bagerap Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 This is possibly one of the most fascinating stories I've ever researched. It starts with a man called William Henry Quilliam (10 April 1856 – 23 April 1932), who changed his name to Abdullah Quilliam and later Henri Marcel Leon or Haroun Mustapha Leon, and was a 19th-century convert from Christianity to Islam, noted for founding England's first mosque and Islamic centre. Quilliam converted to Islam in 1887 after visiting Morocco to recover from an illness. Quilliam purchased numbers 8, 11 and 12 Brougham Terrace, Liverpool, following his conversion, through a donation from Nasrullah Khan, Crown Prince of Afghanistan. 8 Brougham Terrace became the Liverpool Muslim Institute, the first functioning mosque in Britain. He also opened a boarding school for boys and a day school for girls, as well as an orphanage, Medina House, for non-Muslim parents who could not look after their children but agreed for them to be brought up as Muslims. In addition, the Institute hosted educational classes covering a wide range of subjects, and included a museum and science laboratory. It opened on Christmas Day, 1889. By june 1913 he was Secrétaire Général of the Société Internationale De Philologie Sciences Et Beaux-Arts which he claimed had been founded in 1875 for "the advancement and encouragement of all branches of philology, science,literature, music and fine arts" by means of non-sectarian and apolitical lectures and debates. He was an odd character, but a pivotal figure in the history of Islam in Britain. Which brings me to the medal, of which I can discover nothing. It is uniface and bears an heraldic Griffin/Gryphon below which the legend: 1875-1925 MÉDAILLE COMMÉMORATIVE And around which: SOCIÉTÉ INTERNATIONALE DE PHILOLOGIE SCIENCES ET BEAUX-ARTS Nickel, 30 mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I think it is a Phoenix, for Liverpool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagerap Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 You're right, it looks very like the Liver bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 "Quilliam purchased numbers 8, 11 and 12 Brougham Terrace, Liverpool, following his conversion, through a donation from Nasrullah Khan, Crown Prince of Afghanistan. 8 Brougham Terrace became the Liverpool Muslim Institute, the first functioning mosque in Britain" so that would make sense. Fascinating read, thanks for posting, I think you will enjoy this http://quilliamandleon.blogspot.ca/ “Read a curious letter I received from Miss Bertha Baily, Isle of Man, telling me of an extraordinary incident that happened in the Isle of Man, at a garden party, where Dr Leon ( secretary of La Society etc etc) was accosted as W H Quilliam (Abdullah Quilliam) an ex-solicitor of Liverpool, who had been struck off the rolls , outlawed and went to Turkey.I read this to all the house party as Quilliam was a cousin of Mrs Russell Rea’s, and an arrant scoundrel –Mrs RR tells me he kidnapped her grandfather (Dr Burrows) and got him to alter his will! All the Leon facts fit Quilliam, except the apparentcharacters of the two. Leon admitted he was Q, according to Miss B’s letter! This took till lunchtime !” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I cannot find any mention of the medal, looks to be an exceptional find. With all the interest in Quilliam it might attract a lot of bidders if you are thinking of selling it. He certainly was a colourful character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagerap Posted February 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 It will be sold eventually, but not before I know all I can about this man. I do know that he met with Aleister Crowley and other figures of the occult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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