Edward, a brave British admiral, was the second son of Hugh late lord viscount Falmouth. Having early entered into the navy, he was, in 1740, captain of the Shoreham; and behaved with great intrepidity as a volunteer under Admiral Vernon, Boscawen, at the taking of Porto Bello. At the siege of Carthagena, in March 1740-1, he had the command of a party of seamen who resolutely attacked and took a battery of 15 twenty-four pounders, though exposed to the fire of another fort of five guns. Lord Aubrey Beauclerk being killed at the attack of Boca-Chica, Captain Boscawen succeeded him in the command of the Prince Frederic of 70 guns. In May 1742, he returned to England, and married Frances daughter of William Glanville, Esq. and the same year was elected representative for Truro in Cornwall. In 1744, he was made captain of the Dreadnought of 60 guns; and soon after he took the Medea, a French man of war commanded by M. Hoquart, the first king's ship taken in that war. May 3, 1747, he signalized himself under the admirals Anson and Warren, in an engagement with the French fleet off Cape Finisterre, and was wounded in the shoulder with a musket ball. Here M. Hoquart, who then commanded the Diamond of 56 guns, again became his prisoner; and all the French ships of war, which were ten in number, were taken. On the 15th of July he was made rear-admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of the land and sea forces employed on an expedition to the East Indies; and, on the 4th of November, sailed from St Helen's, with six ships of the line, five frigates, and 2000 soldiers. On the 29th of July 1748, he arrived at St David's, and soon after laid siege to Pondicherry; but the men growing fickle, and the monsoons being expected, the siege was raised, and Mr Boscawen showed himself as much the general as the admiral in his retreat. Soon after he had news of the peace, and Madras was delivered up to him by the French. In April 1750, he arrived at St Helen's in the Exeter, and found that in his absence he had been appointed rear-admiral of the white. He was the next year made one of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, and chosen an elder brother of the Trinity-house. In February 1755, he was appointed vice-admiral of the blue. On the 10th of April, failing in order to intercept a French squadron bound to North America, he fell in with the Alcide and Leys of 64 guns each, which were both taken; on this occasion M. Hoquart became his prisoner a third time, and he returned to Spithead with his prizes and 1500 prisoners. In 1756, he was appointed vice-admiral of the white; and in 1758, admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of the expedition to Cape Breton; when, in conjunction with General Amherst, and a body of troops from New England, the important forts of Louisbourg and the whole island of Cape Breton were taken, for which he afterwards received the thanks of the house of commons. In 1759, being appointed to command in the Mediterranean, he arrived at Gibraltar, where hearing that the Toulon fleet, under M. de la Clue, had passed the Straits, in order to join that at Brest, he got under sail, and on the 18th of August saw, pursued, and engaged the enemy. His ship, the Namur of 90 guns, losing her main-mast, he shifted his flag to the Newark; and, after a sharp engagement, took three large ships, and burnt two in Lagos bay, and the same year arrived at Spithead with his prizes and 2000 prisoners. On December 8, 1760, he was appointed general general of the marines with a salary of £300 per annum, and was also sworn one of the privy council.

He died in 1761.