George Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth, PC (6 May 1758 – 11 February 1808), was a British army officer and statesman in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This included service as

Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the reign of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

Life and career

Boscawen was the third and youngest, but only surviving son of

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Edward Boscawen Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (19 August 171110 January 1761) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He is known principally for his various naval commands during the 18th century and the engagements ...

(1711–1761) by his marriage to Frances Glanville (1719–1805). In 1774 he joined the British Army as a

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

, but eventually reached the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in 1795. Whilst serving as an officer he succeeded his uncle as

Viscount Falmouth Viscount Falmouth is a title that has been created twice, first in the Peerage of England, and then in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1674 for George FitzRoy, an illegitimate son of King Ch ...

in 1782 and took his place in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. He was the chief justice in the Eyre North of Trent from 1789 to 1790, when he was raised to the position of

captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, serving in 1790–1806 and from 1807 until his death in 1808. At the same time, he was made a privy councillor.

Family

On 29 June 1784, Falmouth married Elizabeth Anne Crew by special licence, as she was a minor at the time. They had three children: *

Edward Boscawen, 1st Earl of Falmouth Edward Boscawen, 1st Earl of Falmouth (10 May 1787 – 29 December 1841), known as the Viscount Falmouth between 1808 and 1821, was a British peer and politician. Background Falmouth was the son of George Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth and El ...

(10 May 1787 – 29 December 1841) *John Evelyn Boscawen (1790 – 12 April 1851), canon of

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...

*Anne Evelyn Boscawen (23 November 1791 – 5 March 1871), wife of Sir George Warrender, 4th Baronet Falmouth's wife died on 10 August 1793, and upon his own death in 1808, his estate and titles passed to his eldest son.

In fiction

Named as Lord Falmouth, he is a recurring character in the Poldark novels by

Winston Graham Winston Mawdsley Graham OBE, born Winston Grime (30 June 1908 – 10 July 2003), was an English novelist best known for the ''Poldark'' series of historical novels set in Cornwall, though he also wrote numerous other works, including contemp ...

, where he is presented as the dominant political figure in Cornwall in his time, due to his unashamed use of patronage and his influence over Parliamentary elections. He appears personally a somewhat distant and arrogant man, but capable of kindness and acts of friendship. In the 2015 BBC TV series based on the books, Lord Falmouth is played by

James Wilby James Jonathon Wilby (born 20 February 1958) is an English actor. Early life and education Wilby was born in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father. He was educated at Terrington Hall and Sedbergh School, studied for a degree in M ...

. In the series he has a beloved nephew, Hugh, who Poldark saves, along with 11 others, from imprisonment with the French. Sadly, Hugh would later succumb to an illness, possibly genetic, that had been made worse by his imprisonment. However, Falmouth still gives Poldark his political backing, as in his mind, Ross still gave him extra time with his nephew he wouldn't have had had Hugh never been rescued.

Ancestry

References

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Falmouth, George Boscawen 1758 births 1808 deaths Viscounts in the Peerage of Great Britain Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain George Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms