George Venables-Vernon, 5th Baron Vernon
Encyclopedia
George John Warren Vernon, 5th Baron Vernon (22 June 1803 – 31 May 1866) was the only son of George Charles Venables-Vernon, 4th Baron Vernon (1779–1835) of Sudbury, Derbyshire
, and Frances Maria, only daughter of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren
. He was one of the last Members of Pariament
for Derbyshire
and the first for South Derbyshire
. Vernon had a lifetime enthusiasm for Italian literature
, particularly Dante
after visiting Italy as a child. Vernon county
is named after him in Australia.
. Sir Richard Vernon, Speaker
of the House of Commons
from 1425 to 1426, was an ancestor. Vernon entered public life in 1831, as Member of Parliament
for Derbyshire
. As a result of the passing of the Reform Bill
in 1832 (which Vernon supported) the parliamentary seat for Derbyshire was divided in two, and he became MP for the southern part
. He continued in the House of Commons until 1835, when he succeeded his father as Baron Vernon and entered the House of Lords
. In 1837, he exchanged his patronymic
surname
Venables-Vernon for that of Warren, in compliance with the will of Viscountess Bulkeley, but his children born before 1839 retained their original surname. He was an expert rifle
-shot, an energetic supporter of the volunteer movement, and in 1859 he raised a company at Sudbury.
As a youth, Vernon was taken to Italy, and later returned to live in Florence
, where he studied the Italian language and history. His whole life was devoted to Dante
, to whom he erected a noble literary
monument. With the advice and help of friends and collaborators, he printed (though not for sale) some then unedited texts and two important works. The elrter of these was Le prime quattro Edizioni della Divina Commedia letteralmente ristampate, London, 1858, a careful reprint of the first editions of Dante's Divine Comedy, edited by Sir Anthony Panizzi with a learned preface. This was followed by a remarkable publication, L' Inferno di Dante Alighieri disposto in ordine grammaticale e corredato di brevi dichiarazioni di G. G. Warren, Lord Vernon, London, 1858–1865, 3 vols. folio, of which only a limited number of copies were issued for private circulation.
The latter work was described by Henry Clark Barlow
as one "which, for utility of purpose, comprehensiveness of design, and costly execution, has never been equalled in any country." Some of the most distinguished artists and men of letters in Italy were occupied for twenty years in its preparation. The first volume includes the text of the Inferno with many unpublished documents; and the third volume, which appeared after Lord Vernon's death, contains 112 original engravings of incidents in the Inferno, views of towns, castle
s, and other localities mentioned therein, as well as portraits, painting
s, plans, and historical monuments illustrating the history of the fourteenth century.
, and was a member of many other literary societies. He was also created Cavaliere di San Maurizio e Lazzaro in May 1865, in recognition of his labours on behalf of the national poet.
Caroline, daughter of Cuthbert Ellison
of Hebburn
, Durham, who bore him two sons, Augustus Henry (1829–1883) (the 6th baron), and William John (b.
1834), and three daughters, including Caroline Maria (born 1826, married 1845 Reverend Frederick Anson
, canon of Windsor
and rector
of Sudbury);. He remarried on 14 December 1859, to his cousin, Frances Emma Maria, only daughter of the Rev. Brooke Boothby, who survived him but was childless.
After a long illness, Vernon died at Sudbury Hall
, the family seat, near Derby
, on 31 May 1866.
Besides the two works above mentioned, he also printed :
Sudbury, Derbyshire
Sudbury is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England, located approximately to the south of Ashbourne. It is part of the Derbyshire Dales district. The £0.5m A50 bypass opened in 1972...
, and Frances Maria, only daughter of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren
John Borlase Warren
Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet , was an English admiral, politician and diplomat. Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, he was the son and heir of John Borlase Warren of Stapleford and Little Marlow...
. He was one of the last Members of Pariament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Derbyshire
Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Derbyshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
and the first for South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:"-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1940s:-References:...
. Vernon had a lifetime enthusiasm for Italian literature
Italian literature
Italian literature is literature written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in Italy in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian....
, particularly Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
after visiting Italy as a child. Vernon county
Vernon County, New South Wales
Vernon County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales, Australia. The Macleay River is part of the border in the north-east. It includes Walcha.Vernon County was named in honour of George John Venables-Vernon, 5th Baron Vernon ....
is named after him in Australia.
Politics
Vernon was born at Stapleford Hall in NottinghamshireNottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. Sir Richard Vernon, Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
from 1425 to 1426, was an ancestor. Vernon entered public life in 1831, as Member of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for Derbyshire
Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Derbyshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
. As a result of the passing of the Reform Bill
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
in 1832 (which Vernon supported) the parliamentary seat for Derbyshire was divided in two, and he became MP for the southern part
South Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:"-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1940s:-References:...
. He continued in the House of Commons until 1835, when he succeeded his father as Baron Vernon and entered the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In 1837, he exchanged his patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
Venables-Vernon for that of Warren, in compliance with the will of Viscountess Bulkeley, but his children born before 1839 retained their original surname. He was an expert rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
-shot, an energetic supporter of the volunteer movement, and in 1859 he raised a company at Sudbury.
Italy
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, where he studied the Italian language and history. His whole life was devoted to Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
, to whom he erected a noble literary
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
monument. With the advice and help of friends and collaborators, he printed (though not for sale) some then unedited texts and two important works. The elrter of these was Le prime quattro Edizioni della Divina Commedia letteralmente ristampate, London, 1858, a careful reprint of the first editions of Dante's Divine Comedy, edited by Sir Anthony Panizzi with a learned preface. This was followed by a remarkable publication, L' Inferno di Dante Alighieri disposto in ordine grammaticale e corredato di brevi dichiarazioni di G. G. Warren, Lord Vernon, London, 1858–1865, 3 vols. folio, of which only a limited number of copies were issued for private circulation.
The latter work was described by Henry Clark Barlow
Henry Clark Barlow
-Early life:Barlow was born in Churchyard Row, Newington Butts, Surrey, 12 May 1806. He was the only child of Henry Barlow, who, after spending the years 1799–1804 in the naval service of the East India Company, settled at Newington; passed fourteen years at Gravesend as a revenue officer; and...
as one "which, for utility of purpose, comprehensiveness of design, and costly execution, has never been equalled in any country." Some of the most distinguished artists and men of letters in Italy were occupied for twenty years in its preparation. The first volume includes the text of the Inferno with many unpublished documents; and the third volume, which appeared after Lord Vernon's death, contains 112 original engravings of incidents in the Inferno, views of towns, castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s, and other localities mentioned therein, as well as portraits, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s, plans, and historical monuments illustrating the history of the fourteenth century.
Membership
Vernon a socio correspondent of the Accademia della CruscaAccademia della Crusca
The Accademia della Crusca is an Italian society for scholars and Italian linguists and philologists established in Florence. After the Accademia Cosentina, it is the oldest Italian academy still in existence...
, and was a member of many other literary societies. He was also created Cavaliere di San Maurizio e Lazzaro in May 1865, in recognition of his labours on behalf of the national poet.
Family
Vernon married twice. On 30 October 1824, he married his first wife, IsabellaCaroline, daughter of Cuthbert Ellison
Cuthbert Ellison
Cuthbert Ellison was a British Whig politician.He inherited his father's estate aged 15. He was educated at Harrow School and Christ's College, Cambridge...
of Hebburn
Hebburn
Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
, Durham, who bore him two sons, Augustus Henry (1829–1883) (the 6th baron), and William John (b.
1834), and three daughters, including Caroline Maria (born 1826, married 1845 Reverend Frederick Anson
Frederick Anson
The Revd Frederick Anson , a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, served as Canon of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. As such, he was Canon to Queen Victoria...
, canon of Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
and rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Sudbury);. He remarried on 14 December 1859, to his cousin, Frances Emma Maria, only daughter of the Rev. Brooke Boothby, who survived him but was childless.
After a long illness, Vernon died at Sudbury Hall
Sudbury Hall
Sudbury Hall is a country house in Sudbury, Derbyshire, England.Sudbury Hall is one the country's finest Restoration mansions and has Grade I listed building status....
, the family seat, near Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, on 31 May 1866.
Publications
An engraved portrait of Vernon is in the album of his Inferno.Besides the two works above mentioned, he also printed :
- L'Inferno, secondo il testo di B. Lombardi con ordine e schiarimento per uso dei forestieri di L. V., Florence, 1841, 8vo (only the first seven cantos; a foreshadowing of his great work on the 'Inferno').
- Petri Allegherii super Dantis ipsius genitoris comoediam commentarium, Florence, 1846, 8vo (edited by Vincenzo Nannucci).
- Chiose sopra Dante, testo inedito, ora per la prima volta pubblicato, Florence, 1846, 8vo (commonly known as II falso Boccaccio).
- II Febusso e Breusso, poema ora per la prima volta pubblicato, Florence, 1847, 8vo (a romanzo cavalleresco).
- Chiose alia Cantica dell' Inferno di Dante Allighieri attribuite a Jacopo suo figlio, Florence, 1848, 8vo.
- Comento alia cantica di Dante Allighieri di autore anonimo, Florence, 1848, 8vo (the oldest commentary on the Inferno in existence, probably written about 1328). He had intended to print the famous Latin commentary of Benvenuto da Imola, delivered as public lectures at BolognaBolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
about 1375; but this work was carried out by his second son, William Warren Vernon, in 1887, 5 vols. 4to, under the editorship of Sir J. P. Lacaita.