 He was admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1748, made a Commissioner of Bankruptcy in 1751 and a Remembrancer in the Exchequer in 1754.He sat in the Irish House of Commons as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lisburn from 1777 to 1783, and served as Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1776 to 1780.He was sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland on 25 January 1777.