George Venables-Vernon, 2nd Baron Vernon (9 May 1735 – 18 June 1813), was the 2nd Baron Vernon of Kinderton. He acceded to the title in 1780 after the death of his father George Venables-Vernon, first Baron Vernon of Kinderton.

Early life

He was the only son of

George Venables-Vernon, 1st Baron Vernon George Venables-Vernon, 1st Baron Vernon (9 February 1709 – 21 August 1780), was a British politician. Early life Vernon was born on 9 February 1709. He was the eldest, and only surviving, son of Henry Vernon, of Sudbury, Derbyshire, MP for S ...

and, his first wife, Hon. Mary Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, 6th

Baron Howard of Effingham Earl of Effingham, in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837 for Kenneth Howard, 11th Baron Howard of Effingham, named after the village of Effingham, Surrey, where heads of the family owned ...

. His paternal grandparents were Henry Vernon, MP for

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and the former Anne Pigott (daughter and heiress of Thomas Pigott of Chetwynd). Vernon was educated at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

and at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

, proceeding MA in 1755.

Career

He served as a Whig member of parliament for

Weobley Weobley ( ) is an ancient settlement and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Herefordshire, England. Formerly a market town, the market is long defunct and the settlement is today promoted as one of the county's black and white village ...

from 1757 to 1761,

Bramber Bramber is a former Manorialism, manor, village and civil parish in the Horsham (district), Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It has a ruined mediaeval castle which was the ''caput'' of a large English feudal barony, feudal barony. B ...

from 1762 to 1768 and

Glamorganshire Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the south of Wales. Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying bo ...

from 1768 to 1780. "Only one speech by him is reported: 1 May 1769, on a point of privilege." Through his first wife, he inherited the

Briton Ferry Briton Ferry () is a town and Community (Wales), community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The Welsh name may indicate that the church, ''llan'', is protected from the wind, ''awel''. Alternatively, ''Sawel'' may be a deri ...

estate in Glamorgan and Newick Park in Sussex in 1750 and served as vice president of the Welch Charity. He inherited the family seat at

Sudbury Hall Sudbury Hall is a country house in Sudbury, Derbyshire, England. One of the country's finest Restoration mansions, it has Grade I listed building status, and the garden is Grade II listed in Historic England's Register of Parks and Gardens. T ...

in Derbyshire in 1780 on the death of his father.

Bradwall Hall Latham of Bradwall is a family whose seat was at Bradwall Hall, in the township of Bradwall, near Sandbach, England, with several notable members. The line is "a junior branch of the ancient Cheshire house of Lathom, of Lathom and Knowsley ...

, near

Sandbach Sandbach (pronounced ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire East borough of Cheshire, England. The civil parish contains four settlements: Sandbach, Elworth, Ettiley Heath and Wheelock, Cheshire, Wheelock. At the 2021 United Kingd ...

, Cheshire, was also owned by the Barons Vernon until it was conveyed to John Latham, president of the Royal College of Physicians.

Personal life

His first wife was Hon. Louisa Barbara Mansel, daughter of Bussy Mansel, last Baron Mansel of

Margam Margam is a suburb and community (Wales), community of Port Talbot in the Wales, Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway. The community had a population of 3,017 in 2011; the built up area being l ...

. They wed on 16 July 1757 and had two sons and two daughters, who died young, including: * George Venables-Vernon (1761–1763), who died young and was buried at Newick. * George Venables-Vernon (1773–1773), who died in infancy and was also buried at Newick. He married secondly, Jane Georgiana Fauquier, daughter of William Fauquier of Hanover, on 25 May 1786. With her he had two more daughters, one of whom died young, including: * Hon. Georgiana Venables-Vernon (1788–1824), who married, as his first wife,

Edward Harbord, 3rd Baron Suffield Edward Harbord, 3rd Baron Suffield (10 November 1781 – 6 July 1835) was an English politician and peer. Life Harbord was the second son of Sir Harbord Harbord, 1st Baron Suffield, (a conservative Whig politician who had been raised to the p ...

, in 1809. After Vernon died in 1813, his title passed to his half-brother Henry, the eldest son of the first Baron's third marriage.

Legacy

His full-length portrait was painted by

Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (; 14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists o ...

(1727–1788) in 1767. The painting, which is often referred to as "The Hunting Lord," belongs to

Southampton City Art Gallery The Southampton City Art Gallery is an art gallery in Southampton, southern England. It is located in the Civic Centre on Commercial Road. The gallery opened in 1939 with much of the initial funding from the gallery coming from two bequests, o ...

's permanent collection, acquired 1957.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vernon, George Venables-Vernon, 2nd Baron 1735 births 1813 deaths People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies British MPs 1754–1761 British MPs 1761–1768 British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 George 2