Vernon Family - Vernon of Sudbury and Hilton

Vernon of Sudbury and Hilton

Sir John Vernon (d 1545) was the fourth son of Sir Henry Vernon (d 1515) of Haddon and Tong. He was a member of the King's Council for Wales, High Sheriff of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in 1528 and Custos Rotulorum of Derbyshire. He married Ellen Montgomery, one of the three heiress daughters of Sir John Montgomery (d 1513) of Marchington and Sudbury, Derbyshire; the Sudbury estate thereby passed to the Vernon family.

Their only son Henry Vernon (d1569) married Margaret Swynnerton, co-heiress of Humphrey Swynnerton of Hilton Hall, Staffordshire thus combining two substantial estates. They had two sons, John (dsp1600) and Henry (d1592); neither had a male heir, but the family wealth was preserved by the marriage of Henry's only child, Margarett, to her third cousin Sir Edward Vernon (1584–1658) of Houndshill, Staffordshire.

Their eldest son Henry Vernon (1615–1659) married a distant kinswoman Meriall Vernon, only surviving daughter of judge Sir George Vernon of Haslington, Cheshire; the extensive Sudbury, Haslington and Houndshill estates were inherited by their elder surviving son, George, with the Hilton estate passing to the younger one, Henry.

George Vernon the elder son (1636–1702) continued the Sudbury line. His son (by his third marriage, to Catherine Vernon, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Vernon, merchant of London) Henry Vernon, Member of Parliament for Stafford, married Ann Pigott, niece and heiress of Peter Venables the last Baron Kinderton. Their only surviving son George (1709–1780), Member of Parliament for Lichfield and Derby, changed his name in 1728 to Venables-Vernon and was created the first Baron Vernon of Kinderton in 1762.

A younger son Edward changed his name to Harcourt on marriage and later became Archbishop of York. See Earl Harcourt. The Vernon Barony remained in the family until 2000 when the 10th Baron died and the Barony passed to a distant Vernon-Harcourt fifth cousin.

For the continuation of the Hilton line see below.