Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Lieutenant-Colonel A. F. F. Bloomfield, 5th Madras Native Infantry and Golconda Local Corps, who quelled a rebellion in the Godavery District during the Indian Mutiny, and went on to command two further local forces in putting down disturbances between 1858-1862. He was slightly wounded during the last expedition, and received the thanks of the Madras Government on three separate occasions

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Pegu (Ensign A. F. Bloomfield. 5th Madras N.I.); Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Capt. A. F. Bloomfield, Golconda Local Corps.) light contact marks, otherwise very fine, last scarce to unit (2) £700-£900

Alleyne Fitzherbert Fenton Bloomfield was born on 18 June 1832, and was the son of J. C. Bloomfield of Dusseldorf, Germany. He was baptised in Belleek, County Fermanagh, and educated in Dusseldorf and Aix la Chappelle. Bloomfield was appointed Ensign in the Indian Army, 25 May 1850, and arrived in India in September of the same year. He served with the 5th Madras N.I. during the Second Burma War, accompanied the Martaban Column to Tanghoo; and was present in the attack and capture of Gongah and other minor affairs.

Bloomfield advanced to Lieutenant, Indian Staff Corps in November 1856. During the Indian Mutiny he was sent on Special Service in command of a detachment of 237 Golconda Sebundies (a local corps of militia) to suppress the disturbance in the Hill Tracts of the Godavery District in 1857-58.

A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Godavery District in the Presidency of Madras by Henry Morris, first published London, 1878, gives an account of the operations of the Golconda Sebundies under Bloomfield:

‘This year was, however, marked by far more serious occurrences than an adverse season and increased prices. The anxiety felt throughout Southern India, on account of the great military mutiny in the north, was felt in full proportion in this District... Some apprehension was experienced during the Mohurrum, which that year took place in August, while the result of the deadly struggle in the North-West Province was undecided. Delhi was still untaken, and Lucknow unrelieved....

Kárukonda Subbáreddi was the head man of Koratúru, a village on the Godavery not far from the Gorge. He had been anxious to certain rich widow in marriage for his son; but hearing that she had become the concubine of Sunkaraswámi, the village munsiff or magistrate of Buttayagúdem, he attempted with a large body of his Koi followers to carry her off by force from his protection. Failing in the immediate object of his raid, he plundered the village, and retreated with a quantity of booty and cattle to the village of the widow’s late husband, where he was reinforced by other Reddis [local chiefs] with a considerable number of followers.’

The Acting Head-Assistant Magistrate gathered a force of 70 peons, and advanced to address the situation in the plundered village. Upon their arrival the marauding forces had departed, and they returned to Buttayagúdem having taken a few prisoners for questioning. Early next morning ‘he found that his small party was surrounded by an overwhelming number of hill-men under Subbáreddi and his son, armed with matchlocks and bows and arrows. The peons with him failed to stand their ground. He was consequently compelled to release his prisoners, to surrender the recovered property, and finally to retreat. Sunkaraswámi was carried off by the insurgents, and was taken to the hills, where he was murdered.’ (Ibid)

The above was reported to the Collector, and two companies of Sappers and Miners under the command of Captain Rose were sent out in response. The detachment advanced into the hills in order to find and engage the insurgents. They failed to do this over the course of two weeks, and were increasingly beset by jungle fever and engaged in guerilla warfare. As a consequence, ‘the campaign was continued by a Sibbandi or Revenue Corps, which was embodied for that purpose, and placed under the command of Captain Alleyne F. F. Bloomfield. Subbáreddi and seven other ringleaders were captured, and were sentenced to suffer capital punishment... Subbáreddi and Korla Sítárámayya, who had been proved to have been one of the most active and desperate of the leaders in the rebellion, having been convicted of participation in Sunkaraswámi’s murder, as well as the murder of another, were executed at Buttayagúdem, the scene of their crime, on October 7, 1858. Korla Venkata Subbáreddi, half-brother of Sítárámayya, also an active leader, and Guruguntla Kommireddi, who had assisted in the murder of Sunkaraswámi, were hanged at Pólavaram on the same day. On the same occasion Kárukonda Tammireddi, Subbáreddi’s brother, was executed at Tútigunta. He had joined in the rebellion, and had, with his own hand, shot a man who was conveying a message from the camp of the officer commanding the corps.’ (Ibid)

After the rebellion had successfully been put down Bloomfield received the thanks of the Madras Government. He commanded a detachment of the Golconda Sebundies later the same year during disturbances in the Golconda Zemindary, and received the thanks of the Madras Government and approbation of His Excellency the Commander in Chief. Bloomfield advanced to Captain, and his force was amalgamated into the new organisation of the Mofussil Police in 1861-62. He was appointed Superintendent of the Godavery District the same year, and commanded the Civil Force sent to quell the disturbances in the Rumpah Country in the Godavery District in 1862. Bloomfield was slightly wounded, and received the thanks of the Madras Government for the third time.

Bloomfield advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in May 1876, and retired in May 1878. During his service he held the appointments of: Adjutant Golconda Sebundies 1855; Commanded Rajahmundry Sebundies 1858; Acting Military Medber Sanitary Commission, December 1864; Acting Cantonment Magistrate, Trichinopoly, April 1865; Superintendent Rajahmundry Central Jail, January 1866; Acting Superintendent of Family Payments, Madras, February 1867; Acting Police Magistrate, Madras, February 1868 and Superintendent Salem Jail, October 1868. Colonel Bloomfield died, 21 April 1915.

Sold with copied Cadet papers, Record of Service, medal roll entries, and a modern reprint of A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Godavery District in the Presidency of Madras by Henry Morris, first published London, 1878, which contains a short account of the operations of the Golconda Sebundies under Bloomfield.