He served as a lieutenant in the Norfolk militia during the War of 1812. He participated in the Siege of Detroit and was awarded a gold medal for outstanding service. He studied law at Osgoode Hall Law School in York, Upper Canada. He was a lawyer in Hamilton and Ancaster. He was appointed as a Clerk of the Peace, clerk of the district court and registrar of the Surrogate Court in April 1816, all with the Gore District.