Edward Boscawen (1628 – 28 October 1685) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

variously between 1659 and 1685.

Origins

Boscawen was the son of Hugh Boscawen of

Tregothnan Tregothnan is a country house and estate near the village of St Michael Penkivel, southeast of Truro, Cornwall, England, which has for many centuries been a possession of the Boscawens. Geography Location Tregothnan is located on a hill overl ...

, Cornwall by his wife Margaret Rolle, daughter of Robert Rolle (1560–1633) of

Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe Heanton Satchville was a historic manor in the parish of Petrockstowe, North Devon, England. With origins in the Domesday manor of Hantone, it was first recorded as belonging to the Yeo family in the mid-14th century and was then owned succ ...

, Devon. He was baptised on 21 November 1628. His brothers were Hugh Boscawen (1625–1701), MP, and

Charles Boscawen Charles Boscawen (1627–1689) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1654 and 1689. Origins Boscawen was the son of Hugh Boscawen of Tregothnan, Cornwall by his wife Margaret Rolle, daughter of Robert Rolle ...

(1627–1689), MP, both of whom also represented Cornish constituencies. The Boscawens are an ancient Cornish family. His father Hugh Boscawen (fl.1620) of Tregothnan was thirteenth in descent from a certain Henry de Boscawen. He derived a huge income from his copper mines at Chacewater and

Gwennap Gwennap ( kw, Lannwenep (village), Pluw Wenep (parish)) is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is about five miles (8 km) southeast of Redruth. Hamlets of Burncoose, Comford, Coombe, Crofthandy, Cusgarne, Fernsplatt, Fr ...

where he was the principal landowner. The Chacewater mine, now known as

Wheal Busy Wheal may refer to: * Wheals, a type of skin lesion * Brad Wheal (born 1996), British cricketer * Donald James Wheal (1931–2008), British British television writer, novelist and non-fiction writer * David John Wheal, Australian businessman * "Th ...

, was located in what was known at one 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.

Career

He was apprenticed to a

Turkey Merchant The Levant Company was an English chartered company formed in 1592. Elizabeth I of England approved its initial charter on 11 September 1592 when the Venice Company (1583) and the Turkey Company (1581) merged, because their charters had expired, ...

in 1648 and then to his uncle John Rolle (1598–1648), MP, who strongly resisted the

Tonnage and poundage Tonnage and poundage were duties and taxes first levied in Edward II's reign on every tun (cask) of imported wine, which came mostly from Spain and Portugal, and on every pound weight of merchandise exported or imported. Traditionally tonnage an ...

taxation. Boscawen prospered and acquired Worthevale and Roscarrock in North Cornwall.Basil Duke Henning ''The House of Commons, 1660–1690, Volume 1''
/ref> In 1659, Boscawen was elected Member of Parliament for Tregoney in the

Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a po ...

. In 1660 Boscawen stood for parliament at Tregoney and at

Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its population was 18,766 in the 2011 census. People of Truro ...

and was returned for both seats. He chose to sit for Truro and was returned again in 1661 for the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...

. He held the seat until his death in 1685. He was relatively inactive in parliament in comparison with his brother Hugh. Boscawen was commissioner for militia in Cornwall in March 1660. In 1661 he became a member of the Corporation for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England. He was commissioner for assessment in Cornwall from 1661 to 1680. He was Justice of the Peace for Cornwall from 1667 to 1670. In 1670 he became a freeman of the Levant Company and in 1673 stannator, Tywarnwhaile. He was a commissioner for recusants in Cornwall in 1675 and commissioner for assessment in Westminster from 1677 to 1680.

Marriage and children

On 5 January 1665 Boscawen married Jael Godolphin, daughter of Francis Godolphin (1605–1667) of Godolphin Breage Cornwall. They had one son and two daughters. His son was

Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth (pronounced "Boscowen") ( ; ca. 1680 – 25 October 1734), was an English Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons for Cornish constituencies from 1702 until 1720 when he was raised to the peerage ...

(1680–1734) who had served as a Cornish MP before his elevation to the peerage.

Death and burial

Boscawen died at the age of 56 and was buried at

St Mary Abbots St Mary Abbots is a church located on Kensington High Street and the corner of Kensington Church Street in London W8. The present church structure was built in 1872 to the designs of Sir George Gilbert Scott, who combined neo-Gothic and early ...

, Kensington.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boscawen, Edward 1628 births 1685 deaths Politicians from Cornwall Edward English MPs 1659 English MPs 1660 English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 Members of the Parliament of England for Tregony Members of the Parliament of England for Truro