Contents [hide]

Vernon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Vernon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Vernon came to England with the ancestors of the Vernon family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Vernon family lived in Normandy where it is a "Norman baronial name." 1 One of the first on record was Roger, "Baron of Venron c. 1030." 1 Another reference claims the first record of the name was "William de Vernon, who assumed that surname from the town and district of Vernon, in Normandy, of which he was proprietor in 1052." 2

Vernon Castle in Normandy was the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The family take their name from "the castle and chatelletiie of Vernon, now a commune in the arrondissement of Evreux, which gives its name to the surrounding canton, 'one of the most picturesque and luxuriant of the vine districts.' The castle must have been strong; for Orderic tells us that in 1152 it was besieged by Louis King of France with a large army, and he, after a long leaguer, was fain to enter into a secret negotiation with Richard de Vernon to raise the Royal banner on his tower." 3

Early Origins of the Vernon family

The surname Vernon was first found in Cheshire at Shipbrook(e), where William de Vernon was granted lands by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester. His son Richard settled at Shipbrook(e), near Northwich.

The Cheshire family which had become the Barons of Shipbrooke, "became connected with Derbyshire by the heiress of Avenell's marriage with Richard Vernon in the 12th century; [and their] daughter and heiress married to Gilbert de Francis, whose son took the name of Vernon, seated himself at Haddon Hall in this county, and was the ancestor of the different branches of the House of Vernon." 4

"The manor [of Draycott-in the-Clay] was included in the Conqueror's gift to Henry de Ferrers, and has for many ages been possessed by the noble family of Vernon. In a meadow beyond Draycott mill are the ruins of an ancient mansion, surrounded by a moat." 5

Early History of the Vernon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vernon research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1030, 1229, 1236, 1249, 1577, 1605, 1621, 1622, 1625, 1660, 1665, 1676, 1715 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Vernon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vernon Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Vernon are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Vernon include Vernon, Vernen, Vernin and others.

Early Notables of the Vernon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Vernon, High Sheriff of Lancashire, Chief Justice of Cheshire (1229 to 1236)
Warine Vernon, 4th Baron of Shipbrook, married Alice heiress of Nether Haddon and Haddon Hall, Derbyshire
Richard Vernon, Baron of Shipbrook, one of seven great barons created by the kinglet, Earl Lupus of Chester, cousin of King William, Duke of Normandy
Sir Robert Vernon (1577-1625), an English landowner, courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622
Sir Henry Vernon, 1st Baronet (1605-1676), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1660 and 1676

Vernon Ranking

In the United States, the name Vernon is the 1,905^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 6 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Vernon is ranked the 959^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,286 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Vernon family to Ireland

Some of the Vernon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vernon migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Vernon, or a variant listed above:

Vernon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Daniel Vernon who settled in Rhode Island in 1630
Edward Vernon, who landed in Virginia in 1664 8
Daniel Vernon, who arrived in Maryland in 1675 8
Randle Vernon, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 8
Robert Vernon, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vernon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christr Vernon, who landed in Maryland in 1724 8
Wm. Vernon, his wife and sister, settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1764
Henrich Vernon, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 8

Vernon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Vernon, who arrived in New York in 1804 8
Adam, Anna, Maegeret, and Daniel Vernon, who settled in Philadelphia in 1805
Richard Vernon, who arrived in New York in 1841 8
Samuel Vernon, who landed in New York in 1841 8
Varnorin Vernon, aged 7, who landed in New York in 1849 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vernon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henry Vernon, who arrived in Arkansas in 1901 8

Vernon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Vernon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. George Vernon U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 son of Gideon Vernon listed as a child less than 10 years of age 9
Capt. Gideon Vernon Sr., U.E. (b. 1743) born in Neither Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA from Neither Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 married to Phoebe Farr having 5 children listed as signing the Quaker Agreement, he died in 1829 9
Mr. Gideon Vernon Jr., U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 son of Gideon Vernon listed as a child less than 10 years of age 9
Miss. Jane Vernon U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 daughter of Gideon Vernon listed as a child less than 10 years of age 9
Mr. Moses Vernon U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 son of Gideon Vernon listed as a child less than 10 years of age, he was a Magistrate in Charlotte County, New Brunswick for many years 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vernon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Vernon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Vernon, British convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. Josiah Vernon, (b. 1800), aged 26, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1828 11
Mr. William Vernon, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Gerrard Vernon who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. Edward Vernon, British Convict who was convicted in Birmingham, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 26th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vernon migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Vernon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Lieut. Vernon, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1851 15
Cecil H. Vernon, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lorraine" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Vernon (post 1700) +

Lillian Vernon (1927-2015), née Menasche, an American businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, founder of the Lillian Vernon Corporation in 1951, the first company traded on the American Stock Exchange founded by a woman
William Vernon (1719-1806), New England trader, leader during the Continental Congress during the American Revolution
Valerie Ann Vernon (b. 1974), American actress
Roger Lee Vernon (b. 1924), American science fiction writer
Robert Vernon (b. 1949), Canadian-born, American classical violist and teacher, Principal Violist of the Cleveland Orchestra since 1976
James Barton "Mickey" Vernon (1918-2008), American Major League Baseball first baseman
Irene Vernon (1922-1998), American actress
Dale Vernon, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1996 16
Clinton D. Vernon, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Utah, 1948; Utah State Attorney General, 1949-53 16
Christie Vernon, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1980 16
... (Another 37 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Vernon family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. George Ley Pearce Vernon, English 1st Class Passenger from London, England, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 17

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asiatic
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/