Background
Vernon was the son of Robert Percy Smith, of 20 Savile Row, London, and of Cheam, Surrey, and the nephew of The Review Sydney Smith, Canon of Street Paul"son His mother was Carolina Maria Vernon, daughter of Richard Vernon.
Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
Vernon was the son of Robert Percy Smith, of 20 Savile Row, London, and of Cheam, Surrey, and the nephew of The Review Sydney Smith, Canon of Street Paul"son His mother was Carolina Maria Vernon, daughter of Richard Vernon.
Vernon was educated at Christ Church, Oxford (2nd class classics 1822).
When the Whigs came to power in 1830 under Lord Grey, Vernon was appointed a Lord of the Treasury (government whip), which he remained also when Lord Melbourne became Prime Minister in July 1834. The Whigs fell from office in November of that year, but returned already in April 1835, when Vernon was appointed Secretary of the Board of Control by Melbourne, which he remained until 1839. He then served as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1839 to 1841.
The latter year he was also admitted to the Privy Council.
He did not hold office again until February 1852, when he was made Secretary at War in the first administration of Lord John Russell. However, the government fell already the same month.
When the Liberals (as the Whigs were now known) returned to office in 1855 under Lord Palmerston, Vernon was appointed President of the Board of Control, with a seat in the cabinet, a post he retained until the government fell in March 1858. In 1845 he was appointed one of the Lay Commissioners in Lunacy.
Lord Lyveden married Lady Emma Mary Fitzpatrick, daughter and co-heir of the Earl of Upper Ossory, in 1823.
8th United Kingdom Parliament. 9th United Kingdom Parliament. 10th United Kingdom Parliament.
11th United Kingdom Parliament.
12th United Kingdom Parliament. 13th United Kingdom Parliament.
14th United Kingdom Parliament. 15th United Kingdom Parliament.
16th United Kingdom Parliament.
17th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was elected Member of Parliament for Tralee in 1829, a seat he held until 1831, and then sat for Northampton from 1831 to 1859. Lord Lyveden was a member of the Reform Club, the Travellers Club, and Brooks"son