James Vernon (politician, born 1646)

James Vernon (c. 1646 – c. 1727) was an English

English and British House of Commons between 1679 and 1710. He was Secretary of State for both the Northern and the Southern Departments during the reign of William III

.

Early life

Vernon was a younger son of Francis Vernon of London (a scion of the Vernons of Haslington, Cheshire, and Hanbury, Worcestershire), and his wife, Anne Welby, widow, daughter of George Smithes, a London goldsmith.^[1] Like his elder brother Francis, he was educated at Charterhouse School, and matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford on 19 July 1662, aged 16. He graduated BA in 1666, and proceeded MA in 1669^[2] (incorporated MA at Cambridge in 1676^[3]).

He married, by licence dated 6 April 1675, Mary Buck, daughter of Sir John Buck, 1st Baronet, of Hamby Grange, Lincolnshire.^[1]

Rise to prominence

Vernon was employed by

Sir John Trenchard, by whom he was employed in Flanders in the summer of 1692 to furnish reports of the movements of the army to Sir William Dutton Colt, British minister at Celle

. In 1693 he was appointed to a commissionership of prizes, which he held until 1705.

At the

privy council (5 December 1697). Though he did not formally succeed to Shrewsbury's department on his resignation, 12 December 1698, he was thenceforth virtually secretary for both departments until the delivery of the southern seals to the Earl of Jersey, 14 May 1699. At the 1698 English general election, he was returned as MP for Westminster.^[4]

Secretary of State

By the

Sir Charles Hedges, and retained the seals when Hedges gave place to the Duke of Manchester

on 1 January 1701–2.

Dismissal and later career

A staunch

Privy Seal was entrusted during Sunderland's absence on the continent, but held no other office during the reign of George I

.

Later life and legacy

Vernon's wife Mary died on 12 October 1715. His last days were spent in retirement at

James (died 1756), was ambassador to Copenhagen. His younger son, Edward Vernon (1684–1757), became an admiral, who was famous for his victory at Porto Bello. Vernon's grandson, son of his eldest son James and Arethusa Boyle, Francis

, was created Earl of Shipbrook in 1777.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "VERNON, James (1646-1727), of Frith Street, Westminster". History of Parliament Online (1660-1690). Retrieved 2 August 2019.
^ Foster, Joseph. "Vachell-Vyner in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 pp.1533-1549". British History Online. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Vernon, James (VNN676J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ ^a ^b "VERNON, James I (1646-1727), of Frith Street, Westminster, Mdx". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 2 August 2019.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Vernon, James". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 58. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Parliament of England
Preceded by Sir Charles Wheler	Member of Parliament for Cambridge University 1679–1681 With: Sir Thomas Exton	Succeeded by Robert Brady Sir Thomas Exton
Preceded by Sidney Godolphin Alexander Pendarves	Member of Parliament for Penryn 1695–1699 With: Alexander Pendarves 1695–1698 Samuel Trefusis 1698–1699	Succeeded by Samuel Trefusis Alexander Pendarves
Preceded by Sir Stephen Fox Charles Montagu	Member of Parliament for Westminster 1698–1702 With: Charles Montagu 1698–1701 Sir Thomas Crosse 1701 Sir Henry Colt 1701–1702	Succeeded by Sir Walter Clarges, Bt Sir Thomas Crosse
Preceded by Samuel Trefusis Alexander Pendarves	MP for Penryn 1705–1707 With: Samuel Trefusis	Succeeded by Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Parliament of England	1707–1710 With: Samuel Trefusis	Succeeded by Samuel Trefusis Alexander Pendarves
Political offices
Preceded by William Trumbull	Secretary of State for the Northern Department 1697–1700	Succeeded by Charles Hedges
Preceded by The Duke of Shrewsbury	Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1698–1699	Succeeded by The Earl of Jersey
Preceded by The Earl of Jersey	Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1700–1702	Succeeded by The Earl of Manchester
Preceded by Charles Hedges	Secretary of State for the Northern Department 1702	Succeeded by Charles Hedges
Preceded by Sir John Stanley	Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer 1702–1706	Succeeded by John Smith

[HOP-1] "VERNON, James (1646-1727), of Frith Street, Westminster". History of Parliament Online (1660-1690). Retrieved 2 August 2019.

[ALUM-2] Foster, Joseph. "Vachell-Vyner in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 pp.1533-1549". British History Online. Retrieved 3 August 2019.

[Venn-3] "Vernon, James (VNN676J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[HOP2-4] "VERNON, James I (1646-1727), of Frith Street, Westminster, Mdx". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 2 August 2019.

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