Edward Popham was son of Sir Francis Popham and supported parliament in the English Civil War. He was elected M.P. for Minehead in 1644. He commanded a force in Somerset and Dorset. He was appointed a commissioner for the immediate ordering of the navy in 1648 and commanded in the Downs and North Sea during 1649. In 1650 he joined Robert Blake at Lisbon in blockading Prince Rupert.