George Ley Pearce Butler was born in Darlaston, Staffordshire, England, on the 10th November 1869, the son of Thomas and Hephzibah Butler (née Vernon). His father was a pattern maker in an ironworks.
In 1878, the family emigrated to the United States of America and settled in Worcester,
Massachusetts. His father became a naturalised citizen of the United States of America in October 1888, and as George was under the age of 18 years at the time, he also became a naturalised citizen.
He had two brothers, Rev. Theodore Butler of Haddon Heights, New Jersey, and Thomas, who was a music teacher. He also had two sisters, Elizabeth, being the wife of Rev. John F. Fenton, the rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Metuchen, New Jersey, and Annie, being the wife of Rev. Frank Leslie Hopkins, a clergyman in Worcester.
George was a very versatile man, who turned his hand to a number of occupations. He started out as a banker, before adopting the name “George Vernon” and becoming a critically-acclaimed concert singer.
While engaged in this profession, on the 3rd October 1903 at St. Luke’s Church, Richmond, Surrey, he married Inez Henriette Jolivet, 17 years his junior, who was a violinist, born in France, and they maintained a home in New York and later at 3, Ennerdale Road, Kew Gardens, Surrey, England. They had no children. Both he and his wife spent a lot of their time involved with the social scene in New York. They had, in fact, arrived in New York in April 1915 on board the American Lines ship Philadelphia from Liverpool.
Retiring from a life on the stage, George became an importer’s agent and promoter, and around January 1915, he became a representative for the Russian Government in the placing of contracts for munitions.
In April 1915, George Vernon decided to go to England and booked saloon class passage on the May sailing of the Lusitania, through The World Film Corporation of 126, West. 46th. Street, New York City, together with his sister-in-law, Rita Jolivet, who was a renowned actress.
There are conflicting reasons for his journey to England, one source stating that he was on route to Europe to place a munitions contract for the Russian Government, while another states that he was enroute to England to escort his wife back to New York.
Whatever the reason, he and Rita Jolivet both joined the ship at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the morning of 1st May before she sailed from New York for the last time, and once on board, (with ticket number D1347), George Vernon was allocated room E62, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward David Critchley, who came from Bootle, on the outskirts of Liverpool. His sister-in-law was allocated room D15. The liner’s sailing from New York harbour was then delayed until just after mid-day, because she had to wait to embark passengers, cargo and some crew from the Anchor Liner, Cameronia which had been requisitioned for war work by the British Admiralty at the end of April.
George Vernon was killed when the ship was sunk, exactly six days later, by the German submarine U-20, twelve miles off the south coast of Ireland and only hours away from the safety of her Liverpool destination.
In his book The Tragedy of the Lusitania, published just after the sinking, Captain Frederick D. Ellis told of the last minutes of George Vernon’s life through the words of
his sister-in-law Rita Jolivet, who survived the sinking: -
Miss Jolivet, Mr. Vanderbilt and Mr. Frohman, the three of them together with Q. D. S. Vernon, (sic) Miss Jolivet's brother - in-law, and Mr. Scott, who had come all the way from Japan to enlist, joined hands and stood waiting to face death together.
"We stood," said Miss Jolivet, "talking about the Germans and the rumour which had gained currency to the effect that a man obviously of German origin had been arrested for tampering with the wireless. We determined not to enter the boats.
Just a minute or two before the end Mr. Frohman said with a smile: ‘Why fear death? It is the most beautiful adventure that life gives us.’
Mr. Scott fetched three lifebelts - one for Mr. Vanderbilt, one for Mr. Frohman and one for me. Mr. Scott said he was not going to wear one himself and my brother-in-law also refused to put one on. I hear that Mr. Vanderbilt gave his to a lady. Mr. Scott and I helped to put the lifebelt on Mr. Frohman.
He knew that his beautiful adventure was about to begin. He had hardly spoken when with a tremendous roar a great wave swept along the deck. We were all divided in a moment, and I have not seen any of those brave men alive since.”
George Vernon’s body was eventually recovered from the sea, however, and landed at Queenstown, where it was taken to one of the temporary Queenstown mortuaries set up there, where, having been given the reference number 201, it was described as: -
G. Ley Vernon, Saloon. Aged 38 years, 5’ 9” or 10” high, full face, light cropped moustache medium build.
Property. 1 59$ Bill, 15 20$ Bills, 1 5$ Bill, 1 2$ Bill, 3 1$ Bills, 4 half sovereigns, 27/- in silver, 5d, 3 ¼$ Bills, 5 dime pieces, 2 other coins, 4 small keys, 1 wrist watch with initials and leather strap. 2 cuff links, 3 studs, 3 gold rings and some documents.
Eventually, after a positive identification had been made of it, the body was buried in a private grave, in Row 20, Grave 6, in The Old Church Cemetery, Queenstown on 17th May 1915, where it lies today, although the grave has been re-designated Grave No. 651 in Section B. His heart-broken wife, Inez, may have been present for the burial as she had travelled from New York after the sinking. She returned to America on 6th June 1915.
The headstone consists of a rough-hewn granite Celtic cross mounted on a similarly carved square base. On the front face is an incised front panel on which is written in raised lead letters and numbers: -
In Tender Memory of
INEZ AND GEORGE LEY VERNON
BOTH YOUNG BEAUTIFUL AND GIFTED
VICTIMS OF THE LUSITANIA CRIME
MAY 7TH 1915
George Vernon was, in fact aged 45 years, hardly an age to be considered young in 1915, and although Inez Vernon was not on board the Lusitania when she sank, she was, in her own way a victim of the disaster.
Unable to cope with her husband's loss, on 22nd July 1915, she shot herself through the head whilst sitting in full evening dress, in front of her dressing table in her New York apartment! Prior to this, she had collected $20,000.00 on a life insurance policy which had been taken out some time previously by her husband. Her cremated remains were brought to England by her sister, Rita Jolivet, in December 1915, and having received the necessary permission, they were then taken to Queenstown for burial in the same grave as that of her husband in January 1916.
Prior to this, on 2nd June 1915, the above property had been forwarded to her, care of the Jolivet family, at the Kew home.
Bedroom Steward Critchley who had looked after George Vernon in room E62, did not survive the sinking either, and never saw his Bootle home again!
An article in The Philadelphia Public Ledger for 13th May 1915, states that George Ley Vernon’s real name was George Lepage Butler and that he was an actor, like his sister-in-law, but this is not true, although he was probably a bon viveur!
Following his death, his mother filed a claim for compensation with the Mixed Claims Commission. George’s father had died on 21st July 1920, aged 81 years, and his mother claimed that she had been supported by her late son during his life, and had inherited $10,000.00 from him in his will. The Commission awarded her the sum of $5,000.00 as compensation for her loss.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Surrey England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1937, 1871 Census of England & Wales, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 289, Philadelphia Public Ledger, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, Tragedy of the Lusitania, PRO 22/71, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.PR13/6, UniLiv.D2/1/8-11, UniLiv D92/2/383, UniLiv D92/2/412, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Stuart Williamson, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.