Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth

Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth PC (pronounced "Boscowen")[1] (/bɒsˈk.ən/ bos-KOH-ən;[2] ca. 1680 – 25 October 1734) was a Cornish Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons for Cornish constituencies from 1702 until 1720 when he was raised to the peerage.[3]

Arms of Boscawen: Ermine, a rose gules barbed and seeded proper

Origins

Boscawen was the eldest son of Edward Boscawen (1628–1685), MP and merchant, by his wife Jael Godolphin, daughter of Sir Francis Godolphin (d.1667). The Boscawens are an ancient Cornish family. His grandfather Hugh Boscawen (fl.1620) of Tregothnan was thirteenth in descent from a certain Henry de Boscawen.[4] He derived a huge income from his copper mines at Chacewater and Gwennap where he was the principal landowner.[5] The Chacewater mine, now known as Wheal Busy, was located in what was known at the time as "the richest square mile on Earth". During its life it produced over 100,000 tons of copper ore, and 27,000 tons of arsenic.[6] His uncles Hugh Boscawen (1625–1701) and Charles Boscawen (1627–1689) were also MPs in Cornwall.

Early life

Tregothnan House, in 1880. Published in Morris, Rev. F.O. Picturesque Views of Seats of Noblemen & Gentlemen of Great Britain & Ireland, London, 1880

He matriculated as fellow-commoner at King's College, Cambridge in 1697.[7] In 1701 he inherited Tregothnan from his uncle, Hugh Boscawen (1625–1701).[8]

Career

Boscawen had absolute control of the parliamentary representation of the boroughs of Tregony and Truro, and he exercised considerable influence on the elections for Penryn. He was elected Member of Parliament for Tregony from 1702 to 1705, for the county of Cornwall from 1705 to 1710, for Truro from 1710 to 1713, and for Penryn from 1713 until June 1720. In 1720 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Boscawen and Viscount Falmouth, having been for some time discontented at the delay in his advancement to that position. Both before and after the accession of George I he spent large sums of money in support of Whig principles, and was rewarded on his party's triumph by many valuable offices.

Boscawen was a groom of the bedchamber to Prince George of Denmark, steward of the duchy of Cornwall and Lord Warden of the Stannaries in 1708, Comptroller of the Household from 1714 to 1720, and joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland from 1717 until a few months before his death.

Marriage and children

Boscawen married on 23 April 1700 in Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, Charlotte Godfrey elder daughter and coheir of Colonel Charles Godfrey, master of the jewel office and his wife Arabella Churchill. Charlotte died on 22 March 1754, and was also buried at Penkivel. She had wanted to become a lady of the bedchamber to the wife of King George II, and tried to bribe Lady Sundon (Charlotte Clayton Sundon) into obtaining the post for her.[8] Their children included:

Death and burial

Boscawen died suddenly at Trefusis, in Cornwall, aged 54, and was buried at St Michael Penkivel.

See also

References

  1. Debrett's Peerage, 1968
  2. Miller, G. M. (1971). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names. Oxford University Press. p. 18.
  3. Courtney, William Prideaux (1886). "Boscawen, Hugh" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 5. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  4. Foster, Joseph (1882). Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of the British Empire for 1882. 1. London. p. 273.
  5. Kain, Roger; Ravenhill, William, eds. (1999). Historical atlas of South-West England. University of Exeter Press. p. 293. ISBN 9780859894340.
  6. "Wheal Busy (Chacewater Mine)". Cornwall in Focus. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  7. "Boscawen, Hugh (BSCN697H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  8. Cruickshanks, Eveline (1970). "Boscawen, Hugh (c.1680-1734)". In Sedgwick, Romney (ed.). The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754. London: HMSO. ISBN 9780118800983.
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Francis Robartes
Hugh Fortescue
Member of Parliament for Tregony
1702–1705
With: Joseph Sawle
Succeeded by
John Trevanion
Sir Philip Meadowes
Preceded by
Henry Vincent
Sir Philip Meadowes
Member of Parliament for Truro
1705
With: Henry Vincent
Succeeded by
Henry Vincent
Peregrine Bertie
Preceded by
James Buller
Sir Richard Vyvyan, Bt
Member of Parliament for Cornwall
1705–1707
With: Sir Richard Vyvyan, Bt
Succeeded by
Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Parliament of England
Member of Parliament for Cornwall
1707–1710
With: Sir Richard Vyvyan, Bt 1707–1708
James Buller 1708–1710
Succeeded by
George Granville
John Trevanion
Preceded by
Henry Vincent
Robert Furnese
Member of Parliament for Truro
1710–1713
With: Henry Vincent
Succeeded by
Thomas Hare
William Collier
Preceded by
Samuel Trefusis
Alexander Pendarves
Member of Parliament for Penryn
1713–1720
With: Alexander Pendarves 1713–1714
Samuel Trefusis 1714–1720
Succeeded by
Samuel Trefusis
Viscount Rialton
Political offices
Preceded by
Viscount Rialton
Lord Warden of the Stannaries
1708–1734
Succeeded by
Richard Edgcumbe
Preceded by
Sir John Stonhouse, Bt
Comptroller of the Household
1714–1720
Succeeded by
Paul Methuen
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation Viscount Falmouth
1720–1734
Succeeded by
Hugh Boscawen
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