Hugh Boscawen (1625 – 30 May 1701) 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 Bicameralism, 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 ...

on seven occasions between 1646 and 1701.

Origins

Boscawen was the second son of Hugh Boscawen of Tregothnan,

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

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

Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe Heanton Satchville was a historic Manorialism, 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 ...

, Devon. He was baptised on 21 August 1625.Basil Duke Henning ''The House of Commons, 1660-1690, Volume 1''
/ref> His brothers were Nicholas Boscawen, Charles Boscawen (1627–1689), and

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 ...

(1628–1685). He and his brothers Charles and Edward were MPs in Cornwall. His brother Edward was the father of

Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth (pronounced "Boscowen") ( ; ca. 1680 – 25 October 1734), was an English people, English Whigs (British political party), Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons for P ...

(1680–1734). 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 Chacewater () is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, UK. It is situated approximately east of Redruth. The hamlets of Carnhot, Cox Hill, Creegbrawse, Hale Mills, Jolly's Bottom, Salem, Saveock, Scorrier, Todpool, Twelve ...

and

Gwennap Gwennap () is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is about five miles (8 km) southeast of Redruth. Hamlets of Burncoose, Comford, Coombe, Gwennap, Coombe, Crofthandy, Cusgarne, Fernsplatt, Frogpool, Hick's M ...

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

In December 1646, Boscawen was elected Member of Parliament for

in the second half or the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

but refused to sit after

Pride's Purge Pride's Purge is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented members of Parliament considered hostile to the New Model Army from entering the House of Commons of England. Despite defeat in the ...

in 1648. From 1647 to 1652 he was commissioner for assessment for Cornwall. He became a J.P. in 1651 and was again commissioner for assessment in 1657. He was re-elected MP for Cornwall in 1659 for 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 which he attacked the abuses of the Protectorate. In December he signed the Cornish address for a free parliament. In 1660 Boscawen stood for parliament at Cornwall and at

Grampound Grampound () is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Grampound with Creed, in the Cornwall (district), Cornwall district, in the ceremonial county of Cornwall, England. It is at an ancient crossing point of the River Fal and ...

, but failing to be elected for Cornwall sat in the Convention Parliament for Grampound until the Cornwall seat was restored to him on petition in July. He was a colonel of the Militia from April 1660 to 1680, and a commissioner for

oyer and terminer In English law, oyer and terminer (; a partial translation of the Anglo-French , which literally means 'to hear and to determine') was one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat. Apart from its Law French name, the commission was also ...

on the western circuit in July 1660. In 1661 he was elected MP for Tregoney for the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. With the exception of the Long Parliament, it was the longest-lasting English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring ...

, where he sat until 1685. He was stannator at Blackmore in 1673 and commissioner for recusants in Cornwall in 1675. By 1690 he was recorder of Tregoney. He was re-elected MP for Cornwall in 1689 and held the seat until his death in 1701. Boscawen was very active in all the parliaments in which he sat, and as a strong Protestant was considered the "great pillar of the presbyterians". From 1698 until his death he was governor of St Mawes.

Marriage and children

In 1651 Boscawen married Lady Margaret Clinton, eldest daughter of Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln, 12th Baron Clinton (1600–1667), and co-heiress of her brother Edward Clinton, 5th Earl of Lincoln, 13th Baron Clinton (d. 1692). They had eight sons, all of whom predeceased their father, and two daughters, only one of whom survived, becoming his sole heiress: *Bridget Boscawen (d.1708), married Hugh Fortescue (1665–1719), MP, of Penwarne, Cornwall and

Filleigh Filleigh is a small village, civil parish and former manor in North Devon, on the southern edge of Exmoor, west of South Molton. The village centre's street was, until the 1980s opening of the North Devon Link Road, the main highway between ...

, Devon. Their son was Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl of Clinton, 14th Baron Clinton (1696–1751), builder of the Palladian mansion Castle Hill, Filleigh, who died childless. Most of his Cornish Estates, including the family seat at Tregothnan, passed to his nephew,

Death

Boscawen died on 30 May 1701 at the age of 75.

Origins

Career

Marriage and children

Death

References

Further reading