He entered Parliament in 1572 as MP for King's Lynn and was re-elected to the same seat in 1584 and 1593. He was knighted in 1586 and served under Robert Dudley. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Bergen op Zoom from 1586 to 1587 and was a colonel "in the forces for the defence of the queen's person against the threatened attack of the Spanish Armada" in 1588.
A parliamentarian, he entered office in 1572 as MP for King's Lynn and was re-elected in 1584 and 1593. He received a knighthood in 1586 and served under Robert Dudley, holding the position of Lieutenant-Governor of Bergen op Zoom from 1586 to 1587. In 1588, he commanded a colonel in the forces defending Queen Elizabeth's person against the Spanish Armada.