The name Richard Edgcumbe (alternatively spelled Edgecumbe or Edgecombe) is shared by several prominent English and British historical figures, spanning from the late medieval period to the nineteenth century. Among the earliest was Sir Richard Edgcumbe (c. 1440–1489), a courtier and politician who fought at the Battle of Bosworth. He was followed by another Sir Richard Edgcumbe (1499–1562), who also served as a courtier and politician.
Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, several individuals of this name served in Parliament. These include Richard Edgecombe (born c. 1540), the Member of Parliament for Totnes; Sir Richard Edgcumbe (died 1639), a Cornish MP who served from 1586 to 1628; and Sir Richard Edgcumbe (1640–1688), who represented Launceston and Cornwall.
In later generations, the name was associated with the British peerage. Richard Edgcumbe, 1st Baron Edgcumbe (1680–1758) and Richard Edgcumbe, 2nd Baron Edgcumbe (1716–1761) both served as politicians and peers. Finally, Richard Edgcumbe, 2nd Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (1764–1839) was a British politician who also gained recognition as a writer on music.
