David Guy Blomfield (11 July 1934 – 12 July 2016) was leader of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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This is a li ...
group on
Richmond upon Thames Council
Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London, the United Kingdom capital. Richmond upon Thames is ...
, a writer, a book editor and a
local historian
The British Association for Local History (BALH) is a membership organisation that exists to promote the advancement of public education through the study of local history and to encourage and assist the study of local history throughout Great Bri ...
.
Early life and education
David Blomfield was born in
Camberley, Surrey
Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Camb ...
. His parents were
Valentine Blomfield, a
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officer, and his wife, Gladys (''née'' Lang), who had been a
Voluntary Aid Detachment
The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The most important periods of operation for these units we ...
nurse at
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
's
Star and Garter Home in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
His father's family was descended from the
Anglican bishop
The Anglican ministry is both the leadership and agency of Christian service in the Anglican Communion. "Ministry" commonly refers to the office of ordained clergy: the ''threefold order'' of bishops, priests and deacons. More accurately, Anglica ...
s
Charles James Blomfield
Charles James Blomfield (29 May 1786 – 5 August 1857) was a British divine and classicist, and a Church of England bishop for 32 years.
Early life and education
Charles James Blomfield was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, the eldest son (and ...
and
Alfred Blomfield
The Right Reverend Alfred Blomfield D.D. (31 August 18335 November 1894) was an Anglican bishop in the last decades of the 19th century.
Alfred was the youngest son of Charles James Blomfield, Bishop of London, and brother of architect Arth ...
and the architect Sir
Reginald Blomfield
Sir Reginald Theodore Blomfield (20 December 1856 – 27 December 1942) was a prolific British architect, garden designer and author of the Victorian and Edwardian period.
Early life and career
Blomfield was born at Bow rectory in Devon, w ...
.
He was educated at
Wellington College, Berkshire
Wellington College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the village of Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. Wellington is a registered charity and currently educates roughly 1,200 pupils, between the ages of 13 and ...
and served in the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
and the
Oxfordshire Yeomanry.
He studied
classics
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
at
Hertford College, Oxford University and graduated in 1955.
Career
Blomfield worked in the
condensed books department of ''
Reader's Digest
''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
'' from 1959 to 1987 and subsequently became a freelance book editor.
He was elected to represent
Kew
Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is a ...
ward on Richmond upon Thames Council from 1971 to 1978 and then from 1979 to 1986.
As leader of the
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
group he was Leader of the Opposition on Richmond upon Thames Council in 1978.
Blomfield, who researched, wrote and published books on the history of Kew, chaired the
Richmond Local History Society
Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...
from 2003 to 2013, edited its annual journal ''Richmond History'' and succeeded
John Cloake
John Cloake Hon. DLitt. (2 December 1924 – 9 July 2014) was a historian and author of several works mostly relating to the local history of Richmond upon Thames and surrounding areas. He was also a former United Kingdom diplomatic rep ...
in 2015 as the Society's President.
He was also a patron of the
Kew Society and a past chairman of the
Orange Tree Theatre
The Orange Tree Theatre is a 180-seat theatre at 1 Clarence Street, Richmond in south-west London, which was built specifically as a theatre in the round. It is housed within a disused 1867 primary school, built in Victorian Gothic style.
Th ...
in Richmond.
Honours and awards
He was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 2000.
Personal life
He lived in Kew, London
with his wife Caroline, with whom he had three children (two sons and a daughter). He died on 12 July 2016, a day after celebrating his 82nd birthday.
Publications
Books
* Blomfield, David (ed.) (1992). ''Lahore to Lucknow: The Indian Mutiny Journal of Arthur Moffat Lang''.
Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
* Blomfield, David (1994), ''Kew Past''.
Chichester, Sussex:
Phillimore & Co. Ltd.
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Articles
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blomfield, David
1934 births
2016 deaths
Military personnel from Surrey
Burials in England
20th-century English historians
21st-century English historians
Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford
Blomfield family
Councillors in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
English book editors
English military historians
Historians of London
Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors
Liberal Party (UK) councillors
Members of the Order of the British Empire
People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire
People from Camberley
People from Kew, London
Reader's Digest
Royal Artillery personnel
Churchwardens
Ghostwriters