He served as captain of a band of lancers in the English army in the
Netherlands, and in 1588 was knighted for his services. In 1597 he commanded a ship in the expedition to the
Azores.
In 1601, Scott was implicated in
Essex's Rebellion but succeeded in clearing himself, and in the same year was a parliamentary candidate for
Kent in 1601. He was unsuccessful on this first attempt, but was elected its MP in the Parliament of 1604 and for
Maidstone in the
Addled Parliament of 1614.
In November 1603
Anne of Denmark appointed him as one of the advisors for the administration of her English jointure lands.[2] Scott was an early investor in the
Colony of Virginia. He became a member of the Council for Virginia in 1607, the year when that colony was re-established, subscribing £75, and was a councillor of the
Virginia Company of London in 1609.
He died in 1616 and was buried at
Brabourne in Kent.
Secondly, before 17 September 1599[citation needed], he married Katherine Smythe, widow of
Sir Rowland Hayward,
Lord Mayor of London, and daughter of
Thomas Smythe (d.1591). She was baptised Katherine Smith on 6 Dec 1561 at All Hallows Lombard Street, City of London and is recorded in the Smythe pedigree taken during the Heraldic Visitation of London in 1568 and the Visitation of Kent in 1619 as the daughter of Thomas Smythe and Alice Judde. Without issue.