RICKMAN, TrtomAs, a distinguished architect, was born at Maidenhead in 1776. He was unsettled in early life, and tried several employments both in London and Maiden head. He managed his father's business of druggist for some time, and afterward became a clerk in an insurance office. Ile seems to have always had IL love for architec ture, and to have studied it carefully. In 1808 he began to give his full attention to it, and wrote the classification of Gothic styles, which has rendered him famous. He first pointed out the features which distinguish the different periods of that style. He divided it into four periods, and called them Norman, early English, decorated, and perpendicu lar (q.v.), and these names and the dates he assigned to them are still the most frequently used.
Rickman became after this an architect in Birmingham, and was employed to design a great many buildings, especially churches. He died in March, 1841. his work is cal led An Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of Architecture in England from the Conquest to the Reformation. It was first written for Smith's Panorama of Science and Art, and
has passed through several editions; that by Parker of Oxford (1847) is the best.
RrCOCITET, in artillery, is the bounding of a shot along the ground, which takes place when a gun is fired low. Ricochet firing is found extremely useful both in its actual and moral effect in clearing the face of a myelin, bastion, or other rather long line of fortification. If well directed the ricochet shot bounding along will dismount guns, scatter the gunners. and greatly intimidate the garrison. Vauban first introduced ricochet firing at the siege of Philipsburg in 1688. The defense against this sort of attack consists hi earthen traverses along the threatened line, or in a bonnet (see FORTI FICATION) at the point of parapet nearest the enemy. In the field, ricochet, where the shot or shell is made to bound forward at least ten times, produces most disastrous and demoralizing effects on masses of cavalry and infantry, whom it hews down in long lines.