GeneralSir Thomas Blomefield, 1st Baronet (16 June 1744[1] – 24 August 1822) ofAttleborough, Norfolk, was colonel-commandant royal artillery, to whose untiring labours as Inspector of Artillery and Superintendent of the Royal Foundries that the progress of the British artillery during theNapoleonic Wars was largely due.
He was the son of Reverend Thomas Blomefield and Mary Matthews. When he was 11 years old his father sent Thomas to sea onHMSCambridge under SirPeircy Brett, who was a close friend of the Rev. Blomefield. Thomas's naval career was short lived; in February 1758 he enrolled as a cadet at theRoyal Military Academy, Woolwich.[2]
He was a talented student, and passed out as alieutenant-fireworker eleven months later at age 15. He commanded abomb ketch at the bombardment ofLe Havre and joined AdmiralEdward Hawke's fleet atQuiberon.[2]
Blomefield saw combat in the West Indies and Florida and served as personal aide-de-camp to General Conway, who was then actingMaster General of the Ordnance. In 1771 Conway's successor,Lord Townshend, retained Blomefield as his aide. He resigned the position to serve in theAmerican Revolutionary War. He was brigade-major to BrigadierWilliam Phillips and was wounded in the head at theBattle of Saratoga. When he recovered he returned to his duties as aide to the Master General of Ordnance.[2]
In 1780, he was appointed Inspector of Artillery and Superintendent of the Royal Brass Foundry. Blomefield set himself to the task. He began by condemning 496 new artillery pieces, about a quarter of Britain's annual production, as unsuitable before they were sent to the army or the fleet.[2]
He was entrusted with reorganisation of the Ordnance Department in 1783. At about this time he started to design artillery. Apparently he conducted his own experiments and used these to inform his designs. He was promoted tolieutenant-colonel in 1793, and colonel seven years later. He was promoted tomajor-general in 1803. He served as colonel-commandant of battalion in 1806. Blomefield was major-general of the artillery expedition toCopenhagen in 1807. He was created aBaronet"ofAttleborough, in theCounty of Norfolk" on 14 November 1807.[3][2]
TheRoyal Navy too conducted experiments. To enable new frigates to meet the American frigates on less unequal terms, in 1813Cydnus and her sisterEurotas received medium24-pounder guns and an increased complement of men.Cydnus's 24-pounders followed a Blomefield design and measured 7 ft. 6 in. in length while weighing about 40 cwt. (4,480 lbs.). The 24-pounders onEurotas were to a design by ColonelWilliam Congreve. During December 1813 and January 1814,Cyndus andEurotas actually temporarily exchanged six 24-pounders, presumably to enable both vessels to test the designs against each other. Ultimately, the Royal Navy adopted Blomefield's design.[4]
Blomefield married Elizabeth Wilmot, daughter of SirJohn Eardley Wilmot and Sarah Rivett on 27 July 1788. They had a son Thomas-William who was born 4 March 1791.[1]
Every Saturday, the Saluting Battery at the Upper Barracca Garden inValletta,Malta, fires a noonday salute using an 1807 Blomefield 24-pounder gun.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chichester, Henry Manners (1886). "Blomefield, Thomas". InStephen, Leslie (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 5. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 228–229.| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
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| New creation | Baronet (of Attleborough) 1807–1822 | Succeeded by Thomas Blomefield |