VERNEY, George (1661-1728)

As a second son George Verney was from an early age intended for the Church and had little expectation of succeeding to the peerage. Marriage to Margaret Heath, heiress to the Brasted estate, ensured his financial security but the deaths of the heir of his older brother, John Verney, in 1700, and then of John Verney himself from a fever seven years later transformed George Verney’s prospects. Christ Church, Oxf. Wake mss 3, f. 49; Verney Letters 18th Century, 234. Having already acquired a fellowship at Oxford, three livings and a stall at Windsor, in May 1709 he was rumoured to be likely to succeed to the newly vacant bishopric of Chichester, though Edmund Gibson^†, later bishop of London, was insistent that ‘the opposition to Dr Verney is so warm and open, on account of his siding with the Tory interest in the last election, that though he is much talked of abroad, I do not find our friends in any fear that the queen will make that step’. Gibson proved to be correct and by the close of the month Verney’s name was ‘less talked of’, having been superseded by other candidates. Longleat, Bath mss Thynne pprs. 45, f. 370; Add. 61612, f. 68; Wake mss 17, ff. 211, 215. Although overlooked for promotion to the Lords as a bishop, he remained a supporter of Robert Harley, earl of Oxford.

In July 1711 he succeeded his father to the barony of Willoughby de Broke and an estate that included lands in Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Hearne’s Colls. iii (Oxford Hist. Soc. xiii), 200. Willoughby took his seat for the first time on 13 Nov. 1711. Jonathan Swift recorded that the new baron intended to appear in the House in his clerical gown as well as his baron’s robes but it is not clear whether he in fact did so. Jnl. to Stella ed. Williams, i. 331. He sat on another of the prorogation days (27 Nov.) before taking his place at the opening of the new session a few days later on 7 Dec.1711; the following day he registered his first protest in opposition to the resolution to present the address to the queen containing the ‘No Peace without Spain’ motion. Present in the House on 61 per cent of all sitting days in the session, on 19 Dec. he was forecast as being likely to support the pretensions of James Hamilton, 4th duke of Hamilton [S], to sit in the House as duke of Brandon. The following day he voted against barring Scots peers holding post-Union British peerages from sitting in the House.

Willoughby acted as one of the sponsors of Thomas Willoughby (one of Oxford’s ‘dozen’) on his introduction into the House as Baron Middleton on 2 Jan. 1712, a further indication of his support for Oxford’s ministry. This was confirmed when he voted with the ministry on 28 May in opposition to the motion for overturning the restraining orders imposed on James Butler, 2nd duke of Ormond. PH, xxvi. 177–81. Shortly before the close of the session, he preached the annual charity sermon at St Sepulchre’s on 12 June 1712, ‘before a most numerous congregation’. Add. 70216, J. Chamberlayne to Oxford, 15 Aug. 1712. He took as his text Acts 20:35, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’, a sentiment he perhaps hoped that Oxford would emulate. The sermon was subsequently published and a copy sent to the lord treasurer. G. Verney, The Blessedness of doing Good (1712). In October of that year Oxford included him in a list of possible new officeholders, Willoughby being pencilled in as a warden of the New Forest. Add. 70295, Oxford to ?, 17 Oct. 1712. Although he again appears to have been overlooked, in March 1713 Swift listed him once more as a likely supporter of the ministry.

Willoughby appears to have been one of several Warwickshire peers willing to be directed to a greater or lesser extent by William Bromley^‡, the Speaker of the Commons. Pols. in Age of Anne, 277. He was present on four of the prorogation days in advance of the new session of April 1713 and then resumed his seat on 9 Apr. (after which he was present on approximately 59 per cent of all sitting days). In June he was estimated as being in favour of confirming the eighth and ninth articles of the French commerce treaty and in July he attempted to capitalize on his position as a ministry supporter by petitioning Oxford directly for the bishopric of London. Add. 70261, Willoughby de Broke to Oxford, 8 July 1713. Although he was again overlooked, later that year his persistence was finally rewarded with his appointment to the vacant deanery of Windsor, a position he continued to hold for the remainder of his life. In this capacity he preached before the queen on Christmas day. Wake mss 17, ff. 347–8.

Willoughby took his seat in the new Parliament on 2 Mar. 1714. Present on 58 per cent of all sitting days, on 17 Mar. he registered his proxy with John Sheffield, duke of Buckingham (vacated by his return to the House on 2 Apr.), and again on 7 May 1714 (vacated by his resumption of his seat four days later). On 27 May he was forecast as a likely supporter of the schism bill.

Willoughby attended just three days of the brief session that met in the wake of the queen’s death in August 1714. Despite his Tory sympathies he did not suffer by the Hanoverian succession, maintaining his office as dean of Windsor, though it is perhaps significant that he failed to be granted any further promotion in the Church. Details of the latter part of his career, in particular his vain efforts to introduce a bill for suppressing blasphemy and profaneness, will be dealt with in the next phase of this work. Add. 70236, E. Harley to Oxford, 29 Apr. 1721; Wake mss 22, f. 38.

Suffering from crippling attacks of gout from 1724, Willoughby failed to attend the House after 24 May 1725. Add. 70293, J. Drummond to Oxford, 2 May 1724; Add. 70146, T. to A. Harley, 10 Oct. 1724. He made his will two years later and died in December 1728. His fourth (but eldest surviving) son, Richard Verney^†, succeeded as 13th Baron Willoughby de Broke. Execution of his will was entrusted to his younger son, John Verney^‡, Member for Downton, a decision that sparked disagreement between the brothers for the ensuing few years. SCLA, DR 98/1654/41; PROB 11/627; PROB 18/42/132.