Edwyn was the eldest son of
Edwyn Andrew Burnaby, (d. 1825), and his wife Mary Browne, daughter and heiress of the Reverend William Browne and his wife Mary Adcock. His grandfather was
Andrew Burnaby. He was baptised on 30 September 1798 at
Rotherby,
Leicestershire, and was probably born the day before as various editions of ''
Burke's Landed Gentry'' and other published sources give his date of birth as 29 September 1799. His age is given as 19 on matriculation at
Worcester College, Oxford on 20 October 1817. He was educated at
Christ Church, Oxford. ==Career==