He had his early education in the United Kingdom and served as Secretary to Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey,[1] the Governor of New South Wales in Australia from 1890 to 1892.

In 1895 and 1900, he was elected to the House of Commons from East Grinstead and served as a Member of Parliament from 1895 to 1906 and as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries from March to June 1918.

[1] Goschen fell in love with Lady Margaret Evelyn Gathorne-Hardy, the youngest daughter the Earl of Cranbrook, who was eight years older than he was, but still desired to marry her.

[5] His father, the 1st Viscount, was, however, strongly opposed to their marriage and used his influence to get an appointment for his son as a Private Secretary to Lord Jersey, the Governor of New South Wales in Australia.

[3][5] He was a Major in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and from February 1901 served as an Aide-de-camp (ADC) to Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief during the Second Boer War.

In 1895, he was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as a Conservative for the then East Grinstead constituency in Sussex and served as a member of parliament for two terms from 18 July 1895 to 25 January 1906.

[7] In July 1913, he was elected Chairman of the Council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders which comprised some of the leading financiers in England.

[16] Goschen maintained friendly relations with the Raja of Panagal who was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency.

[17] Goschen invited S. Srinivasa Iyengar, the leader of the Swarajya Party which had won a majority, to form the government, but he refused as the acceptance of public posts would defeat the very purpose of the Swarajists to disrupt the working of the dyarchy.

[17] Goschen, therefore, made an independent, P. Subbarayan, the Chief Minister, and nominated 34 members to the council to support him.

[20] Goschen, however, mediated a settlement with the Raja of Panagal and appointed a Justice Party nominee, Krishnan Nair to the Executive Council.

[21] Just before his retirement from active politics in 1925, the Justice Party insisted upon a gift of land to their leader Theagaroya Chetty from the Madras government but Goschen staunchly refused to make the grant.

[25][26] Lord Goschen's tenure as Governor of Madras and then acting Viceroy was a period of lavish splendour.

[23][27] He partook in tiger hunting and horse racing, and hosted large, luxurious banquets and high-society weddings, such as that of his daughter to his ADC.