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The Vernon family - a brief summary of an impressive family

They built Woodhouse and owned vast swathes of Shrawley

George Croft Vernon was the third son of Thomas Shrawley Vernon, he became a solicitor at Lincolns in at the age of 25 (1819) and then later set up practice in Bromsgrove with his partner Luke Minshall.  Interestingly they also owned an auctioneer's business based in Worcester.

The Vernon Estate was impressive and took much time in looking after.  Thomas Taylor Vernon, the head of the household lived for some time in Hanbury, but preferred Shrawley life and built Woodhouse, and this is where he and his wife Elizabeth lived.

His father died in 1825 and left George a huge problem with probate, dividing the estate between him and his seven siblings.

So at this point, he is working for his father on the estate also trying to sort out his fathers executors and trustees, not an easy task. Now add in problems raised sorting out his father's will which dragged on for some time, then amongst all of this and trying to run the estate, collecting rent on the estate properties, and his businesses as well as the sale of one of his fathers businesses and keeping his siblings annuities in order,  it is no wonder he was still single! Then to add to his already full life he has the tragedy of his brother Thomas Taylor Vernon passing away leaving him now responsible for two baby boys on top of everything else.

Somehow George finds time to court and then marry Elizabeth Carleton in April 1827.  She came from a high ranking Anglo-Irish heritage.  They were married at Ambleside Church in the Lake district near where her family lived.

George and Mary live in St John's Street in Bromsgrove in a grand brick house near the church, they have their first baby Emma Theophania baptised there, but she was not a healthy baby and died 5 months later and was buried in St Mary's Shrawley. 

George and Mary's second daughter Mary Jane was baptised in Bromsgrove on 9th October 1829 very quickly after the passing of her sister. Again they had a poorly child and she was buried in December of that year, life certainly had not been kind to George

They wanted a family of their own and Mary fell pregnant again, this time with twins, 21st January 1831 Lucy and Ellen were baptised.  Time had taken it's toll on Mary and she passed away in June of that year, and then after burying two children and his wife, later that year Lucy passed away.

It's 1841 and George is now left alone again with his only surviving daughter Ellen and his nephews Thomas and Harry and is living at Hanbury Mount.  Unsurprisingly he hires a governess called Elizabeth Armstrong and has an army of 6 servants to help run the house.

Ten years later he is still at the Mount now with just one servant and a housekeeper Amy Maiden and his children away at boarding school

George himself by now was not in good health suffering from stomach cancer and in his last stages of life he went to stay with his sister Theophania in Britannia Square Worcester rather than being on his own in Hanbury Hall.

He passed away aged 62.  

His daughter Ellen went on to marry Henry Bearcroft who, like her father was a solicitor and they lived at The Moorlands close to her fathers house.  Unlike her poor mother, they had three healthy children, Edith Mary Theophania who died a spinster in 1895, Gertrude Elizabeth who married Charles Allen a Police Superintendent and lived in Plymouth, she had two daughters Dorothey and Elizabeith and then George Edward Henry.  

George went on to marry Madeline Mary Campel a rectors daughter and they had a daughter Ruth who grew up to marry Major Harold Rushton a brewery owner living first at the Priory in Stoke Prior and then renovating a farmhouse in Himbleton which they called Phepson Manor and this is where they raised their two daughters Amy Diana and Mary Patricia.

So that was George and his descendents, we now move on to  Theophania Vernon Thomas Shrawley Vernon's eldest child who was born in Chaddesly Corbett and went to school at Greenbank Seminary Hall Green Birmingham, along with her younger sister Mary and Lucy.  Theophania remained a spinster and lived in Shrawley house where she took care of her brother and cousins, later she moved to Britannia square in Worcester with up to three servants.  In the 1870's her niece Lucy Houseman who had been living with her mother came join her and she stayed there until her aunt died.

Mary Vernon was the first of Thomas's to marry in April 1819 in Bromsgrove to William Houseman also a solicitor and the uncle of the poet Alfred E Houseman.  They were restless constantly moving address including living on Gurnsey for a while.  It has been alleged that they had ten children, two sons became clergymen and they had four daughters Mary Theophania, Lucy Agnes and Emma Fanny who died at only 9 months.  Lucy went on to marry her cousin Edward Houseman in 1873 after the death of his first with.  Helen lost her husband young and was a widow in 1881 and lived with her aunt Theophania in Britannia Square Worcester.


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  • Virtual Village
  • History Society
    • Ferries over Severn
  • Shrawley Book
  • Local Business Services
  • Neighbourhood Watch
  • News and Events
  • Church Bell Ringers
  • Gardening Club
  • Shrawley Walkers
  • Air Rifle Club
  • Pilates
  • Jujitsu and Kickboxing
  • St Mary's Parish Church
  • The Friends of St Mary's
  • Village Hall Hire
  • Vernon & Bourne Trust
  • IT Help for Editors
  • Parish Council Website
  • Resident's Mailing List