Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth


Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth was a Cornish Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons for Cornish constituencies from 1702 until 1720 when he was raised to the peerage.

Origins

Boscawen was the eldest son of Edward Boscawen, MP and merchant, by his wife Jael Godolphin, daughter of Sir Francis Godolphin. The Boscawens are an ancient Cornish family. His grandfather Hugh Boscawen 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 where he was the principal landowner. The Chacewater mine, now known as Wheal Busy, was located in what was known at the 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. His uncles Hugh Boscawen and Charles Boscawen were also MPs in Cornwall.

Early life

He matriculated as fellow-commoner at King's College, Cambridge in 1697. In 1701 he inherited Tregothnan from his uncle, Hugh Boscawen.

Career

Boscawen had absolute control of the parliamentary representation of the boroughs of Tregony and Truro, and he exercised considerable influence on the elections for Penryn. He was elected Member of Parliament for Tregony from 1702 to 1705, for the county of Cornwall from 1705 to 1710, for Truro from 1710 to 1713, and for Penryn from 1713 until June 1720. In 1720 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Boscawen and Viscount Falmouth, having been for some time discontented at the delay in his advancement to that position. Both before and after the accession of George I he spent large sums of money in support of Whig principles, and was rewarded on his party's triumph by many valuable offices.
Boscawen was a groom of the bedchamber to Prince George of Denmark, steward of the duchy of Cornwall and Lord Warden of the Stannaries in 1708, Comptroller of the Household from 1714 to 1720, and joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland from 1717 until a few months before his death.

Marriage and children

Boscawen married on 23 April 1700 in Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, Charlotte Godfrey elder daughter and coheir of Colonel Charles Godfrey, master of the jewel office and his wife Arabella Churchill. Charlotte died on 22 March 1754, and was also buried at Penkivel. She had wanted to become a lady of the bedchamber to the wife of King George II, and tried to bribe Lady Sundon into obtaining the post for her. Their children included:
Boscawen died suddenly at Trefusis, in Cornwall, aged 54, and was buried at St Michael Penkivel.