After the family's return to England, he joined James Fleetwood's school at Barn Elms and in 1655 went to another school in Kensington. Thereafter Verney worked for a Levant merchant, making expeditions to Mesopotamia and Cyprus.
Upon returning to England, Verney attended schools in Barn Elms and Kensington, including one run by James Fleetwood. He then pursued a career as a merchant trading with the Levant, making trips to Mesopotamia and Cyprus.