John Lambertus Romer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Lambertus Romer
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Captain John Romer, c. 1710
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| Born | 1680 |
| Died | 1754 (aged 73–74) |
| Allegiance | .svg){kind=small} Great Britain |
| Service | British Army
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| Years of service | 1708–1751 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | |
John Lambertus Romer (1680 – 1754) was an important British military engineer. Military engineers are people who design and build things like forts and bridges for armies. John was the son of Wolfgang William Romer, who was also a Dutch engineer. His father came to England with William of Orange during a big event called the "Glorious Revolution" in 1688.
Contents
John Romer's Military Career
John Romer started his military career in 1708. He served in the artillery, which means he worked with cannons and big guns. He traveled to places like Flanders and Spain. He was first an ensign, which is a junior officer rank.
Early Engineering Work
In 1708, John became an assistant engineer to his father at Portsmouth. He helped build defenses to protect the coast from the sea. In 1713, he was promoted to lieutenant in the 4th Foot regiment.
After a short break from his regiment, he became an engineer at Sheerness in 1715. His job was to look after the defenses along the Thames and Medway rivers. He also worked at Portsmouth again before returning to Sheerness.
Expedition to Vigo
In 1719, John Romer joined a military trip to Vigo, Spain. This trip was led by Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham. John helped capture the citadel, which is like a strong fortress, in Vigo. It surrendered on October 10.
Building in Scotland
After returning home, John Romer was put in charge of engineering work in northern England and Scotland. He arrived in Edinburgh in 1720. His main task in Scotland was to build barracks, which are buildings for soldiers to live in, across the Highlands. These barracks were suggested by Field Marshal George Wade.
Some of the places where he built barracks include Inversnaid, Ruthven, Bernera, and Killiwhimen (which is now Fort Augustus). He also worked on improving defenses at Fort William and Fort George.
Promotions and Edinburgh Castle
John Romer continued to advance in his career. In 1722, he became an engineer-in-ordinary. He then moved to London to work at the Board of Ordnance, which was the government department in charge of military supplies and engineering. From there, he managed the engineering work in Scotland and the northern areas for many years.
In the 1730s, Romer designed better defenses for Edinburgh Castle. These included new artillery positions and strong walls called bastions on the north and west sides of the castle. These important structures were built by William Adam. They include areas like the Argyle Battery, Mills Mount Battery, the Low Defences, and the Western Defences.
John Romer received several more promotions:
- Sub-director of engineers in 1730
- Captain-lieutenant in 1738
- Captain in the 4th Foot regiment in 1739
- Director of engineers in 1742
The Jacobite Rebellion
From 1745 to 1746, John Romer served under the Duke of Cumberland. They were working to stop the Jacobite rebellion. This was a time when some people in Scotland tried to put a different king on the throne. John Romer was wounded during the Battle of Culloden on April 16, 1746.
Later Life and Legacy
John Romer retired from his military service in 1751. He had married Mary Hammond in 1711, and they had a son named John (1713–1775). Many of their family members later joined the army and became successful soldiers.
John Lambertus Romer was also a talented artist. Some of his drawings, which include plans of Fort Augustus in Scotland and the defenses of Portsmouth from 1725, are now kept at the British Museum. He passed away in 1754 and was buried in St. Margaret's, Westminster.
