VERNON, EDWARD English admiral, was born in Westminster on Nov. 12, 1684, the second son of James Vernon, secretary of State in 1697-170o. Edward Vernon entered the navy in 1707, and saw much active service in various seas. During the long peace under Walpole he sat in the House of Commons he clamoured for war with Spain, and in 1739 declared he would capture Portobello with a squadron of six ships. He got the command and the ships and captured Portobello on Nov. 22, with a loss of only seven men. In 1740, with a large squadron, he attacked Cartagena without success, and had to retire to Jamaica (this episode is described in Roderick Random, chap. xiii., etc.). Vernon suffered another reverse at
Santiago de Cuba in 1741, and returned home in 1743. He had been elected M.P. for Ipswich in 1741, and continued to sit for that borough. He was in command in the Downs in but in annoyance at intervention from Whitehall he published some of his instructions, and was struck off the flag list. He died on Oct. 3o, 1757, at Nacton, Suffolk.