Edward Boscawen | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Edward Boscawen after an original byJoshua Reynolds, circa 1825 | |
| Nicknames | Old Dreadnought[1]: 281 Wry-necked Dick[1]: 100 |
| Born | (1711-08-19)19 August 1711 |
| Died | 10 January 1761(1761-01-10) (aged 49) |
| Buried | St Michael Penkevil, Cornwall |
| Allegiance | Great Britain |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1723–1761 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Blue |
| Commands | |
| Conflicts | |
| Relations | Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth George Boscawen, 2nd Earl of Falmouth George Evelyn Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth Edward Boscawen, 4th Viscount Falmouth Lieutenant General the Hon. George Boscawen |
Admiral of the BlueEdward Boscawen,PC (19 August 1711 – 10 January 1761) was aRoyal Navy officer and politician.[2] He is known principally for his various naval commands during the 18th century and the engagements that he won, including thesiege of Louisburg in 1758 andBattle of Lagos in 1759.[2] He is also remembered as the officer who signed the warrant authorising the execution of AdmiralJohn Byng in 1757, for failing to engage the enemy at theBattle of Minorca (1756).[2] In his political role, he served as a Member of Parliament for Truro from 1742 until his death in 1761 although, due to almost constant naval employment, he seems not to have been particularly active. He also served as one of theLords Commissioners of the Admiralty on theBoard of Admiralty from 1751 and as a member of the Privy Council from 1758 until his death.
The Honourable Edward Boscawen was born inTregothnan,Cornwall, England, on 19 August 1711, the third son ofHugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth (1680–1734)[3] by his wife Charlotte Godfrey (died 1754) elder daughter and co-heiress of ColonelCharles Godfrey, master of the jewel office by his wifeArabella Churchill, the King's mistress,[4]: 181 and sister ofJohn Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough.[5]
The young Edward joined the navy at the age of 12 aboardHMS Superb of 60 guns.Superb was sent to theWest Indies with AdmiralFrancis Hosier.[4]: 181 Boscawen stayed withSuperb for three years during theAnglo-Spanish War. He was subsequently reassigned toHMS Canterbury,HMS Hector, andHMS Namur under Admiral SirCharles Wager and was aboardNamur when she sailed intoCádiz andLivorno following theTreaty of Seville that ended hostilities between Britain and Spain. On 25 May 1732 Boscawen was promotedlieutenant and in the August of the same year rejoined his old ship the 44-gun fourth-rateHector in the Mediterranean. He remained with her until 16 October 1735 when he was promoted to the 70-gunHMS Grafton. On 12 March 1736 Boscawen was promoted by Admiral SirJohn Norris to the temporary command of the 50-gunHMS Leopard. His promotion was confirmed by theBoard of Admiralty. In June 1738 Boscawen was given command ofHMS Shoreham, a smallsixth-rate of 20 guns.[4]: 182 He was ordered to accompany AdmiralEdward Vernon to the West Indies in preparation for the oncoming war with Spain.[4]: 182
The War of Jenkins' Ear proved to be Boscawen's first opportunity for action and whenShoreham was declared unfit for service he volunteered to accompany Vernon and the fleet sent to attackPorto Bello.[4]: 182
During the siege, Boscawen was ordered with SirCharles Knowles to destroy the forts.[4]: 182 [6] The task took three weeks and 122 barrels ofgunpowder 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 thepatriotic song "Rule, Britannia" was played for the first time. Streets were named after Porto Bello throughout Britain and its colonies. When the fleet returned toPort Royal,JamaicaShoreham had been refitted and Boscawen resumed command of her.[4]: 182
In 1741 Boscawen was part of the fleet sent to attack another Caribbean port,Cartagena de Indias.[4]: 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 fromdysentery,scurvy,yellow fever and other illnesses that were widespread throughout the Caribbean during the period. As a result of the battlePrime MinisterRobert Walpole's government collapsed andGeorge II removed his promise of support to theAustrians if thePrussians advanced intoSilesia. The defeat of Vernon was a contributing factor to the increased hostilities of theWar 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.[7] For his services he was promoted in May 1742 to the rank of captain and appointed to command the 70-gunPrince Frederick to replaceLord Aubrey Beauclerk who had died during the siege.[4]: 185
In 1742 Boscawen returned inPrince Frederick to England, where she waspaid off[4]: 185 and Boscawen joined the fleet commanded by Admiral Norris in the newly built 60-gunHMS Dreadnought. In the same year he was returned as aMember of Parliament for Truro, a position he held until his death.[8][9] At the1747 general election he was also returned forSaltash, but chose to continue to sit for Truro.[10]
In 1744 the French attempted aninvasion of England and Boscawen was with the fleet under Admiral Norris when the French fleet were sighted. The French under AdmiralRocquefeuil retreated and the British attempts to engage were confounded by a violent storm that swept theEnglish Channel.[11]
Whilst cruising the Channel, Boscawen had the good fortune to capture the FrenchfrigateMédée.[4]: 185 She was the first capture of an enemy ship made during the War of Austrian Succession and was commanded byM. de Hocquart.Médée was sold and became a successful privateer,[12] commanded byGeorge Walker.[13]
At the end of 1744 Boscawen was given command ofHMS Royal Sovereign,guard ship at theNoreanchorage. He commanded her until 1745 when he was appointed to another of his old ships, HMSNamur, that had been reduced (razéed) from 90 guns to 74 guns.[4]: 185 [14] He was appointed to command a small squadron under Vice-AdmiralMartin in the Channel.[4]: 185
In 1747 Boscawen was ordered to join AdmiralAnson and took an active part in the first Battle of Cape Finisterre.[15]: 290 [4]: 186 The British fleet sighted the French fleet on 3 May. The French fleet under Admiralde 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 sixmerchantmen. Boscawen was injured in the shoulder during the battle by amusket ball.[15]: 291 Once more the French captain, M. de Hocquart became Boscawen's prisoner and was taken to England.[16]
Boscawen was promoted rear-admiral of the blue on 15 July 1747[17] and was appointed to command a joint operation being sent to theEast Indies.[4]: 186 With his flag inNamur, and with five otherline of battle ships, a few smallermen 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 captureMauritius by surprise but was driven off by French forces.[4]: 188–189 Boscawen continued on arriving atFort St. David near the town ofCuddalore on 29 July 1748[4]: 190 and took over command from Admiral Griffin. Boscawen had been ordered to capture and destroy the main French settlement in India atPondichéry. Factors such as Boscawen's lack of knowledge and experience of land offensives, the failings of theengineers andartillery officers under his command, a lack of secrecy surrounding the operation and the skill of the FrenchgovernorJoseph François Dupleix combined to thwart the attack. The British forces amounting to some 5,000 men captured and destroyed the outlying fort ofAranciopang.[4]: 191 This capture was the only success of the operation and after failing to breach the walls of the city the British forces withdrew.[4]: 192–199 Amongst the combatants were a young ensignRobert Clive, later known as Clive of India and MajorStringer Lawrence, laterCommander-in-Chief, India. Lawrence was captured by the French during the retreat and exchanged after the news of theTreaty of Aix-la-Chapelle had reached India.[4]: 192–199 Over themonsoon 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 hisflagshipNamur went down with over 600 men aboard.[4]: 200
Boscawen returned to England in 1750.[4]: 199–200 In 1751 Anson becameFirst Lord of the Admiralty and asked Boscawen to serve on the Admiralty Board.[18] Boscawen remained one of the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty until his death.[19]
On 4 February 1755 Boscawen was promotedvice admiral[4]: 200 and given command of a squadron on theNorth American Station. A squadron of partially disarmed French ships of the line were dispatched toCanada loaded with reinforcements and Boscawen was ordered to intercept them. The Frenchambassador to London, theDuc 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 theAlcide,Lys andDauphin Royal offCape Ray offNewfoundland. Inthe ensuing engagement the British captured theAlcide andLys but theDauphin Royal escaped into the fog.[4]: 200 Amongst the 1,500 men made prisoner was the captain of theAlcide. For M. de Hocquart it was the third time that Boscawen had fought him and taken his ship.[4]: 185 [20][4]: 202 Pay amounting to £80,000 was captured aboard theLys.[4]: 202 Boscawen, as vice-admiral commanding the squadron, would have been entitled to a sizeable share in theprize money. The British squadron headed forHalifax to regroup but a fever spread through the ships and the Vice-admiral was forced to return to England.[21]
_from_NPG.jpg)
Boscawen returned to theChannel Fleet and was commander-in-chiefPortsmouth during the trial of AdmiralJohn Byng. Boscawen signed the order of execution after the King had refused to grant the unfortunate admiral a pardon.[22] Boscawen was advanced toSenior 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 thecaretaker ministry, before being advanced to Senior Naval Lord again in July 1757.[23]
In October 1757 Boscawen was second in command under AdmiralEdward Hawke. On 7 February 1758 Boscawen was promoted toAdmiral of the blue squadron.[24] and ordered to take a fleet to North America. Once there, he took naval command at thesiege of Louisburg during June and July 1758.[4]: 202–204 On this occasion rather than entrust the land assault to a naval commander, the army was placed under the command of GeneralJeffrey Amherst and BrigadierJames Wolfe. The siege of Louisburg was one of the key contributors to the capture of French possessions inCanada.[4]: 202–204 Wolfe later would use Louisburg as a staging point for thesiege 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.[25] On his return from North America Boscawen was awarded the Thanks of bothHouses of Parliament for his service. The King made Boscawen aPrivy Counsellor[26] in recognition for his continued service both as a member of the Board of Admiralty and commander-in-chief.[4]: 205
In April 1759 Boscawen took command of a fleet bound for the Mediterranean. His aim was to prevent anotherplanned invasion of Britain by the French. With his flag aboard the newly constructedHMS Namur of 90 guns he blockadedToulon and kept the fleet of Admiralde 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 toGibraltar to refit and resupply. On 17 August a frigate that had been ordered to watch theStraits 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 nearLagos,Portugal.[27] The British overhauled the remaining seven ships of the French fleet and engaged. The French line of battle shipCentaur began a duel withNamur but was outgunned andstruck her colours. The damage aboardNamur forced Boscawen to shift his flag toHMS Newark 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.[15]: 128 Two more French ships,Souverain andGuerrier escaped during the second night and on the morning of 19 August the British capturedTéméraire andModeste and drove the French flagshipOcéan andRedoutable ashore where they foundered and were set on fire by their crews to stop the British from taking them off and repairing them.[4]: 208 The five French ships that avoided the battle made their way toCádiz where Boscawen ordered Admiral Thomas Broderick to blockade the port.[28]
Boscawen returned to England, where he was promoted General of Marines in recognition of his service. He was given theFreedom of the City ofEdinburgh. Admiral Boscawen returned to sea for the final time and took his station off the west coast of France aroundQuiberon Bay. After a violent attack of what was later diagnosed asTyphoid fever, the Admiral came ashore, where, on 10 January 1761, he died at his home inHatchlands Park inSurrey. His body was taken toSt. Michael's Church inSt Michael Penkevil,Cornwall, where he was buried. The monument was designed byRobert Adam and sculpted byJohn Michael Rysbrack.[29] 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."[30]: 289
The town ofBoscawen, New Hampshire is named after him.[31] Two ships and astone frigate of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMSBoscawen, 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 HMSBoscawen whilst being used as the home base for the training establishment.[32]
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)[33] and "Never fire, my lads, till you see the whites of the Frenchmen's eyes."[34]
In 1742 Boscawen marriedFrances Evelyn Glanville (1719–1805), with whom he had three sons and two daughters, and who became an important hostess ofBluestocking meetings after his death.[35] The elder daughter, Frances, marriedJohn Leveson-Gower; the younger, Elizabeth, marriedHenry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort.[36]
M. de Hocquart captured.
coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forTruro 1741–1761 With:Charles Hamilton 1741–1747 John Boscawen 1747–1761 | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Senior Naval Lord 1756–1757 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senior Naval Lord 1757–1761 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
