460 
THE BROME-WALTON FAMILY. 
1809 
4th June, 1818 
1815 
1816 
1819 
8th August, 1821 
24th July, 1823 
4th January, 1825 
Expedition to Walcheren, in command of light 
brigade. Engaged in both first and second 
operations of the Scheldt Expedition, including 
actions of Walcheren and South Beveland, under 
command of Brigadier-General John Macleod, 
R.A. (“General MacleocFs Journal”). 
Brevet of Major in the Army. 
Waterloo. In command of 9-pr. brigade 1 at Hal, 
defending Brussels. Medal. Siege of Cam- 
bray, and operations of the Allied Army en 
route to Paris. 
Returned to Woolwich. 
Gibraltar. 
Promoted Regimental Major, R.A., and Com¬ 
mandant of R.A. in West Indies. 
Promoted Regimental Lieutenant-Colonel. 
Died at Jamaica. 
The following semi-official letter from Lieut. Brome throws some 
interesting light upon the transition from brass to iron mortars for the 
Bomb-ships in 1799, the changed relationships by which the R.A. 
Bomb officer had become subordinated to the naval commander, and 
the idiosyncrasies of the Navy at this period:— 
“ Judith , Bomb Tender, 
Sheerness, 11th February, 1799. 
Prom Lieut. Joseph Brome, R.A., 
to Colonel Congreve, R.A. 
Bear Sir, 
I beg leave to inform you that the Hecla and the Tartarus Bombs have 
received orders to deliver up their brass mortars, and the iron ones are to be sent 
from Woolwich immediately—a circumstance which does not altogether please the 
captains of the above vessels, for they run away with an idea that the faster the 
lire the greater the execution must be, and we have given them to understand that 
iron mortars cannot be fired in that manner. 2 To tell you the truth, sir, I am 
glad we are to receive iron ones, should they answer the intention of firing at the 
low angle (21°). Were we to keep the brass ones I think it more than probable 
they would be rendered unfit for service the next bombardment—for Captain 
Oughton, knowing that no accident can happen more than the running of them, 
would be, as he was at Ostend, plaguing me every moment to fire, telling me it 
was the Commodore’s orders to fire as fast as possible: but if we receive iron ones 
I shall be easy on that head, as they are alarmed at the very idea of them. I 
1 Now 6 Western—designation not having been altered by the change of armament to 9-pr. 
2 Captain R. Fead, R.A., likewise writing on 10th May, 1798, to Colonel Congreve from the 
Margate Roads :—“ . . . Captain Hand of the Tartarus' has received instructions that the 
committee of field officers had approved of A weight of shot as the charge for y e 32-pr. carron- 
ades (iron) ; hut, in all the experiments I have seen lately with the 68-pr., 4 lbs. have been quite 
sufficient. As sailors are always fond of xising as much gunpowder as possible, I fear accidents 
may happen if -A of the shot weight be adopted.” 
