 He purchased the seat from John McCausland of Strabane for £2,000 after the death of the incumbent Robert Lowry when a new writ was issued for the borough on 22 October 1765.Subsequently he represented Cavan County in the Irish House of Commons from 1768 until his death in 1787.The Cavan poll result on 2 August 1768 was Maxwell 727, Montgomery 648, Pratt 570, Newburgh 402; The poll finally closed on 11 November 1768 and the final poll was Maxwell 927, Montgomery 739, Pratt 668, Newburgh 451.