Edward Vernon

Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
	Admiral Edward "Old Grog" Vernon. Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough
Nickname(s)	"Old Grog"
Born	12 November 1684; Westminster, London, England
Died	30 October 1757 (aged 72); Nacton, Suffolk, England
Allegiance	Kingdom of England; Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1700–1746
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Dolphin; HMS Rye; HMS Association; HMS Jersey; HMS Assistance; HMS Mary; HMS Grafton; Commander-in-chief Jamaica Station; Commander-in-chief North Sea;
Battles/wars	War of the Spanish Succession Capture of Gibraltar; Battle of Vélez-Málaga; Siege of Barcelona (1705); ; War of Jenkins' Ear Battle of Portobelo (1739); Battle of Cartagena de Indias; Invasion of Cuba (1741); ;
Other work	MP for Penryn; MP for Ipswich;

Admiral Edward Vernon (12 November 1684 – 30 October 1757) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He had a long and distinguished career, rising to the rank of admiral after 46 years service. As a vice admiral during the War of Jenkins' Ear, in 1739 he was responsible for the capture of Portobelo, Panama, seen as expunging the failure of Admiral Hosier there in a previous conflict. However, his amphibious operation against the Spanish port of Cartagena de Indias was a disastrous defeat. Vernon also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) on three occasions and was outspoken on naval matters in Parliament, making him a controversial figure.

The origin of the name "grog" for rum diluted with water is attributed to Vernon. He was known for wearing coats made of grogram cloth, earning him the nickname of "Old Grog", which in turn came to mean the diluted rum that he first introduced into his naval squadron. He is also the eponym of George Washington's estate Mount Vernon, and thereby the many places in the United States named after it.