Edward became a British captain in the Royal Navy at just 21. Of course, it could be said that

great things had always been expected of him. After all, his father James had served as Secretary

of State to King William III at the time of Edward's birth in 1684. The family wealth afforded him a Westminster

Education, a school for well-placed Britons. At 16, he joined the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Shrewsbury,

but his education put him at odds with his fellow shipmates, who had received only an elementary

school education. He quickly rose through the

ranks and switched ships, eventually serving on board the HMS Britannia during the capture of

Barcelona in 1705. The following year, he captained his first ship. In April of 1708, he took

command of the station in the West Indies. Needless to say, he was a busy young man. In 1721, he took command of the station in the West Indies. Needless to say, he was a busy young man.

In 1721, he was elected as a member of Parliament, but returned to naval service five years later.

Edward continued to advance, becoming an admiral in 1745. Not long afterward, he set his sights

on improving the Royal Navy's operations and protocol,

and then returned to Parliament. He died in 1757 at the age of 73. There's a monument in Westminster

Abbey erected in his memory. His distinguished service as a naval officer span 46 years. But it's not his exemplary service,

or the battles, or even the changes in Parliament that he's most famous for. No, Edward

Vernon's legacy is Grog. That's right, the mixture of rum and water originally given to

British soldiers, oddly enough to keep them from getting drunk.

You see, when Vernon served in the West Indies, he saw the effects of an all-you-can-drink buffet

of rum on board ships. In his observations, nothing parted a sailor from his morals or his

duty faster than rum, and he knew just how to stop it.

He issued an order on August 21st of 1740, declaring that all men would receive their daily

allotment of a half pint of rum, divided into two parts rather than all at once.

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