Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Bardolph, post: 26314604, member: 96174"]A wonderful and fascinating election token or medal. I see from the internet that Gardner was elected as the member of Parliament for Plymouth in 1790 - unsurprisingly perhaps as Plymouth was a major base for the Royal Navy - so he was probably standing for re-election in 1796.  I have to admit however that I had never heard of Admiral Alan Gardner, and I find that my copy of The Eyes of the Fleet, by Anthony Price. on the history of frigates 1793 - 1815, mentions him only once (in 298 pages) as "one of the forgotten admirals" who is remembered, if at all, for his insistence on properly defended convoys. On another point, I think that most British people with a smattering of history would immediately grasp the significance of the "Foxes" on the token. Charles James Fox (1749-1806), was the brilliant leader of the oppostion Whig party and the most vociferous supporter of the French Revolution, and the token shows the "evils" that Fox and his party would bring in if they ever won a general election. Also note that a Corresponding Society at this time was a society that promoted the radical ideals and ideas of the French Revolution which were anathema to the Tories and to most British politicians and voters.[/QUOTE]