He was educated at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated with a B.A.
He was promoted in 1705, by patent dated 22 September, to the bishopric of Kildare, with the deanery of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin in commendam, and was translated, 13 March 1731, to the bishopric of Meath, with a seat in the Irish privy council.
He died on 1 January 1734, and was buried within the cathedral of Christ Church, Dublin, where a monument was erected.
He was also notable for having arranged for Edward Lovett Pearce to design Deanery House, one of the first Palladian houses in Dublin for the Dean's of the Cathedral.
[1] His publications are: He married Diana, daughter of Sir John Briscoe, knt., of Boughton, Northamptonshire, and Amberley Castle, Sussex, and had, with other issue, Welbore, later Baron Mendip, and Anne, who married firstly Henry Agar of Gowran Castle, and secondly George Dunbar.