he succeeded to his father's title of earl of upper ossory in 1758 but as this was a title in the irish peerage it did not entitle him to a seat in the british house of lords. in 1767 he was instead elected to the house of commons for bedfordshire, a seat he held until 1794. he was also lord lieutenant of bedfordshire from 1771 to 1818. in 1794, he was given the title of 'baron upper ossory', of ampthill in the county of bedford, in the peerage of great britain, which gave him a seat in the house of lords.