Edward Boscawen

The Honourable Edward Boscawen was born in Tregothnan, Cornwall, England, on 19 August 1711, the third son of Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth (1680–1734){{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Boscawen, Edward|volume=4|pages=277–278}} by his wife Charlotte Godfrey (died 1754) elder daughter and co-heiress of Colonel Charles Godfrey, master of the jewel office by his wife Arabella Churchill, the King's mistress,{{cite book|title=The Naval Chronicle|publisher=I. Gold|location=London|volume=7|url=https://archive.org/details/navalchronicleco07londiala}}{{rp|181}} and sister of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough.[http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/boscawen_edward_3E.html DCB: "BOSCAWEN, EDWARD"]

The young Edward joined the navy at the age of 12 aboard {{HMS|Superb|1710|6}} of 60 guns. Superb was sent to the West Indies with Admiral Francis Hosier.{{r|nc7|page1=181}} Boscawen stayed with Superb for three years during the Anglo-Spanish War. He was subsequently reassigned to {{HMS|Canterbury|1693|6}}, {{HMS|Hector|1703|6}}, and {{HMS|Namur|1697|6}} under Admiral Sir Charles Wager and was aboard Namur when she sailed into Cadiz and Livorno following the Treaty of Seville that ended hostilities between Britain and Spain. On 25 May 1732 Boscawen was promoted lieutenant and in the August of the same year rejoined his old ship the 44-gun fourth-rate Hector in the Mediterranean. He remained with her until 16 October 1735 when he was promoted to the 70-gun {{HMS|Grafton|1709|6}}. On 12 March 1736 Boscawen was promoted by Admiral Sir John Norris to the temporary command of the 50-gun {{HMS|Leopard|1703|6}}. His promotion was confirmed by the Board of Admiralty. In June 1738 Boscawen was given command of {{HMS|Shoreham|1694|6}}, a small sixth-rate of 20 guns.{{r|nc7|page1=182}} He was ordered to accompany Admiral Edward Vernon to the West Indies in preparation for the oncoming war with Spain.{{r|nc7|page1=182}}

{{Main|War of Jenkins' Ear}}

{{Main|Battle of Porto Bello (1739)}}

The War of Jenkins' Ear proved to be Boscawen's first opportunity for action and when Shoreham was declared unfit for service he volunteered to accompany Vernon and the fleet sent to attack Porto Bello.{{r|nc7|page1=182}}

File:Samuel Scott 2.jpg|left|thumb]]

During the siege, Boscawen was ordered with Sir Charles Knowles to destroy the forts.{{r|nc7|page1=182}}{{London Gazette|issue=7892 |date=11 March 1739 |page=2}} The task took three weeks and 122 barrels of gunpowder to accomplish but the British levelled the forts surrounding the town. Vernon's achievement was hailed in Britain as an outstanding feat of arms and in the furore that surrounded the announcement the patriotic song "Rule, Britannia" was played for the first time. Streets were named after Porto Bello throughout Britain and its colonies. When the fleet returned to Port Royal, Jamaica Shoreham had been refitted and Boscawen resumed command of her.{{r|nc7|page1=182}}

{{Main|Battle of Cartagena de Indias}}

File:Defensa de Cartagena de Indias por la escuadra de D. Blas de Lezo, año 1741.jpg

In 1741 Boscawen was part of the fleet sent to attack another Caribbean port, Cartagena de Indias.{{r|nc7|page1=182}} Large reinforcements had been sent from Britain, including 8,000 soldiers who were landed to attack the chain of fortresses surrounding the Spanish colonial city. The Spanish had roughly 6,000 troops made up of regular soldiers, sailors and local loyalist natives. The siege lasted for over two months during which period the British troops suffered over 18,000 casualties, the vast majority from disease. Vernon's fleet suffered from dysentery, scurvy, yellow fever and other illnesses that were widespread throughout the Caribbean during the period. As a result of the battle Prime Minister Robert Walpole's government collapsed and George II removed his promise of support to the Austrians if the Prussians advanced into Silesia. The defeat of Vernon was a contributing factor to the increased hostilities of the War of the Austrian Succession. Boscawen had however distinguished himself once more. The land forces that he commanded had been instrumental in capturing Fort San Luis and Boca Chica Castle, and together with Knowles he destroyed the captured forts when the siege was abandoned.{{London Gazette|issue=8015 |date=16 May 1741 |pages=1–2}} For his services he was promoted in May 1742 to the rank of captain and appointed to command the 70-gun Prince Frederick to replace Lord Aubrey Beauclerk who had died during the siege.{{r|nc7|page1=185}}

{{Main|War of the Austrian Succession}}

In 1742 Boscawen returned in Prince Frederick to England, where she was paid off{{r|nc7|page1=185}} and Boscawen joined the fleet commanded by Admiral Norris in the newly built 60-gun {{HMS|Dreadnought|1742|6}}. In the same year he was returned as a Member of Parliament for Truro, a position he held until his death.{{London Gazette|issue=8662 |date=28 July 1747 |page=2}}{{London Gazette|issue=9371 |date=11 May 1754 |pages=1–2}} At the 1747 general election he was also returned for Saltash, but chose to continue to sit for Truro.{{Rayment-hc|s|2|date=June 2014}}

In 1744 the French attempted an invasion of England and Boscawen was with the fleet under Admiral Norris when the French fleet were sighted. The French under Admiral Rocquefeuil retreated and the British attempts to engage were confounded by a violent storm that swept the English Channel.Rodger 2006, p. 244

Whilst cruising the Channel, Boscawen had the good fortune to capture the French frigate {{ship|French frigate|Médée|1741|2}}.{{r|nc7|page1=185}} She was the first capture of an enemy ship made during the War of Austrian Succession and was commanded by M. de Hocquart. Médée was sold and became a successful privateer{{London Gazette|issue=8613 |date=7 February 1746 |page=2}} under her new name Boscawen commanded by George Walker.{{cite DNB|wstitle=Walker, George (d.1777)}}

At the end of 1744 Boscawen was given command of {{HMS|Royal Sovereign|1701|6}}, guard ship at the Nore anchorage. He commanded her until 1745 when he was appointed to another of his old ships, HMS Namur, that had been reduced (razéed) from 90 guns to 74 guns.{{r|nc7|page1=185}}{{Cite book | last = Lavery | first = Brian | title = The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850 | publisher = Conway Maritime Press | year = 1983 | isbn = 0-85177-252-8| page =167}} He was appointed to command a small squadron under Vice-Admiral Martin in the Channel.{{r|nc7|page1=185}}

{{Main|First Battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)}}

[[Lord Anson's Victory off Cape Finisterre, 1747, by Samuel Scott|right|thumb]]

In 1747 Boscawen was ordered to join Admiral Anson and took an active part in the first Battle of Cape Finisterre.{{cite book|title=The Naval Chronicle|publisher=I. Gold|location=London|volume=8|url=https://archive.org/details/navalchronicleco08londiala}}{{rp|290}}{{r|nc7|page1=186}} The British fleet sighted the French fleet on 3 May. The French fleet under Admiral de la Jonquière was convoying its merchant fleet to France and the British attacked. The French fleet was almost completely annihilated with all but two of the escorts taken and six merchantmen. Boscawen was injured in the shoulder during the battle by a musket ball.{{r|nc8|page1=291}} Once more the French captain, M. de Hocquart became Boscawen's prisoner and was taken to England.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/britishnavalbiog1840lond|quote=M. de Hocquart captured.|title=British naval biography : comprising the lives of the most distinguished admirals from Howard to Codrington : with an outline of the naval history of England from the Earliest period to the present time|page=[https://archive.org/details/britishnavalbiog1840lond/page/282 282]|publisher=Scott, Webster and Geary|year=1840}}

Boscawen was promoted rear-admiral of the blue on 15 July 1747{{London Gazette|issue=8658 |date=14 July 1747 |pages=1–2}} and was appointed to command a joint operation being sent to the East Indies.{{r|nc7|page1=186}} With his flag in Namur, and with five other line of battle ships, a few smaller men of war, and a number of transports Boscawen sailed from England on 4 November 1747. On the outward voyage Boscawen made an abortive attempt to capture Mauritius by surprise but was driven off by French forces.{{r|nc7|page1=188–189}} Boscawen continued on arriving at Fort St. David near the town of Cuddalore on 29 July 1748{{r|nc7|page1=190}} and took over command from Admiral Griffin. Boscawen had been ordered to capture and destroy the main French settlement in India at Pondichéry. Factors such as Boscawen's lack of knowledge and experience of land offensives, the failings of the engineers and artillery officers under his command, a lack of secrecy surrounding the operation and the skill of the French governor Joseph François Dupleix combined to thwart the attack. The British forces amounting to some 5,000 men captured and destroyed the outlying fort of Aranciopang.{{r|nc7|page1=191}} This capture was the only success of the operation and after failing to breach the walls of the city the British forces withdrew.{{r|nc7|page1=192–199}} Amongst the combatants were a young ensign Robert Clive, later known as Clive of India and Major Stringer Lawrence, later Commander-in-Chief, India. Lawrence was captured by the French during the retreat and exchanged after the news of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle had reached India.{{r|nc7|page1=192–199}} Over the monsoon season Boscawen remained at Fort St David. Fortunately, for the Admiral and his staff, when a storm hit the British outpost Boscawen was ashore but his flagship Namur went down with over 600 men aboard.{{r|nc7|page1=200}}

Boscawen returned to England in 1750.{{r|nc7|page1=199–200}} In 1751 Anson became First Lord of the Admiralty and asked Boscawen to serve on the Admiralty Board.{{London Gazette|issue=9721 |date=10 September 1757 |page=1}} Boscawen remained one of the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty until his death.{{cite web|title=Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660–1870, Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660–1870 (1975), pp. 18–31.|url=http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16652|access-date=4 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007025436/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16652|archive-date=7 October 2014|url-status=dead}}

{{Main|Seven Years' War}}

File:Edward BoscawenLouisbourgMedal.png]]

On 4 February 1755 Boscawen was promoted vice admiral{{r|nc7|page1=200}} and given command of a squadron on the North American Station. A squadron of partially disarmed French ships of the line were dispatched to Canada loaded with reinforcements and Boscawen was ordered to intercept them. The French ambassador to London, the Duc de Mirepoix had informed the government of George II that any act of hostility taken by British ships would be considered an act of war. Thick fog both obstructed Boscawen's reconnaissance and scattered the French ships, but on 8 June Boscawen's squadron sighted the Alcide, Lys and Dauphin Royal off Cape Ray off Newfoundland. In the ensuing engagement the British captured the Alcide and Lys but the Dauphin Royal escaped into the fog.{{r|nc7|page1=200}} Amongst the 1,500 men made prisoner was the captain of the Alcide. For M. de Hocquart it was the third time that Boscawen had fought him and taken his ship.{{r|nc7|page1=185}}{{London Gazette|issue=9493 |date=12 July 1755 |page=1}}{{r|nc7|page1=202}} Pay amounting to £80,000 was captured aboard the Lys.{{r|nc7|page1=202}} Boscawen, as vice-admiral commanding the squadron, would have been entitled to a sizeable share in the prize money. The British squadron headed for Halifax to regroup but a fever spread through the ships and the Vice-admiral was forced to return to England.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C0NQCgAAQBAJ&q=Boscawen+Halifax+1755+fever&pg=PT335|title=HMS Centurion 1733–1769 An Historic Biographical-Travelogue of One of Britain's Most Famous Warships and the Capture of the Nuestra Senora De Covadonga Treasure Galleon|first=Shirley |last=Fish|publisher=AuthorHouse UK|year=2015|isbn=978-1504944892}}

File:The Shooting of Admiral Byng' (John Byng) from NPG.jpg

Boscawen returned to the Channel Fleet and was commander-in-chief Portsmouth during the trial of Admiral John Byng. Boscawen signed the order of execution after the King had refused to grant the unfortunate admiral a pardon.{{cite book | last = Pope | first = Dudley| author-link =Dudley Pope |title = At 12 Mr. Byng was Shot | publisher = Phoenix Press | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-1-84212-607-3 }} Boscawen was advanced to Senior Naval Lord on the Admiralty Board in November 1756 but then stood down (as Senior Naval Lord although he remained on the Board) in April 1757, during the caretaker ministry, before being advanced to Senior Naval Lord again in July 1757.Rodger 1979, pp. 51–52

{{Main|Siege of Louisbourg (1758)}}

File:C005907k.jpg

In October 1757 Boscawen was second in command under Admiral Edward Hawke. On 7 February 1758 Boscawen was promoted to Admiral of the blue squadron.{{London Gazette|issue=9763 |date=4 February 1758 |page=1}} and ordered to take a fleet to North America. Once there, he took naval command at the siege of Louisburg during June and July 1758.{{r|nc7|page1=202–204}} On this occasion rather than entrust the land assault to a naval commander, the army was placed under the command of General Jeffrey Amherst and Brigadier James Wolfe. The siege of Louisburg was one of the key contributors to the capture of French possessions in Canada.{{r|nc7|page1=202–204}} Wolfe later would use Louisburg as a staging point for the siege of Quebec. The capture of the town deprived the French of the only effective naval base that they had in Canada, as well as leading to the destruction of four of their ships of the line and the capture of another.{{London Gazette|issue=9818 |date=15 August 1758 |pages=1–4}} On his return from North America Boscawen was awarded the Thanks of both Houses of Parliament for his service. The King made Boscawen a Privy Counsellor{{London Gazette|issue=9866 |date=30 January 1759 |page=1}} in recognition for his continued service both as a member of the Board of Admiralty and commander-in-chief.{{r|nc7|page1=205}}

{{Main|Battle of Lagos}}

The Battle of Lagos, 1759, by [[Francis Swaine|right|thumb]]

In April 1759 Boscawen took command of a fleet bound for the Mediterranean. His aim was to prevent another planned invasion of Britain by the French. With his flag aboard the newly constructed {{HMS|Namur|1756|6}} of 90 guns he blockaded Toulon and kept the fleet of Admiral de le Clue-Sabran in port. In order to tempt the French out of port, Boscawen sent three of his ships to bombard the port. The guns of the batteries surrounding the town drove off the British ships. Having sustained damage in the action and due to the constant weathering of ships on blockade duty Boscawen took his fleet to Gibraltar to refit and resupply. On 17 August a frigate that had been ordered to watch the Straits of Gibraltar signalled that the French fleet were in sight. Boscawen took his available ships to sea to engage de la Clue. During the night the British chased the French fleet and five of de la Clue's ships managed to separate from the fleet and escape. The others were driven in to a bay near Lagos, Portugal.{{London Gazette|issue=9948 |date=13 November 1759 |page=5}} The British overhauled the remaining seven ships of the French fleet and engaged. The French line of battle ship {{HMS|Centaur|1759|2}} began a duel with Namur but was outgunned and struck her colours. The damage aboard Namur forced Boscawen to shift his flag to {{HMS|Newark|1695|6}} of 80 guns. Whilst transferring between ships, the small boat that Boscawen was in was hit by an enemy cannonball. Boscawen took off his wig and plugged the hole.{{r|nc8|page1=128}} Two more French ships, {{ship|French ship|Souverain|1757|2}} and {{ship|French ship|Guerrier|1753|2}} escaped during the second night and on the morning of 19 August the British captured {{ship|French ship|Téméraire|1749|2}} and {{ship|French ship|Modeste|1759|2}} and drove the French flagship {{ship|French ship|Océan|1756|2}} and {{ship|French ship|Redoutable|1749|2}} ashore where they foundered and were set on fire by their crews to stop the British from taking them off and repairing them.{{r|nc7|page1=208}} The five French ships that avoided the battle made their way to Cadiz where Boscawen ordered Admiral Thomas Broderick to blockade the port.Stewart, p. 45

Boscawen returned to England, where he was promoted General of Marines in recognition of his service. He was given the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh. Admiral Boscawen returned to sea for the final time and took his station off the west coast of France around Quiberon Bay. After a violent attack of what was later diagnosed as Typhoid fever, the Admiral came ashore, where, on 10 January 1761, he died at his home in Hatchlands Park in Surrey. His body was taken to St. Michael's Church in St Michael Penkevil, Cornwall, where he was buried. The monument was designed by Robert Adam and sculpted by John Michael Rysbrack.Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.338 The monument at the church begins:

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham and Prime Minister once said to Boscawen: "When I apply to other Officers respecting any expedition I may chance to project, they always raise difficulties, you always find expedients."{{cite book|title=The Naval Chronicle|publisher=I. Gold|location=London|volume=10|url=https://archive.org/details/navalchronicleco10londiala}}{{rp|289}}

File:Frances Evelyn Boscawen neé Glanville.jpg

The town of Boscawen, New Hampshire is named after him.{{Cite book | last = Coolidge | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n462 424]–426| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859. }} Two ships and a stone frigate of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Boscawen, after Admiral Boscawen, whilst another ship was planned but the plans were shelved before she was commissioned. The stone frigate was a training base for naval cadets and in consequence three ships were renamed HMS Boscawen whilst being used as the home base for the training establishment.Ballard, p. 33

Boscawen was quoted as saying "To be sure I lose the fruits of the earth, but then, I am gathering the flowers of the Sea" (1756){{cite book|editor-last=Kemp|editor-first=Peter|title=The Oxford companion to ships and the sea|date=1988|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=9780192820846|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00kemp|url-access=registration}} and "Never fire, my lads, till you see the whites of the Frenchmen's eyes."{{cite news|last1=Viator|title=Cornish Topography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xxoYAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA226|work=European Magazine, and London Review|volume=75|page=226|date=March 1819}}

In 1742 Boscawen married Frances Evelyn Glanville (1719–1805), with whom he had three sons and two daughters, and who became an important hostess of Bluestocking meetings after his death.{{ODNBweb|id=47078|title=Boscawen, Frances Evelyn (1719–1805)|first=Elizabeth|last=Eger}} The older daughter Frances married John Leveson-Gower, and the younger, Elizabeth married Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort.{{cite web|url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-kymin/features/discover-the-naval-temple-at-the-kymin |title=Discover the Naval Temple at The Kymin |publisher=National Trust |access-date=25 January 2020}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Ballard |first=G. A., Admiral |title=The Black Battlefleet |year=1980 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-924-3}}
• {{cite book|last=Rodger|first=N. A. M.|author-link=Nicholas A. M. Rodger|year=1979|title=The Admiralty. Offices of State|publisher= Lavenham: T. Dalton Ltd|isbn=0900963948}}
• {{cite book|last=Rodger |first=N. A. M.|author-link=Nicholas A. M. Rodger|year=2006|title=Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649–1815|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0141026909}}
• {{cite book|last=Stewart|first=William|title=Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present|publisher=McFarland & Co.|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7864-3809-9}}

{{Portal|Cornwall}}

{{commons category|Edward Boscawen}}

• [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_louisbourg.html History of War – Siege of Louisburg 1758]
• [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lagosbay.html History of War – Battle of Lagos]
• [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hatchlands-park/ National Trust – Hatchlands Park]
• [http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101002931/ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for Edward Boscawen]
• [http://www.tregothnan.co.uk/ Tregothnan Estate, Cornwall]
• [http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/boscawen_edward_3E.html Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online]

{{S-start}}

{{S-par|gb}}

{{S-bef| before = James Hammond
Charles Hamilton }}

{{S-ttl| title = Member of Parliament for Truro| with = Charles Hamilton 1741–1747| with2 = John Boscawen 1747–1761

| years = 1741–1761 }}

{{S-aft| after = Lt General the Hon. George Boscawen
John Boscawen }}

|-

{{s-mil}}

{{succession box|title=Senior Naval Lord|before=Sir William Rowley|after=Sir William Rowley|years=1756–1757}}

|-

{{succession box|title=Senior Naval Lord|before=Sir William Rowley|after=John Forbes|years=1757–1761}}

{{S-end}}

{{First Sea Lord}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boscawen, Edward}}

Category:1711 births

Category:1761 deaths

Category:Younger sons of viscounts

Category:Royal Navy admirals

Category:Lords of the Admiralty

Category:British military personnel of the French and Indian War

Category:Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession

Category:Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain

Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Truro

Category:British MPs 1741–1747

Category:British MPs 1747–1754

Category:British MPs 1754–1761

Category:Burials in Cornwall

Edward

Category:18th-century English politicians

Category:Sailors from Cornwall

Category:British military personnel of the Anglo-Spanish War (1727–1729)

Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War

Category:People of Father Le Loutre's War