Cawdor spent about nineteen years in the House of Commons before entering the House of Lords in 1796. A lawyer with a strong interest in history, he belonged to the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries. He acquired antiquities, especially in Italy, and commissioned paintings of archaeological sites in Naples and Sicily. His collection included ancient Greek vases, though receipt of some purchased sculptures remains uncertain. He assembled these objects into a private museum that he sold in 1800. After Fishguard, his promotion to full colonel gave him authority beyond an individual militia regiment.
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Cawdor's parliamentary career and private antiquities collection
Cawdor combined a long parliamentary career with legal work and antiquarian collecting, including a private museum and paintings of Italian archaeological sites.