Here is his report:
It was a double murder which shocked Victorian England, and went down in Norfolk history as one of the county’s most notorious crimes.
On November 28, 1848, Isaac Jermy, the Recorder of Norwich, was shot at his country home; his son was slain as he came to his aid, and two women were gravely wounded. The following year’s trial and the execution of James Blomfield Rush enthralled the public.
(Pictured: Antiques expert Marc Allum evaluates items from the Archant archive taken to the Antiques Roadshow at the Sainsbury Centre by reporter Martin George.)
The front page of the Norwich Mercury, looks surprisingly modern, showing little more than four intricately-designed images: the murderer, his accomplice, the courtroom and a stricken witness.
And buried deep in the Archant Norfolk archives lie not just the original front page, but the original woodcut blocks used to print them.
Antiques Roadshow presenter Fiona Bruce said producers hope for items with local connections, but it is always pot luck. Would these items fit the bill?
For most treasure-clutching visitors, the day starts with the queue for the reception desk. Once there, they receive a ticket to queue for the relevant expert. Everyone is guaranteed a valuation, although only a select few go before the cameras.
The Archant Norfolk items were sent to the ‘miscellaneous’ desk, where they were received by the enthusiastic hands of expert Marc Allum.
“I have to say, this is absolutely staggering. When we look at how we collect information in this day and age, this doesn’t happen,” he said.
Describing the wooden blocks as “exceptionally well done”, he added: “This is an historic item. It’s interesting and it’s probably one of the most tangible and interesting things I have seen today.”
He pulled a chit from his jacket pocket, scribbled down the details and passed it to a production team member, and I entered the next stage of the programme’s peculiar bureaucracy.
Initially told to take a seat in an “invitation only” section, I was ushered to an air-conditioned holding room where another form was completed, coffee and sandwiches were served, make-up to stop me shining in the sun was applied, and the three-hour wait to be filmed began.
As the crew discussed how to film my wooden blocks and massive sheets of newspaper, the cluster of faces in the background, so familiar from the TV screen, appeared from nowhere to crowd around me.
Marc led me gently through the unrehearsed interview, I stuttered and forgot the murderer’s name, and the audience murmured with interest as a story from another age was told again.
And then it was over, a note was thrust into my hand, and I was told to expect a call before the piece is screened.
So, what were the items worth?
You will have to wait to find out. But needless to say, they are priceless to Archant Norfolk and won’t appear on eBay anytime soon.
