10k gold. 35mm. 18.6g. There aren’t too many medals that have posed as much of a research challenge as this curious representative. The medal appears to be of 20th century origin, yet the location of the college is given as Rupert’s Land, which ceased to exist in 1870. The medal is unsigned and looks as if it may have been produced in Canada rather than in England. The medal was inaugurated in memory of R. Earle Brett, who appears to have attended or perhaps taught at the school from 1901-1909, by “his friend / Alan Crawley.” According to the Queen’s University archives:
Alan Crawley, best known as the editor of Contemporary Verse, was born in Coburg, Ontario in 1887. After attending St. John's College in Winnipeg, Crawley became a Barrister & Solicitor in 1912. As a lawyer in Winnipeg he developed an interest in poetry and after the war attended writers' gatherings, reciting and discussing poetry. After a serious illness in 1933, he lost his sight and moved to Victoria, with his wife, Jean, the following year. The first edition of Contemporary Verse, a literary magazine for Canadian writers, appeared in 1941 and continued, with Crawley at the helm until 1952. For thirty-nine issues the magazine, one of the few literary periodicals in Canada at the time, served as a showcase for the best Canadian poets. Crawley died in 1975 on Vancouver Island.
The recipient, Herbert M. Hoover, seems to be lost to time aside from some scant genealogical references online.
I have been unable to locate any other appearances of or even references to this curious school medal.
10k gold. 35mm. 18.6g. There aren’t too many medals that have posed as much of a research challenge as this curious representative. The medal appears to be of 20th century origin, yet the location of the college is given as Rupert’s Land, which ceased to exist in 1870. The medal is unsigned and looks as if it may have been produced in Canada rather than in England. The medal was inaugurated in memory of R. Earle Brett, who appears to have attended or perhaps taught at the school from 1901-1909, by “his friend / Alan Crawley.” According to the Queen’s University archives:
Alan Crawley, best known as the editor of Contemporary Verse, was born in Coburg, Ontario in 1887. After attending St. John's College in Winnipeg, Crawley became a Barrister & Solicitor in 1912. As a lawyer in Winnipeg he developed an interest in poetry and after the war attended writers' gatherings, reciting and discussing poetry. After a serious illness in 1933, he lost his sight and moved to Victoria, with his wife, Jean, the following year. The first edition of Contemporary Verse, a literary magazine for Canadian writers, appeared in 1941 and continued, with Crawley at the helm until 1952. For thirty-nine issues the magazine, one of the few literary periodicals in Canada at the time, served as a showcase for the best Canadian poets. Crawley died in 1975 on Vancouver Island.
The recipient, Herbert M. Hoover, seems to be lost to time aside from some scant genealogical references online.
I have been unable to locate any other appearances of or even references to this curious school medal.
