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Richard Rush, Diplomat Extraordinaire
A lawyer and a diplomat, Richard Rush spent two years in England pursuing the United States' claim in the Court of Chancery. The mother of the late Henry James Hungerford, Smithson's nephew and designated heir, filed a counterclaim. Nonetheless, Rush won the United States' claim in a remarkably short time.
The Court awarded Smithson's properties, valued at the equivalent of $508,318, to the United States on May 9, 1838.
Rush personally posted a $500,000 bond as insurance that he would
not abscond with the Smithson bequest.
 Richard Rush  Enlargement
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"A suit of higher interest and dignity has rarely, perhaps,
been before the tribunals of a nation. . . . Benefits may flow to
the United States and the human family not easy to be estimated."
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 Bleak House Enlargement |
"[Being in the Court of Chancery is like] being ground to bits in a slow mill; it's being roasted at a slow fire; it's being stung to death by single bees; it's being drowned by drops; it's going mad by grains."
| -Tom Jarndyce in Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1853 |
In his letters to U.S. Secretary of State John Forsyth, Rush
complained that the British Court of Chancery was overly complex
and bureaucratic, with excessive fees and clerks to be paid at
every step. Exasperation with the Court--which was more than
800 cases in arrears--was a theme of several popular novels of
the period, including Dickens' Bleak House.
 Woodbury to Rothschild Enlargement
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International finance was a cumbersome process in the days before
air mail and electronic transfers. Rush spent two years in London
securing the Smithson bequest. His expenses, which amounted to
about $10,000, were handled by the Rothschild bank, which acted as
the European bank to the United States.
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After winning his case on behalf of the United States, Rush sold
the properties that made up the Smithson bequest and converted the
proceeds into gold sovereigns.
 Gold sovereign - obverse Enlargement
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 Gold sovereign - reverse Enlargement
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Rush left London aboard the Mediator on July 17, 1838, with 11 boxes containing a total of 104,960 sovereigns, 8 shillings, and sevenpence as well as Smithson's mineral collection, library, scientific notes, and personal effects. The transatlantic voyage took six weeks.
 The Mediator Enlargement
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"Somewhat worn down by fatigue since coming on shore, after an uncomfortable voyage of squalls, gales, and headwinds, I venture to ask a little repose at my home before proceeding to Washington."
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-Letter from Richard Rush to Secretary of State John Forsyth, September 4, 1838 |
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Several inventories were made of James Smithson's belongings, including his
clothing and jewelry, household items, books, and mineral specimens. Rush
brought many of these items to the United States with the gold.
Upon his arrival in New York, Rush transferred the gold to the U.S. Treasury. The coins were melted down to yield a value of $508,318.46. |
 Inventories of James Smithson's Belongings Enlargement
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