Edward Vernon

Admiral Sir Edward Vernon (30 October 1723 – 16 June 1794) was a Royal Navy officer who became Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station.

Naval career Born the fourth son of Henry Vernon and Penelope Vernon (née Phillips) and educated at the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth, Vernon joined the Royal Navy in 1739 when he was appointed a Volunteer-per-order on . He was promoted to lieutenant in 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession and assigned to the 70-gun under Captain Edward Hawke. Present at the Battle of Toulon in 1744 against a combined French and Spanish fleet, he and 22 other British seamen were sent by Hawke aboard the disabled enemy vessel Poder in order to secure her as a prize. Poder was heavily damaged, and Vernon and others began jury rigging masts in order to make her ready to sail. They neglected to observe a Spanish counter-attack and were captured.

Vernon was returned to British service as part of a prisoner exchange, and in 1747 was appointed as commander of the sloop HMS Baltimore. In 1753 he was promoted to captain of in 1753 and captain of in 1755. Promoted to rear-admiral in March 1779, he returned to England in 1781.