Life

He supplicated the university of Oxford in 1541 for the degree of B.A., but does not appear to have been admitted. He was, however, elected a fellow of All Souls' College in 1542 . In November 1545 he proceeded to the degree of bachelor of the civil law; and in 1550 he wrote from All Souls' College to Sir William Cecil, desiring his interest to procure for him the situation of official of the archdeaconry of York

Archdeaconry of York

The Archdeaconry of York is an archdeaconry, or subdivision, of the Church of England Diocese of York in the Province of York.-People:The archdeaconry is led by the Bishop of Selby, since 4 December 2003 the Rt Revd Martin Wallace, and by the Archdeacon of York, since 1999 the Ven Richard...

. Subsequently he travelled in France, and at Orleans was created a doctor of civil law. Having more than once supplicated the university of Oxford for that degree, it is supposed that he was incorporated there in November 1552. On 14 January 1554 he was admitted a member of the College of Advocates at Doctors' Commons

Doctors' Commons

Doctors' Commons, also called the College of Civilians, was a society of lawyers practising civil law in London. Like the Inns of Court of the common lawyers, the society had buildings with rooms where its members lived and worked, and a large library...

. He was a member of the House of Commons for Taunton

Taunton (UK Parliament constituency)

Taunton was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors from 1295 to 2010, taking its name from the town of Taunton in Somerset...

 in the parliaments of 21 October 1555, 20 January 1558, and 1559; later he was MP for Chichester

Chichester (UK Parliament constituency)

Chichester is a county constituency in West Sussex, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

 and Hindon

Hindon (UK Parliament constituency)

Hindon was a parliamentary borough consisting of the village of Hindon in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1448 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act...

. On 9 July 1562 he was incorporated LL.D. in the university of Cambridge.

In 1563 he was ambassador in Flanders, receiving his final despatch from the regent on 6 February. He was again sent to Flanders, in December 1563, to answer the complaints against England for lack of justice and for depredations. In the parliament of 8 May 1572 he sat for the city of Chichester, being at or about that time one of the masters of requests. On 15 February 1573 he was presented to the archdeaconry of Surrey. On 19 March 1573 he was appointed resident ambassador in France, where he continued till 1576. In the meanwhile (18 January 1574) he became dean of Wells

Dean of Wells

The Dean of Wells is the head of the Chapter of Wells Cathedral in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The current Dean is the Very Revd John Clarke, who lives in The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.-List of the Deans of Wells:*1140–1164 Ivo...

. Between 1576 and 1580 he served on several important royal commissions. To the parliament which assembled on 23 November 1584 he was returned both for the city of Chichester and the borough of Hindon, Wiltshire, and it is probable that he elected to serve for Chichester.

On 30 January 1585 the queen issued a commission to Dale and Sir Julius Cæsar to exercise admiralty jurisdiction during the vacancy of the office of lord high admiral. On 20 February 1585 Dale was in the special commission of oyer and terminer

Oyer and terminer

In English law, Oyer and terminer was the Law French name, meaning "to hear and determine", for one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat...

 for Middlesex, under which Dr. William Parry was arraigned and convicted of high treason

High treason

High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...

. On 22 March following he was presented to the mastership of Sherburn Hospital

Sherburn Hospital

Sherburn Hospital is a medieval hospital located in the hamlet of Sherburn House to the southeast of Durham, England....

, County Durham

County Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

. His name occurs in the special commission for Middlesex (5 September 1586), under which Anthony Babington

Anthony Babington

Anthony Babington was convicted of plotting the assassination of Elizabeth I of England and conspiring with the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots...

 and others were indicted for treason. He assisted at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Fotheringhay

Fotheringhay

Fotheringhay is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, six kilometres north east of Oundle and around west of Peterborough. It is most noted for being the site of Fotheringhay Castle which was razed in 1627...

, in October the same year; and to the parliament which met on the 15th of that month he was again returned for Chichester. He acted as one of the high commissioners for causes ecclesiastical at the deprivation of Robert Cawdrey

Robert Cawdrey

Robert Cawdrey produced one of the first dictionaries of the English language, the Table Alphabeticall, in 1604.-Career:...

 on 30 May 1587.

In February 1588 Dale, Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby

Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby

Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby KG was a prominent English nobleman who served as Lord High Steward during the trial of Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel....

, William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham

William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham

William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and a Member of Parliament for Hythe. Although he was viewed by some as a religious radical during the Somerset protectorate, he entertained Elizabeth at Cobham Hall in 1559, signalling his acceptance of the moderate regime.His...

, Sir James Croft, and John Rogers, were sent as ambassadors to Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma

Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma

Alexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...

 to treat for a league between England and Spain. The negotiations were broken off on account of the fitting out of the Spanish Armada

Spanish Armada

This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...

 for the invasion of England. To the parliament of 4 February 1589 Dale was once more returned for Chichester. He was present as a commissioner at the trial, on 18 April 1580, of Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, for high treason. It has been stated that he went on an embassy to Portugal. He died on 17 November 1589, at his house near St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and was buried at St Gregory by St Paul's

St Gregory by St Paul's

St Gregory's by St Paul's was a parish church in the Castle Baynard ward of the City of London It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt...

. It appears that he also had a residence in Hampshire

Hampshire

Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...

, and that he was a justice of the peace for that county. His daughter Dorothy was the wife of Sir John North, knight, eldest son of Roger North, 2nd Baron North

Roger North, 2nd Baron North

Roger North, 2nd Baron North was an English peer and politician at the court of Elizabeth I.He was the son of Edward North, 1st Baron North, for whom the title Baron North had been created. After representing Cambridgeshire in several parliaments , North acceded to his title in 1564...

.