This was an impulse buy from Heritage in 2019. I just now got around to doing some research. John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, was a British barrister and politician. He served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain between 1801 and 1806 and again between 1807 and 1827. BHM-1308 His wife was the eldest daughter of Aubone Surtees, a Newcastle banker. The Surtees family objected to the match and attempted to prevent it, but a strong attachment had sprung up between them. On 18 November 1772, Scott, with the aid of a ladder and an old friend, carried off the lady from her father's house in the Sandhill, across the border to Blackshields, in Scotland, where they were married. The father of the bridegroom objected not to his son's choice, but to the time he chose to marry. It was a blight on his son's prospects, depriving him of his fellowship and his chance of church preferment. In 1782, he entered Parliament for Lord Weymouth's close borough of Weobley in Herefordshire, which Lord Thurlow obtained for him without solicitation. In Parliament, he gave general and independent support to William Pitt. In 1788, he was appointed Solicitor-General and was knighted, and at the close of this year, he attracted attention by his speeches in support of Pitt's resolutions on the state of the king (George III, who then labored under a mental malady) and the delegation of his authority. In 1793, Sir John Scott was promoted to the office of Attorney-General, in which it fell to him to conduct the memorable prosecutions for high treason against British sympathizers with French republicanism, among others, against the celebrated Horne Tooke. These prosecutions were no doubt instigated by Sir John Scott and were the most important proceedings in which he was ever professionally engaged. He has left on record a defense of his conduct in regard to them. In 1799 the office of chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas became vacant. Sir John Scott's claim to it was not overlooked, and after seventeen years' service in the Lower House, he entered the House of Lords as Baron Eldon. During this time Lord Eldon was revered for his work in consolidating equity into a working body of legal principles. The chancellorship was given to him in 1801 professedly on account of his notorious anti-Catholic zeal. He was responsible for conducting the negotiations which resulted in the recall of Pitt to office as prime minister. Lord Eldon was continued in office as chancellor under Pitt, but the new administration was of short duration. On January 23rd, 1806 William Pitt died and his ministry was succeeded by a coalition, under Lord Grenville. The death of Fox, who became foreign secretary and leader of the House of Commons, soon, however, broke up the Grenville administration; and in the spring of 1807 Lord Eldon once more, under the Duke of Portland's administration, returned to the woolsack, which he continued to occupy for about twenty years. In 1827, shortly after George Canning became Prime Minister Lord Eldon resigned in protest at the age of 76. The medal above dates to this time period. He spent the rest of his life trying to regain his position. Sources: Wikipedia acsearch.info
I mentioned that this was an impulse buy. When it was sold I think it was overlooked because of the dreaded MS60 grade. I have looked this piece over many times and can't find an obvious reason for the grade. In my opinion, there aren't a lot of marks on the surfaces. Not sure but I'm glad it fell into my lap.
