Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - An haife shi a Biskerthorpe a Lincolnshire. Ya yi karatu a Jami'ar Cambridge bayan da ya zama soja. Matarsa Anne 'yar Sir Edward Martury ce ta Genby. Ya yi aiki a Ireland a wurare da yawa a lokacin Yaƙin Shekaru Tara (1594-1603) kuma ya kasance gwamnan Lifford a lokacin ƙarshen yakin da kuma lokacin tawayen Sir Cahir O'Dogherty. Ya shiga cikin murkushe O'Doherty's Rebellion na 1608 kuma ya gargadi Gwamna George Paulet game da haɗari jim kadan kafin Burning of Derry
wanda ya kaddamar da tashin hankali. A matsayin lada ga ayyukansa, James I ya ba shi Lifford da yankunan da ke kewaye da shi kuma ya ba da izinin kafa garin kamfani a Lifford a matsayin tsohon soja na Yaƙin Shekaru Goma.