Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere

Admiral Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere (14 July 1699 – 21 October 1781), known as Lord Vere Beauclerk until 1750, was a Royal Navy officer, British peer and politician who sat in the House of Commons for 24 years from 1726 to 1750. After serving various ships in the Mediterranean and then commanding the third-rate HMS Hampton Court, he joined the Board of Admiralty, ultimately serving as Senior Naval Lord.

Naval career Born the son of the 1st Duke of St Albans and his wife Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans, he was an illegitimate grandson of King Charles II.

Beauclerk joined the Royal Navy in 1713. Promoted to post-captain on 30 May 1721, he served in various ships in the Mediterranean He went to command the third-rate HMS Hampton Court in December 1731. but had to step down when the Government fell in March 1742. and promoted to vice admiral on 14 July 1746 and to full admiral on 12 May 1748 before retiring in November 1749. From 1726 to 1741 Beauclerk was Member of Parliament (MP) for Windsor and for Plymouth (succeeding his brother Henry) from 1741 to 1750.

Family

On 13 April 1736, in London, he married Mary Chambers (c. 1714-21 January 1783), a maternal granddaughter of the 2nd Earl of Berkeley. They later had six children (four of whom died young): Vere Beauclerk (12 January 1737 – 26 December 1739) Chamber Beauclerk (22 February 1738 – 16 July 1747) Sackville Beauclerk (12 April 1739 – 25 April 1739) Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans (3 June 1740 – 9 February 1802) Elizabeth Beauclerk (7 July 1741 – April 1746); buried on 26 April 1746. The Hon. Mary Beauclerk (4 December 1743 – 13 January 1812); who married Lord Charles Spencer, son of the 3rd Duke of Marlborough.