THE BROME-WALTON FAMILY. 
235 
and of the great siege of Gibraltar; Cleaveland, first father of artillery 
history; David Hay, who was to win his spurs and a double brevet for 
knightly deeds in America; the ubiquitous John Yorke, who fought 
the solitary 6-pr. on the heights of Abraham; Drummond, of Minden 
fame, who in the French retreat acted the role followed by Sir Robert 
Gardiner at Waterloo; Phillips (whose Sappers and Miners, returned 
from Byng’s fleet, were also at Byfleet), the audacious commander of 
artillery at Minden; Macbean, second gunner of the blue ribbon of 
science, and Joseph Brome's successor as Belford’s regimental Adjutant; 
and last, not least, little Abra. Tovey, whose praises have been sounded 
in Chapters I. and IY. 
On this occasion, Captain Joseph Brome, in command of the artillery 
of the 3rd Army Brigade—-who had already “fought more than they 
all }} —obtained on the spot from the King a commission for his ill-fated 
half-brother, Robert (son of Captain Charles Brome, by marriage with 
the romantic widow Walton, vide Chapter I.), as Lieutenant in the 
newly raised 37th Regiment of Foot, without passing through the 
grade of Ensign. Lieutenant Robert Brome’s commission was dated 
9tli September, 1756 (Army List). 
The expected invasion did not come off, however; and in November 
the Royal camp was dispersed: the Duke of Marlborough (Commander- 
in-Chief) proceeded with a large force to Portsmouth to form a winter 
army camp in the Isle of Wight; and Captain Joseph Brome took his 
brigade to Chatham Lines, during construction of Fort Pitt aud of the 
barracks, as first artillery Commandant of the Medway Defences 1 2 
under command-in-chief of Major-General Lord George Sackville. 3 
The Channel Fleet, upon which the nation relied for her first line of 
defence, was engaged in ineffectual blockade of the harbours of France 
—for early in 1757, during a storm which dispersed the British ships, 
the French fleet gave the English the slip, to America; and repeated 
the experiment, with equal success, on return to Brest in November 
1757, after having rendered abortive our designs against Louisbourg 
for that year. 3 
Expedition against Rochfort. 
In the summer of 1757, taking advantage of the absence of the 
French fleet and of our neighbours being denuded of home troops to 
supply their army in Germany, Pitt planned a vast conjoint land and 
naval armament against the harbours and shipping of France ; and the 
great preparations for this secret expedition raised the expectation of 
England to the highest pitch, and rivetted the eyes of Europe upon 
this undertaking. 4 
Its destination turned out to be against Rochfort , at this time one of 
the principal dockyards of France. The army of 10,000, under Lieut.- 
General Sir John Mordaunt, with a company of Royal Artillery under 
1 11.A. Muster Rolls, 1756/7. Ordnance “ Orders to Paymasters,” 1757. 
2 “Dictionary of National Biography,” art. “Lord George Germaine.” 
3 “ Naval and Military Register” (Bcatson), Vol. II., pp. 64-75, (1804 ed.) 
4 “ Naval and Military Memoirs” (1804), Vol. II., p. 66, 
