Sir Harry Verney, 2nd Baronet

4 September 1826 Succeeded to the title of 2nd Baronet Calvert, of Claydon House, Buckinghamshire, England.

Son Harry wrote a letter dated October 9 1826 (from Harry Calvert), with the address of Chelsea Hospital, to his Aunt Diana Hills (nee Hammersley) in Colchester, England, regarding the circumstances of his father's death. (Source: Letter in possession of Angela Tugwell)

[History of the Verney Family: The family's Jacobean mansion "Claydon House" was rebuilt by the 2nd Earl Verney between 1757 and 1771 to a design partially by Thomas Robinson of Yorkshire, which incorporated exquisite chinoiserie woodcarvings by Luke Lightfoot. The cost of the scheme ruined Lord Verney, who died penniless as well as childless.]

In the same letter of October 9 1826 mentioned above, Harry refers to "Mrs. Verney is in a very extraordinary state of mind and body. She is free from suffering, but under delusion as to her own State. It is quite impossible to say how long she may live in this state." (Mary Verney, 1st Baroness Fermanagh, died unmarried, leaving the paternal estates and the Verney portraits to her half-sister, Catherine Calvert (Mrs Wright), known thenceforward as Mrs Verney, on whose death in 1827 they came into the possession of her cousin, Sir Harry Calvert.)

1827 February 9, his name was legally changed by royal license to Harry Verney, upon inheriting the Verney estates. (Like his father, he changed his surname to Verney in 1827 in order to inherit)

1832-1841 MP (Member of Parliament) for Buckingham (Liberal)

He married (1)

1835, June 30 - Eliza Hope-Vere, (daughter of Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope-Vere, KCB, MP and the Hon. Georgiana Mary Anne Kinnaird)

They had three daughters who died unmarried, also four sons as follows:

1. Sir Edmund Hope Verney
2. Harry Calvert Verney (this family line)
3. George Hope Lloyd-Verney
4. Frederick William Verney

1847-1852 MP for Bedford

1857-1874 MP for Buckingham

He married (2)

1858, June 24 - Frances Parthenope (Parthe) Nightingale, sister of Florence Nightingale.

Source:  Burke's 'Peerage & Baronetage' under 'Verney of Claydon House'.)''

===Sir Harry Verney and Florence Nightingale. ===

They had lived in adjacent houses in London and after Florence returned from the Crimean War, Sir Harry asked her to marry him.  She declined and Sir Harry married her sister Parthenope, who became the chatelaine of Claydon (House).  Florence was a frequent visitor and lived at Claydon for several years during her later life.

[Claydon House in Buckinghamshire was given to the National Trust in 1957. It contains some of the most perfect rococo decoration in England and the bedroom where Florence Nightingale spent her final years.]

1894 February - Sir Harry Calvert Verney died (newspaper announcement Northampton Mercury Friday 16 February 1894)