Ancient, British and World Coins, Tokens, Tickets and Passes, Historical and Art Medals, Numismatic Books and Banknotes. Includes the Ellen Judson Collection of British Tokens (Part II)

James Blomfield Rush, Executed 1849, a brass medalet, unsigned, bust left, rev. legend, 26mm (BHM 2350); together with other miscellaneous medalets (52), mostly brass [53]. First fine and very rare, others generally very fine (£50-70)

Provenance:
From the stock-in-trade of the late Barry Greenaway.

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