Most people don’t know why Mount Vernon is called Mount Vernon. It has been the name of the Washington estate since the mid 1700s. George Washington’s beloved elder brother Lawrence named it after Admiral Edward Vernon, under whom he served while in the Royal Navy. It took on a life of its own, and today is also the name of a small town in western Washington state. I bet Admiral Vernon could never have prophesied such a thing.
BUT DID YOU ALSO KNOW that whilst sailing his ships all around the Caribbean, Admiral Vernon baaaasically invented the first cocktail and also inadvertently found a treatment for scurvy? The sailors were drinking the rum a bit too freely, so he ordered that it be watered down, which would also ensure they drank water. This did not taste great at all, so it was suggested that lime juice be added to the drink, which was named “Grog” after him because of his nickname, “Old Grog,” after the grogram coat he always wore.
I literally learn something new every day.
That’s a good one! There are Vernons all around–one in Connecticut as well. Good old article on the impact of the Vernon expeditions on the development of American identity: Albert Harkness, Jr., “Americanism and Jenkins’ Ear,†The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jun., 1950), pp. 61-90