at his father's death on 5 may 1557, googe inherited the manor of horkstow and the lands of alvingham priory in lincolnshire, and a house in london formerly owned by his grandfather. he studied at christ's college, cambridge and at new college, oxford, but does not seem to have graduated from either. he became a ward of the queen, and it appears his wardship remained unsold until january 1561, when his kinsman, william cecil, became master of the court of wards and liveries, and googe was allowed to purchase his own wardship for £80, payable over an eight-year term. on 26 june 1563 he was granted licence to enter on his lands. in his will googe's father had requested his executors to have googe educated at the inns of court, and by 29 march 1560 he was a member of staple inn, at the time associated with gray's inn, where his cousin, william lovelace, held the position of reader in 1562 and 1567. another of googe's associates at the inns of court was his cousin, alexander neville, of gray's inn.