Identifer: CJF-RFC2015447

Medium
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Description
Lord John Russell, later Earl Russell (1792-1878) was throughout his political career an ardent reformer and promoter of civil and religious liberty. He served as prime minister 1846-52 and 1865-66 and was twice a member of the cabinet under other prime ministers. As leader of the Whig party, he was most responsible for changing its name to the Liberal Party. He was instrumental in passage of the Reform Act of 1832, the first modern attempt to make parliament more representative. During his administration the Factory Act of 1847 limited the working day of women and children to ten hours.
A staunch broad church Anglican, Russell believed the best way to preserve the established Church of England was to remove legal disabilities for other forms of religion. He spearheaded repeal of the Test Acts in 1828 and 1863 which removed restrictions on Unitarians and other Protestant Dissenters from the Church of England; secured passage of the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829 which granted legal toleration to Roman Catholics; and for a decade continued to introduce legislation removing Jewish legal disabilities. The Jewish Relief Act was finally passed in 1858. Lord Russell's tolerance of competition to the established church had its limits
 
Note that the reverse of this medal is the same reverse as the HOMAGE TO GABRIEL RIESSER. 1836. Æ 59mm by Loos and Held (and designed by Mortiz Oppenheim). Listed by the Encyclopedia Judaica as one of the most important Jewish Emancipation Medals. Riesser was one of the most important early and mid-19th century champions of Jewish rights. Unlike some of his contemporaries he believed that Jews could and should be able to practice their religion and still obtain equal rights in Germany. See The Shekel Vol. XXII, #3, page 18.