Edward Boscawen

Edward Boscawen
Portrait of Edward Boscawen by Joshua Reynolds, circa 1755
Nickname(s)	Old Dreadnought Wry-necked Dick
Born	(1711-08-19)19 August 1711 Tregothnan, Cornwall, UK
Died	10 January 1761(1761-01-10) (aged 49) Hatchlands Park, Surrey, UK
Buried at	St Michael Penkivel, Cornwall, UK
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1723–1761
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Leopard HMS Shoreham HMS Prince Frederick HMS Dreadnought Commander-in-chief, India Lord of the Admiralty Board Commander-in-chief, Mediterranean
Battles/wars	Anglo-Spanish War (1727) War of Jenkins' Ear Battle of Porto Bello Battle of Cartagena de Indias War of the Austrian Succession Planned French Invasion of Britain (1744) First Battle of Cape Finisterre (1747) Siege of Pondicherry (1748) Seven Years' War Action of 8 June 1755 Siege of Louisbourg (1758) Battle of Lagos
Relations	Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth George Boscawen, 2nd Earl of Falmouth George Evelyn Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth Edward Boscawen, 4th Viscount Falmouth Lt General the Hon. George Boscawen Edward Hugh Boscawen

Anglo-Spanish War (1727)
War of Jenkins' Ear

War of the Austrian Succession

Seven Years' War

Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC (19 August 1711 – 10 January 1761) was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands during the 18th century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos in 1759. He is also remembered as the officer who signed the warrant authorising the execution of Admiral John Byng in 1757, for failing to engage the enemy at the Battle of Minorca (1756). In his political role, he served as a Member of Parliament for Truro from 1742 until his death although due to almost constant naval employment he seems not to have been particularly active. He also served as one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on the Board of Admiralty from 1751 and as a member of the Privy Council from 1758 until his death in 1761.

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) by his wife Charlotte Godfrey (d.1754) elder daughter and co-heiress of Colonel Charles Godfrey, master of the jewel office by his wife Arabella Churchill, the King's mistress, and sister to the Duke of Marlborough.