Vere, John de See oxford, John de Vere, 13 th
earl of.
Vernon, Edward (1684–1757) British admiral
Edward Vernon was born at Westminster on 12 Novem-
ber 1684, the son of James Vernon, who served as secre-
tary of state to King William III from 1698 to 1702, and
his wife Mary, daughter of Sir John Buck of Lincolnshire.
He joined the English navy in 1700 just prior to the War
of the Spanish Succession (1701–14), and in 1704 he
took part in the British capture of Gibraltar. Following
the end of the war, he was elected to a seat in the House
of Commons, serving from 1722 to 1734. During this
time, fearful of Spanish intentions, he demanded that
action be taken against Spain. He also called for naval
reform and increasing training in strategy.
In 1739, Spain threatened Britain’s interests in the
Caribbean, and Vernon declared he would take Porto
Bello (now Portobello, Panama) with six ships. He was
given the ships, sailed west, and took Porto Bello on 23
October 1739, losing only seven men in the quick vic-
tory. However, in 1740, during the War of Jenkins’ Ear
(1739–43), he was ordered to attack—against his will—
the city of Cartagena (in today’s Colombia). This attack
fell short, and Vernon was forced to withdraw his fleet to
Jamaica. The following year, he tried to take Santiago de
Cuba (Cuba), but again he was rebuffed by the Spanish,
and he was forced to return to England.
Back in Britain, Vernon was named a vice admiral
of the red, but he was also retired for a period—against
his wishes, according to a letter written to Thomas Cob-
bett, at that time the Secretary to the Board of the Ad-
miralty, in which Vernon complained:Though... promotions are said to be made by
their lordship’s orders, yet we all know the com-
munication of his majesty’s pleasure must come
from the first lord in commission, from whom
principally his majesty is supposed to receive his
information on which his royal orders are founded;
and as it is a known maxim of our law, that the
king can do no wrong, founded, as I apprehend,
on the persuasion that the crown never does so
but from the misinformation of those whose re-
spective provinces are to inform his majesty of the
particular affairs under their care.... The first
suggestion that naturally occurs to any officer, that
has the fullest testimonies in his custody, of hav-
ing happily served his majesty on the command
he was intrusted with to his royal approbation, is,
that your first commissioner must either informed
his majesty that I was dead, or have laid something
to my charge, rendering me unfit to rise in my