#15268, Richard EDGCUMBE MP

In 1694, at the age of 14, Edgcumbe succeeded his brother, Piers Edgcumbe, in the family estates. He was admitted at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1697 and travelled abroad in 1699.

Edgcumbe was returned unopposed as MP for Cornwall at a by-election on 25 June 1701 but never took his seat as Parliament had been prorogued. At the general election later in 1701, he was returned unopposed as MP for St Germans. Edgcumbe was elected MP for Plympton Erle at the 1702 English general election, probably on the Treby interest. He was re-elected at the 1705 English general election in a contest, and voted for the Court candidate as Speaker on 25 October 1705. Edgcumbe was returned as a Whig at the 1708 British general election, and was several times a teller for the Whigs. Although absent from the vote on the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell, he was attacked by the mob supporting Dr Sacheverell in Cornwall. Edgcumbe was returned again at the 1710 British general election but his behaviour in parliament appears contradictory. He was however to be one of the leaders of the great Whig procession through the City of London, which was banned by the government. Edgcumbe voted for the motion ‘No Peace Without Spain’ on 7 December 1712 and divided against the French commerce bill on 18 June 1713. He was returned again at the 1713 British general election, and voted against the expulsion of Richard Steele.

At the 1715 British general election, Edgecombe was returned unopposed as MP for Plympton Erle. He was appointed lord of the treasury in 1716. Edgcumbe surrendered the post when he went into opposition with Walpole in 1717, but was re-instated in 1720. He was returned again for Plympton Erle at the 1722 British general election. Edgcumbe held his post at the Treasury until 1724 when he was appointed Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, a post he held until 1742. He was returned again at the 1727 British general election, and was appointed a Privy Councillor for Ireland on 28 November 1727. At the 1734 British general election, Edgcumbe was returned as MP for Plympton Erle and Lostwithiel and chose to sit for Lostwithiel. He was Lord Warden of the Stannaries from 1734 to 1747. Edgcumbe was elected again for Plympton Erle at the 1741 general election and sat until he was raised to the peerage in 1742 and vacated his seat in the House of Commons. Edgcumbe was a faithful follower of Sir Robert Walpole, in whose interests he managed the elections for the Cornish boroughs, and his elevation to the peerage was designed to prevent him from giving evidence about Walpole's expenditure of the secret service money. In 1742, Edgcumbe was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which posts he held for the rest of his life. He became a colonel of a regiment of foot in 1745 and became major-general in 1755. He was appointed Chief Justice in Eyre, north of Trent in January 1758.

Note:  Plympton Erle is the previous name for Plympton St. Maurice.

The Cotehele guide book contains the following passage:

In 1694, Richard inherited Mount Edgcumbe and Cotehele, and presided over the estates for the next 64 years.  In 1742 he became 1st Baron Edgcumbe and around that time he modernised Mount Edgcumbe house sending the unwanted furnishings up the Tamar to be displayed at Cotehele to the outside world.  Thus began the tradition of presenting Cotehele to the outside world as an antiquarian house.

Richard's younger son, George 3rd Baron inherited in 1761 and, with his wife Emma, worked hard to enhance Cotehele's romantic ppeal.  This included restoring the Chapel-in-the-Wood, providing a tantalising glimpse of Cotehele for approaching visitors, who invariably arrived by river.

The zenith of George and Emma's antiquarian ambitions was when King George III and Queen Charlotte visited Cotehele on 25th August 1789, during their stay at Saltram.  The royal couple and entourage arrived by river but it was to be a flying visit.  The King and Queen, by the time they got from the quay to the house, would have had little over an hour for their tour and their breakfast combined, before having to set off again.

Queen Charlotte's journal provides us with our first written description of Cotehele's interior.  She describes the rooms by function rather than by name.  The visitor route has remained the same ever since.

[We] landed at the woods of Cotehill where we found Lrd & Ldy Mount Edgcumbe ready to receive Us.  We went in their coach up to this Old Family seat of theirs where his Ancestors lived at least 200 years before they had Mount Edgcumbe.  It...consists of a large Hall full of Old Armour and Swords and Old Carved Chairs of the Times a Drawing Roon hung with Old Tapestry, the skirtingboard of which is straw and the Chair Sears made of Priests Vestements.  A Chapel which is still in good repair.  The Window painted Glass but damaged and defaced. A small Bed Chamber, 2 Closets & a Dressingroom all hung with Old Tapestry.  Above stairs there is a Drawingroom The Chairs Black Ebony Carved & a Cabinet the same,& 4 Bedchambers all Humg the same.  At Breakfast we Eat off the Old Family Pewter, & used Silver knives Forks & Spoons which have been Time immemorial in the Family & have always been kept at this place...We embarked again 10 minutes after 12.

This quotation has been printed with the permission of the late Queen Elizabeth II.