His business and trading empire encompassed at least 18 ships, and extended from the West Indies and North America to Europe and the Near East.

He opposed royalist conservatism in the East India Company and, as a member of the Long Parliament, supported the Root and Branch attempts to radically reform the Church of England.

[7][8] Cradock used his business and personal connections to establish a lucrative trade, shipping New World tobacco to the Near East and sending provisions to the colonies in North America and the West Indies that produced it.

Later in 1629 another small fleet sailed for the colony; on board, in addition to Puritan settlers, were skilled craftsmen of all types who were engaged in Cradock's businesses.

In that same year, financial instability in the government caused by King Charles I's desire to prosecute a war with Scotland led the company's investors to fear their investment might be at risk.

It called for those shareholders who were emigrating to buy out those that remained in England after seven years; the latter would also receive a share of some of the colony's business activities, including the fur trade.

[22] Winthrop sailed to Massachusetts in 1630, and the fleet carrying the colonists included two of Cradock's ships, and agents and servants of his who were to see to his commercial interests.

As the colony developed, Cradock's land holdings expanded to include properties in Ipswich and Marblehead.

[16] He and Governor Winthrop exchanged letters;[27] in one written in 1636 Cradock promised £50 toward the establishment of an institute of higher learning now known as Harvard University.

The political threats continued, and the charter of the Plymouth Council of New England, issuer of the colony's land grant, was revoked.

Cradock was acquitted of most of these charges, but was convicted of usurpation of authority and deprived of his ability to act on behalf of the company.

[31] He and other London MPs were politically allied to the Parliamentarian faction of Sir Henry Vane the Younger, and he supported the Root and Branch petition calling for radical reforms of the Church of England.

[10] In the opening session of the Long Parliament he denounced the king's plan of fortifying the Tower of London, and declared that the city would not contribute its share of taxes until the garrison was removed.