The Society for the study of flies (Diptera)

Martin, there is apparently a collection of flies in the Barnstaple Museum, north Devon.  Just possible it could be Bloomer's!  Long, shot, but I must call in and have a look sometime.  Rob

Thanks for the replies - intriguing that P. germanicus and Bloomer are mentioned in the same article, but apparently unconnected.

I believe the date 1823 you mentioned is right, the others are in error. Blomer (not Bloomer) lived among other places at Bideford, North Devon and spent summers in Pembrokeshire at his wife's family in Wales.

Captain Charles Blomer (1783- 1835) is perhaps best known among British Lepidopterists for capturing the first Vanessa virginiensis Drury, 1773 in Britain and having a moth named after him, the Blomer's Rivulet Venusia blomeri Curtis, 1832.
The entomologist James Charles Dale of Glanvilles Wootton visited Elizabeth Blomer at Carisbrooke, IOW in August 1835 after her husband's death to make an inventory of her husbands collections that were kept in three cabinets containing 3785 specimens. The Lepidoptera collection was in a 22 drawer cabinet that held a short series, usually four of each species with 2536 specimens, which Dale purchased together with 679 specimens of bees, he payed Elizabeth Blomer £53. 11s. (in today's money £6519). Dale's inventory of Blomer's British Lepidoptera collection stated that it consisted of 3 drawers of butterflies, 1 drawer with a few butterflies, the rest macro moths, 15 drawers of macro moths, 2 drawers of micro moths and one drawer of foreign butterflies. Dale later sold Blomer's cabinet in 1839 with most of its specimens to the Reverend J. Streatfield for £35 who presented it to the newly opened Margate Literary and Scientific Institution that became bankrupt and closed in 1866. The whereabouts of Blomer's collection is now unknown. Blomer's Coleoptera was also listed by Dale, but he makes no mention of purchasing them. As for Blomer's Diptera specimens I am not sure they are listed in Dale's inventory of Blomer's collection, which is in the Dale archives at OUMNH. Blomer collected in various places in England and Wales, his wife was from Withybush House in Pembrokeshire.

I have visited the Oxford University Museum and read Blomer's, and his wife's letters to J.C Dale. Also Blomer's diary which is in the Dale archives and which details his collecting between 1820 and 1835, mostly references to Lepidoptera.

I might add that nothing seems to have been recorded about Blomer's early life, he had a distinguished military career, serving in the army during the Napoleonic wars. In 1795 he joined the 20th East Devonshire Regiment of Foot as an ensign, by 1801 he was a lieutenant in the 31st Huntingdonshire Regiment of Foot. In 1801 he served in Egypt under Ralph Abercromby, where he was wounded, being awarded a pension of £100. By 1807 he was promoted to Captain and with the 31st foot fought in the Peninsular Wars between April-July 1809 and September 1811 - April 1814. In 1813 he was present at the battles of Vitoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle and Nive. By 1815 Blomer was on half pay with the 36th Herefordshire Regiment of Foot. In 1817 he married Elizabeth Phelps Martin of Withybush House in Pembrokeshire, Wales. There are no known portraits of Blomer.

There are specimens from Blomer in the Dale collection at OUMNH.  Dale seems to have cherry picked Blomer's collection after purchasing it, before selling it , other specimens were traded with Blomer before his death for parts of John Curtis' British Entomology. Blomer collected all insects orders, but seems to have been especially interested in butterflies, moths and later bees, he often exchanged insects, as did most entomologists of that time, often he exchanged specimens with Dale.

Regards Peter.

Last edited by nomad (2019-07-11 20:41:07)