Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

Jamaica, Sir Henry de la Beche, Good Conduct award, c. 1823-4, a copper medalet by T. Saulini, bust left, rev. halse hall jamaica reward for good conduct, 24mm (BDM VI, 683). Extremely fine £200-300

Provenance: With R. Margolis October 1975; bt C.B. Fox 1986.

Sir Henry Thomas de la Beche, CB, FRS (1796-1855), geologist; his lifelong interest in geology was first kindled as a boy when he lived in Lyme Regis. He became a Fellow of the Geological Society of London in 1817 and was elected its president in 1847. He wrote several works on geology and was the mastermind behind the compilation of the Ordnance Survey map of Britain, begun in 1832. The medalet was a reward for the slaves working on the Halse Hall estate. De la Beche, whose father had been a slave-owner in Jamaica, stayed at Halse Hall, Clarendon, whilst writing his geological survey of Jamaica and also published Notes on the present condition of the negroes in Jamaica, which was very much based on his experiences on the estate. For other medals of de la Beche, see lots 1559 and 1719