Family and Education

b. 1 Dec. 1712, 4th s. of Hugh Boscawen, 1st Visct. Falmouth, and bro. of Hon. Edward, Hugh and John Boscawen. educ. perhaps Eton 1725-8. m. 3 Feb. 1743, Ann, da. of John Morley Trevor of Glynde, Suss., sis. and coh. of John Trevor of Trevalyn, Denb., 2s. 2da.

Offices Held

Ensign I Ft. Gds. 1729, lt. and capt. 1738, capt. and lt.-col. 1743; a.-d.-c. to George II 1749; col. 1749; col. 29 Ft. 1752-61; maj.-gen. 1758; lt.-gen. 1760; col. 23 Ft. 1761-d. Lt. gov. Scilly Isles 1750-d., dep. ranger of Witney forest, Oxon. 1751.

Biography

George Boscawen served in Flanders during the war of the Austrian succession. After his return for Penryn by his brother in February 1743, his commanding officer reported on 18 May 1743: ‘Boscawen is well and in great spirits, but thinks and wishes already for the meeting of Parliament.’ After the battle of Dettingen,

I never saw anyone so unhappy at being away from home as Boscawen is, and he has less reason than any others, being sure of his return home in November, against the meeting of Parliament. He was really very ill two days before the battle and had to be brought away in a chaise, in which he lay in the wood near the engagement; was next to Lord Carteret’s coach ... and talked with his Lordship sometime.

In September:

Boscawen is very much better, and the happiest man I know, for he has got a letter from Lord Carteret with the King’s leave to go to England to recover his health, and set out this morning in a post chaise from Helvoet.1

He voted for the Hanoverians in January 1744, returned to Flanders in May, is said to have been present at Fontenoy, and again voted for the Hanoverians in April 1746. Made aide-de-camp to the King in 1749 on the recommendation of Pelham, in March 1752 he was given the command of a regiment of Foot, on which an officer reported:

We saw Boscawen’s regiment at Kilkenny, the men not bad, not well appointed, exercised pretty well, fired ill and too slow, marched abominably. Officers very careless and by no means au fait, the major never posting himself where he ought, and both he and the colonel forced to be told every moment what they were to do, they knew nothing.2

He died 3 May 1775.

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: Eveline Cruickshanks

Notes

• 1. HMC Astley, 238, 266, 288, 314.
• 2. Hist. Surv. Cornw. i. 456; Yorke, Hardwicke, ii. 170-1; Whitefoord Pprs. 108.