ct, 60.48g. Extremely fine, with clip and ring for suspension; in original case of issue by Thomas Fattorini Ltd, Regent Street, Birmingham, and sold with a photograph of the recipient £900-£1,200

John James Broadhurst (1868-1940), Ashton-under-Lyne, a coal merchant by profession, died on 26 January 1940. Broadhurst grove in the town, where he lived all his life, is named after him.

The Ashton Reporter, 11 January 1919, published the following: “There was a remarkable scene at the Ashton Town Hall on Monday afternoon, when the Mayor of Ashton (Councillor J.J. Broadhurst) handed £5 to each of 183 repatriated local prisoners of war, welcomed them back from captivity and wished them each a Happy New Year. The Press had been asked to make the distribution widely known, and the results were more than surprising. It was not believed that more than 25 per cent of the 261 men who had been on the list of men receiving parcels – “adopted” is the correct term – from the Ashton Prisoners of War Fund, had been repatriated, but the committee prepared for any emergency; Alderman J.W. Kenworthy (treasurer) had huge wads of “John Bradbury’s” to the total of £1,000, and actually £915 was paid out to 183 persons. The distribution commenced at 2pm in the County Police Court. There were men of all regiments but the badges of the Manchester Regiment predominated; there were “Jocks” and riflemen, machine gunners, sailors, civilians, and jockeys from Ruhleben, but the most noticeable feature was the “vast expansive smile” on the face of everybody. In fact they positively beamed with delight. Alderman J.W. Kenworthy was kept busy counting out the “fivers” and handing them to the Mayor, who shook hands heartily with the lads as he presented them with the money