THE BROME-WALTON FAMILY. 
485 
War drifted to au end by tbe Treaty of Aix la Cliapelle , lltli March, 
1748; the R.A. were withdrawn to England in December, and took 
part in the national rejoicings, review by the King in Hyde Park, 
salutes and “fireworks of triomph” in the Green Park. 1 2 Large 
reductions of the army ensued; and two of the Flanders companies 
(Ord’s and Chalmers*-) were broken up, detachments from these being 
sent to the North for distribution among the forts. 
Oapt.-Lieutenant Charles Brome was rewarded, by G.O. 13th March, toonuSSSS 
1749-50, with the command of R.A. at Annapolis Royal; attained the for q here! iou 
rank of Captain on 8th March, 1 751; and was then appointed as the 
first Commandant of the recently acquired Nova Scotia. 
As reward for his long and distinguished services as an officer in the Ksi 
field, the Adjutancy of the Royal Artillery, without purchase, 3 was con- c ?La&th al 
ferred upon Lieutenant Joseph Brome by the following G.O. 31st Dec., 
1749:—“The Lieut.-General and principal officers of His Majesty’s Maestuclt - 
Ordnance having been pleased to appoint Lieutenant Joseph Brome as 
Adjutant to the Royal Regiment of Artillery, order that he be obeyed 
as such.” His several promotions had been Lieutenant-Fireworker, 
1st February, 1742; 2nd Lieutenant, 1st April, 1744; 1st Lieutenant, 
2nd October, 1745. He was further promoted Captain-Lieutenant on 
1st September, 1751, and on attaining the rank of Captain, 1st April, 
1756, Capt. Joseph Brome resigned the Adjutancy (being succeeded 
by Lieutenant Forbes Macbean) in order to take over command of 
his company, at Woolwich ; and in 1757 his aunt, Mrs. Hickes, the life 
tenant of Charfield, having died, he obtained absolute possession of the 
manor and freeholds of the Charfield estates. 
* ***** * 
Before dismissing the subject of the Royal Artillery in Flanders, it 
is necessary to open up two delicate topics—not only ( a ) to remove an 
unjust aspersion upon a certain class of R.A. officers that has obtained 
credence until now; but also (b) to clear the path of regimental history 
to future explorers. 
On p. 236 of the “ Cleaveland MSS.” occurs the following item:— 
“ The regiment of Artillery owes much to the memory of Col. Belford 
and Major Borgard Mitchelson (should be Michelsen) for their Zealand 
diligence and their influence during the campaigns of 1747/8, when 
they commanded in Flanders—for the corps then began to emerge from 
that state of oblivion and obscurity in which it had hitherto remained. 
It now began to bear a regular military appearance ; great attention 
was paid to good order, strict discipline, and subordination—a change 
that was far from agreeable to the older officers, who, being promoted 
from the ranks , had grown up with erroneous notions and bad habits, 
inconsistent with any military system ; but the junior officers, who of 
late had been promoted from the cadet company, being of a different 
stamp and better educated, and being now the majority, entered with 
great zeal and military spirit into the newly adopted alterations and 
improvements introduced by these two officers.” 
(a) r I here is not any single brick of the edifice of artillery history 
that has so often been made use of, in some half dozen separate 
1 For the ordnance employed for salutes see note 2 on page 481 hereof. 
2 By B.O. letter books of this period, the appointments of regimental Adjutant and Quarter¬ 
master were usually obtained by purchase—so much as £800 haying been paid on one occasion. 
Each appointment had to be vacated on promotion to Captain, 
