 Hedges had already been elected as one of the Company's 24 directors in April 1681.On 3 September of that year, he was appointed the first chief agent and governor of the new Bengal Agency.He was instructed to put a stop to the growing exactions of the native rulers and their subordinates, to check the recently organised efforts of the 'interlopers' to break through the EIC's monopoly, and to punish the dishonesty of many of the company's own servants.