John Lambertus Romer

Who was John Lambertus Romer?

John Lambertus Romer was a British military engineer. He was the son of Wolfgang William Romer, a Dutch engineer who came to England with William of Orange in the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688.

John Romer served in the artillery in Flanders, Spain, and on several expeditions, and in 1708 was an ensign in Brigadier Rooke's regiment. On 28 August 1708 he was appointed, by royal warrant, as assistant engineer to his father at Portsmouth, and was employed on works for protecting the shore near the Blockhouse, from the sea. On 4 April 1713 he was promoted to lieutenant in the 4th Foot. In 1715 he was placed on half-pay from his regiment, and on 20 April was appointed engineer at Sheerness, his district comprising the defences of the Rivers Thames and Medway. He was employed at Portsmouth at the end of 1716, but returned to Sheerness on 7 April of the following year. At the end of July 1719, he joined the expedition to Vigo, Spain, under Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham, and took part in the capture of the citadel, which surrendered on 10 October.