 At the second general election of 1701 he was defeated when he stood for the City of London, and having not stood at either Ipswich or Downton, was excluded from Parliament until the 1702 English general election when he was returned for Hedon and Downton, choosing to sit for the latter.He was appointed to a committee to investigate the prices of coal in London and in February 1703 he handled his constituents' petition for an extra market day at Downton.He avoided voting for the Tack in 1704.