Hugh Boscawen
Encyclopedia
Hugh Boscawen was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
variously between 1646 and 1701.
Boscawen was the son of Hugh Boscawen of Tregothnan
, Cornwall
and was baptised on 21 August 1625.
In December 1646, Boscawen was elected Member of Parliament
for Cornwall
in the second half or the Long Parliament
but refused to sit after Pride's Purge
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
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
, 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 on the western circuit in July 1660. In 1661 he was elected MP for Tregoney for the Cavalier Parliament
, 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.
Boscawen died at the age of 75.
Boscawen married Lady Margaret Clinton, daughter of Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln in 1651 and had eight sons and two daughters. His brothers Charles
and Edward
were also both MPs in Cornwall.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
variously between 1646 and 1701.
Boscawen was the son of Hugh Boscawen of Tregothnan
Tregothnan
The Tregothnan Estate is located beside the village of St Michael Penkivel south-east of Truro in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The house and estate is the traditional home of the Boscawen family, and the seat of Lord Falmouth. The original house was built in Plantagenet times and sacked in the English...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and was baptised on 21 August 1625.
In December 1646, Boscawen was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Cornwall
Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)
Cornwall is a former county constituency covering the county of Cornwall, in the South West of England. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of England then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
in the second half or the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
but refused to sit after Pride's Purge
Pride's Purge
Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents...
in 1648. From 1647 to 1652 he was commissioner for assessment for Cornwall. He became a J.P.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1651 and was again commissioner for assessment in 1657. He was re-elected MP for Cornwall in 1659 for the Third Protectorate Parliament
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...
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 (UK Parliament constituency)
Grampound in Cornwall, was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1821. It was represented by two Members of Parliament.-History:Grampound's...
, 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 on the western circuit in July 1660. In 1661 he was elected MP for Tregoney for the Cavalier Parliament
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter century reign of Charles II of England...
, 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.
Boscawen died at the age of 75.
Boscawen married Lady Margaret Clinton, daughter of Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln in 1651 and had eight sons and two daughters. His brothers Charles
Charles Boscawen
Charles Boscawen was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1654 and 1689.Boscawen was the son of Hugh Boscawen of Tregothnan, Cornwall and his wife Margaret Rolle, daughter of Robert Rolle of Heanton Satchville, Devon. He was baptised on 28 October 1627...
and Edward
Edward Boscawen (MP)
Edward Boscawen was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1659 and 1685.Boscawen was the son of Hugh Boscawen of Tregothnan, Cornwall and was baptised on 21 November 1628. He was apprenticed to a merchant with business in Turkey in 1648 and then to John Rolle,...
were also both MPs in Cornwall.