He was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Constable of the Tower of London in 1726, but he resigned the constableship in 1731, also because of his desire to live in the country.
In 1720, during the collapse of the South Sea Bubble, he may have lost as much as £30,000, worsening the condition of an estate already weakened by his gambling at cards and on the turf.
He also spent significant sums to secure the burgage tenures of Appleby, bringing that borough under the family's control.
[3] Appointed Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland and Westmorland in 1738, he was, by virtue of that office, responsible for the defense of those counties during the Rising of '45.
However, he remained at his sister Elizabeth's house at Byram, Yorkshire during that period, Lowther Hall being uninhabitable due to alterations, and left military affairs largely in the hands of Sir George Fleming, Bt, Bishop of Carlisle.