He was the eldest son of Simon of Pattishall, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and elder brother of Hugh of Pattishall, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.
He inherited lands in Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and elsewhere, and as a result of his marriage to Margery, daughter of Richard d'Argentan, he acquired lands in Bedfordshire.
Although not a successful justice, he was appointed High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire on 18 January 1224 to replace Falkes de Breauté, who was becoming increasingly unpopular in the royal court.
Following de Breauté's rebellion in 1224, culminating in the successful siege of Bedford Castle, Pattishall, along with Henry of Braybrooke, was ordered in the name of the king to demolish the castle.
This caused an issue of loyalties, as both Pattishall and Braybrooke were vassals of William de Beauchamp, who owned the barony of Bedford and held the position of hereditary constable of the castle, but ultimately their loyalty to the king won out and the castle was demolished.