Hale was the son of Rowland Hale of King's Walden, Hertfordshire (High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1647–48[1]) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Garraway (Lord Mayor of London in 1639–40).
[3] He was elected MP for Hertfordshire at a by-election in 1669, after Viscount Cranborne succeeded to the House of Lords as Earl of Salisbury.
Despite wishing to stand down due to ill health, he was re-elected in March 1679 "contrary to his inclinations".
[2] In October 1679, he was again asked to stand, but this time insisted that "if they will choose him, he will not serve, but go travel beyond sea".
[2] In 1655, Hale married Mary, daughter of Jeremy (Jeremiah) Elwes of Roxby, Lincolnshire.