Auction Catalogue

17 September 2004

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 1388

.

17 September 2004

Hammer Price:
£850

The Boycott Expedition, Lough Mask 1880, ‘In Honour of the Brave & Loyal Ulstermen’, struck silver medal by West & Son, 40 mm, the reverse inscribed ‘John Smith’, small hole drilled at 12 o’clock where sometime fitted with a suspension, otherwise very fine and rare £300-400

Major Boycott, a land agent who farmed an estate in County Mayo, fell foul of the Land Leaguers and was shunned by all the local people. Due to threats of violence to anyone helping to gather his harvest, Boycott arranged for a party of Orangemen from the Lurgan district to come south. Under army and police protection they succeeded in gathering it in and this medal was presumably struck to the order of Major Boycott for presentation to these men. This incident caused a new word to be added to the English language.