Mister Knowitall Presents
on 01/23/2005 at 07:14 PM
Admiral Edward Vernon
1. Mount Vernon was home to George Washington for more than 45 years. First known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation, the Estate was originally granted to Washington’s great grandfather John Washington in 1674. It eventually passed to Washington’s older half-brother, Lawrence, who renamed the property Mount Vernon after his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon of the British navy. George Washington inherited the property upon the death of his brother Lawrence’s widow in 1761.
2. George Washington’s eldest half-brother, Lawrence Washington served under the Admiral in 1741 as “Captain of the Marines” aboard Vernon’s flagship and was so impressed by the great hero that he named his estate “Mount Vernon.” He remained popular for a couple of years but was dismissed from the Royal Navy in April 1746, essentially for disrespecting his superiors on the Admiralty Board. He was true to character to the end.
“Grog" was the drink he invented.Vernon’s nickname “Old Grog” was given to him in Jamaica by his sailors because of the cloak he wore made of a material called grogram (a blend of silk, wool and mohair ) In the summer of 1740, while at Jamaica, Vernon grew tired of losing so many men to drunken incidents that he ordered their daily ration of rum to be diluted with water and served out in halves (half at noon, other half at sunset). Thus the sailors got their full ration, but in a form that prevented them from falling down drunk. They quickly called the new drink, Grog, after the admiral. As the use of citrus and other anti-scorbutics increased in the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy, it was difficult to administer lime juice to the crew. So the lime juice was added to the grog to ensure its consumption. A sailor would be punished for not taking his grog ration.
Admiral Edward Vernon’s historic capture of Porto Bello, Panama in November 1739, the start of The War of Jenkins, Ear shook all of Great Britain. When news of the triumph reached London from Jamaica in March 1740. Vernon’s popularity amongst the English public soared.
More commemorative medals were struck for Vernon than anyone else in the Eighteenth century. His was a household name on both sides of the Atlantic. Many pubs and taverns changed their names to Vernon or Porto Bello. London’s famous shopping district, Porto Bello Road, took its name from this event
The house was built in 1743 by Lawrence Washington, George Washington’s half brother. It was named for Admiral Edward Vernon, Lawrence’s commander in the British navy. George Washington inherited it in 1754.
Grog became a British Naval staple in 1740. Admiral, Edward Vernon, nicknamed “Old Grog” due to his habit of wearing grogham cloak, made diluted rum a staple of the crew. It was then two parts water to one part rum, in pint measures. Lime was added to help ward against scurvy. The rations decreased to cessation in 1970, and by that time, it was given out in 1/8 pint measures.
Total time 12 minutes.
