In 1683, he was prosecuted as a non-conformist; evidently this was not a great setback since in 1684 he "took his freedom" (joined) the Eastland and Hamburgh Companies, two of the five regulated companies for foreign commerce (the others being the Russian Company, the Turkey Company, and the African Company).
He was married on 25 February 1685 to Anna Sykes, daughter of Richard Sykes, one of the Lords of the Manor of Leeds.