Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

George Edgcumbe, 1st Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, PC (3 March 1720 – 4 February 1795) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

peer, naval officer and politician.

Early life

Edgcumbe was the second surviving son of

Richard Edgcumbe, 1st Baron Edgcumbe Richard Edgcumbe, 1st Baron Edgcumbe, (23 April 168022 November 1758) of Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall, was an English Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1701 until 1742 when he was raised to the peerage as ...

and his wife Matilda, the only child of Sir Henry Furnese. He is thought to have been educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

Career

In 1739, Edgcumbe was commissioned a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

and in 1742 was promoted to be commander of the

bomb vessel A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannons ( long guns or carronades) – although bomb vessels carried a few cannons for self-defence – but mortars mounte ...

. In the course of 1743, he was appointed acting captain of the 20-gun , and was officially confirmed on 19 August 1744. He commanded her in the Mediterranean until 1745, when he was advanced to the 50-gun . This ship, as part of the Western Fleet under

Edward Hawke Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, KB, PC (21 February 1705 – 17 October 1781), of Scarthingwell Hall in the parish of Towton, near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, was a Royal Navy officer. As captain of the third-rate , he took part in the Battle of ...

and

Edward Boscawen Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, PC (19 August 171110 January 1761) was a British admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall, England. He is known principally for his various naval commands during ...

, initially patrolled the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...

. Her ship's surgeon was

James Lind James Lind (4 October 1716 – 13 July 1794) was a Scottish doctor. He was a pioneer of naval hygiene in the Royal Navy. By conducting one of the first ever clinical trials, he developed the theory that citrus fruits cured scurvy. Lind arg ...

, who conducted his experiments on

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

during such a patrol in 1747. The war ended in 1748. About this time Edgcumbe was painted by

Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...

and the ''Salisbury'' appears in the background.The portrait of Edgcumbe is in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, catalogue no BHC 2677 In 1751, he went to the Mediterranean as senior officer in , and the following year in the 50-gun . He was still in her and with his small squadron at

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

, when the French invaded the island on 19 April 1756. He hastily landed the marines and as many of the seamen as could be spared, and sailed the next day for

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

before the French had taken any measures to block the harbour. At Gibraltar, he was joined by Admiral

John Byng Admiral John Byng (baptised 29 October 1704 – 14 March 1757) was a British Royal Navy officer who was court-martialled and executed by firing squad. After joining the navy at the age of thirteen, he participated at the Battle of Cape Passa ...

, by whom he was ordered to move into the 66-gun . In the

Battle of Minorca The island of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea has been invaded on numerous occasions. The first recorded invasion occurred in 252 BC, when the Carthaginians arrived. The name of the island's chief city, Mahón (now Maó), appears to derive from t ...

, on 20 May the ''Lancaster'' was one of the ships in the van, under Rear-Admiral

Temple West Vice-Admiral Temple West (1713 – 9 August 1757) was a British naval officer, best known for his role as second-in-command to Admiral John Byng during the Battle of Minorca in 1756. Early career and family West was a younger son of Rev. Dr. Ri ...

, which did get into action, and being unsupported suffered severely. In 1758, still in the Lancaster, he was in the fleet under Edward Boscawen at the reduction of Louisbourg. On his return to England, with the despatches announcing this success, he was appointed to the 74-gun , in which he took part in the blockade of

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress *Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria *Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France **Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Brest, ...

during the long summer of 1759, and in the crowning

Battle of Quiberon Bay The Battle of Quiberon Bay (known as ''Bataille des Cardinaux'' in French) was a decisive naval engagement during the Seven Years' War. It was fought on 20 November 1759 between the Royal Navy and the French Navy in Quiberon Bay, off the coast ...

on 20 November 1759. He continued in the ''Hero'', attached to the grand fleet under Hawke or Boscawen, until the death of his brother

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...

on 10 May 1761, when he inherited his brother's barony, and succeeded him to

Mount Edgcumbe House Mount Edgcumbe House is a stately home in south-east Cornwall and is a Grade II listed building, whilst its gardens and parkland are listed as Grade I in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Mount Edgcumbe ...

and as

Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. Since 1742, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall. *John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1554 *John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–? ...

. He was promoted to

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

on 21 October 1762 and

in 1778.

Political career

In 1746, Edgcumbe was returned as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

at a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

, on his father's interest. He was considered a government Whig, but rarely attended Parliament as he was at sea. In 1747, he was appointed

Clerk of the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster Clerk of the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster is an office of the Duchy of Lancaster, in England. Nathan Thompson has been Chief Executive, Clerk of the Council, Keeper of the Records and Surveyor General of the Duchy of Lancaster since 2013. Pa ...

, an office he retained until 1762. He was appointed

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The current holder of the office is Ma ...

in 1765, serving until 1766, and made a

Privy Councillor A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

on 26 July. He became

Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. Between 1845 and 1896, this offic ...

the same year, retaining the command until 1771. In 1770, he was promoted vice-admiral and was appointed joint

Vice-Treasurer of Ireland The Lord High Treasurer of Ireland was the head of the Exchequer of Ireland, chief financial officer of the Kingdom of Ireland. The designation ''High'' was added in 1695. After the Acts of Union 1800 created the United Kingdom of Great Britain a ...

. He remained Vice-Treasurer until 1772, when he was appointed Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners and remained

Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners The Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms is a post in the Government of the United Kingdom that has been held by the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the ...

until resigning in 1782, when he was appointed

Vice-Admiral of Cornwall C, or c, is the third letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''cee'' (pronounced ), plural ''cees''. History "C" ...

. In 1784, he was again appointed joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, holding office until 1793. He was created

Viscount Mount Edgcumbe and Valletort Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for George Edgcumbe, 3rd Baron Edgcumbe. This branch of the Edgcumbe family descends from Sir Piers Edgcumbe of Cotehele in Cornwall (descended from the y ...

in 1781 and, in 1784, he was also elected a

fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

. In 1789, he was granted the further title of

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for George Edgcumbe, 3rd Baron Edgcumbe. This branch of the Edgcumbe family descends from Sir Piers Edgcumbe of Cotehele in Cornwall (descended from the y ...

Personal life

On 16 August 1761, he had married Emma Gilbert, the only daughter of John Gilbert,

Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...

, and a first cousin of

Robert Sherard, 4th Earl of Harborough The Reverend Robert Sherard, 4th Earl of Harborough (21 October 1719 – 21 April 1799) was a British clergyman who inherited the earldom of Harborough. Early life Born on 21 October 1719, he was one of six sons and eight daughters born to Phi ...

. and they had one child: *

Richard Edgcumbe, 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...

(1764–1839), who married Lady Sophia Hobart, daughter of

John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire (17 August 17233 August 1793) was a British nobleman and politician. Biography The son of John Hobart, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire by his first wife Judith Britiffe, he was educated at Westminster Scho ...

. Lord Mount Edgcumbe died on 4 February 1795 and his only son,

, succeeded to his titles.

Descendants

Through his only son Richard, he was a grandfather of Lady Emma Edgcumbe (wife of

John Cust, 1st Earl Brownlow John Cust, 1st Earl Brownlow, GCH (19 August 1779 – 15 September 1853) was a British Peer and Tory politician. Life Cust was the eldest son of the 1st Baron Brownlow and his second wife, Frances. He was educated at Eton (1788–93) and ...

), Lady Caroline Edgcumbe (wife of

Ranald George Macdonald Ranald George Macdonald (29 August 1788 – 11 March 1873) was a Scottish clan chief and Member of Parliament. Macdonald was the son of John Macdonald, 18th Chief of Clanranald, by Katherine, the daughter of Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield.< ...

, 20th of Clanranald),

William Edgcumbe, Viscount Valletort William Richard Edgcumbe, Viscount Valletort (19 November 1794 – 29 October 1818), was a British politician. Background Valletort was the eldest son of Richard Edgcumbe, 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, and Lady Sophia, daughter of John Hobart ...

Ernest Edgcumbe, 3rd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, 3rd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (23 March 1797 – 3 September 1861), styled Viscount Valletort between 1818 and 1837, was a British peer and politician. Background Mount Edgcumbe was the second but eldest surviving son of R ...

, and George Edgcumbe.

Legacy

English folklore English folklore consists of the myths and legends of England, including the English region's mythical creatures, traditional recipes, urban legends, proverbs, superstitions, and folktales. Its cultural history is rooted in Celtic, Christian, ...

, Emma has been identified as the subject of the story of the " Lady with the Ring". ''Lady Emma's Cottage'' on the Mount Edgcumbe estate is named after her. A manuscript journal, kept by Edgcumbe and Captain William Marsh, from 30 April 1742 to 1 June 1744, is in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

. A letter from Edgcumbe to Garrick is printed in the latter's 'Private Correspondence'. The town of

Edgecomb, Maine Edgecomb is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,188 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of East Edgecomb, North Edgecomb, and Pools Landing. The town was named for George Edgcumbe, 1st Earl of Mount Ed ...

was named for George Edgcumbe due to his support of the colonists during the American Revolution.

References

;Attribution , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mount Edgcumbe, George Edgcumbe, 1st Earl Of 1720 births 1795 deaths Edgcumbe, George Edgcumbe, George Edgcumbe, George Edgcumbe, George Earls of Mount Edgcumbe Lord-Lieutenants of Cornwall Edgcumbe, George Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain Royal Navy admirals Edgcumbe, George Younger sons of barons People from Maker, Cornwall Treasurers of the Household Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms Fellows of the Royal Society Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for constituencies in Cornwall