John Bloomfield, 2nd Baron Bloomfield

Portrait of John Bloomfield by Thomas Lawrence, 1819

John Arthur Douglas Bloomfield, 2nd Baron Bloomfield GCB PC DL (12 November 1802 – 17 August 1879) was a British peer and diplomatist.^[1]

Background

Bloomfield was the eldest son of Benjamin Bloomfield, 1st Baron Bloomfield and his wife Hariott, the oldest daughter of John Douglas.^[2] He was educated privately and at the young age of sixteen, he became an attaché to Vienna.^[1]

Career

From 1824, Bloomfield was attaché at Lisbon and was transferred as secretary of legation to Stuttgart in the following year.^[1] He was sent to Stockholm in 1826 and came as secretary of embassy to St Petersburg in 1839.^[1] Five years later, he was promoted to envoy.^[1] In 1846, he succeeded his father as baron and in 1848, he was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).^[1]

Bloomfield was appointed ambassador to Berlin in 1851 and on this occasion was advanced to a Knight Commander (KCB).^[1] In 1858, he was further honoured as a Knight Grand Cross (GCB).^[1] He reached his highest post as ambassador to Vienna in 1860 and was sworn of the Privy Council.^[1] On his retirement in 1871, he was created Baron Bloomfield, this time in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which enabled him to a seat in the House of Lords.^[1] He represented County Tipperary as a Deputy Lieutenant.^[2]

Marriage and death

On 4 September 1845, Bloomfield had married Hon. Georgiana Liddell, the youngest child of Thomas Liddell, 1st Baron Ravensworth and a former maid of honour to Queen Victoria.^[1] He died without official issue in 1879 at his home, Ciamhaltha, near Newport, County Tipperary and his titles became extinct^[1] (he had an extramarital daughter named Thecla born in 1833 by Swedish actress Emilie Högquist).^[3] Bloomfield was buried in his family's vault at Borrisnafarney parish Church, beside the Loughton Demense and Moneygall, in County Offaly. An impressive memorial exists in the church in his memory.

References