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Wade, and on 13 June 1695 was appointed captain of the grenadier company.

On the breaking out of the war with France in 1702, Sir Bevil Granville's (late Lord Bath's) regiment was in Flanders, and Wade served with his corps at the sieges of Kaiserswerth, Venlo, and Roermond; also in the action with the French near Nimeguen. In the autumn of 1702 Captain Wade served at the siege of Liège. It is recorded that Wade's grenadiers greatly distinguished themselves in storming and carrying the citadel, one of the strongest fortifications in Flanders. On 20 March 1703 Wade was promoted major, and in August of the same year served at the siege and capture of Huy. On 25 Oct. 1703 he succeeded to the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment, and in 1704 volunteered for service in Portugal, whither a British contingent was about to be despatched under the Earl of Galway. Through Galway's influence Wade received the staff appointment of adjutant-general in Portugal, with the brevet rank of colonel, on 27 Aug. 1704. In the spring of 1705 Galway laid siege to the frontier town of Valencia d'Alcantara, which was carried by storm on 8 May. At this siege Robert Duncanson, colonel of the regiment afterwards the 33rd foot and now the Duke of Wellington's West Riding regiment, was killed, and the colonelcy was bestowed on Wade. On 10 April 1706 Wade was wounded at the siege of Alcantara, but continued to serve on Galway's staff, and accompanied the allied forces to Madrid, which was entered in triumph on 27 June. The well-known tripartite comedy of errors was now played by the three leading Carlist actors, Galway, Peterborough, and Charles. After a month of inaction at Madrid, Galway left the Spanish capital with the allied forces and retreated to Valencia. ‘The retreat was made in so good order,’ wrote Lord Galway, ‘that the enemy, superior as they were in number, never durst venture to attack us after the warm reception twenty-two of their squadrons met with from two battalions under the command of Colonel Wade in the town of Villa Nova.’ Wade earned fresh laurels at the fatal battle of Almanza on 25 April 1707, where he commanded, as a brigadier-general in the Spanish army, the third brigade of British infantry, which bore the brunt of the fighting and lost heavily. He miraculously escaped capture, and joined Galway at Alcira, whence he was sent to England with despatches. On 1 Jan. 1707–8 Wade was promoted brigadier-general in the British army, and returned to Spain in the spring. He was chosen second in command to General James Stanhope (afterwards first Earl Stanhope) [q. v.] in the expedition to Minorca which sailed from Barcelona in September 1708. At the siege of Port Philip, which defended Port Mahon, Wade led the stormers, captured a redoubt, and afterwards negotiated a capitulation. Port Philip being reduced, the capital and whole island at once submitted, and became a British dependency. Wade received a complimentary letter from Charles III and the commission of major-general in the Carlist army. In November he was sent home with news of the reduction of Minorca.

After leaving England Wade remained in Portugal until 1710, when he joined Stanhope in Spain and was given the command of a brigade of infantry. On 20 Aug. was fought the battle of Saragossa. All the colours, twenty-two pieces of cannon, and nearly four thousand prisoners were captured, besides King Philip's plate and equipage. Wade was recommended for promotion by Stanhope (Colonel Harrison to Lord Dartmouth on 23 Sept. 1710), and sent to England to ask for additional troops and supplies.

Wade did not return to Spain. He was promoted major-general on 3 Oct. 1714, and a month later was appointed major-general of the forces in Ireland. It is doubtful whether he took up this command, as he was returned to parliament for Hindon, Wiltshire, on 25 Jan. 1714–15. When the rebellion broke out in 1715 Wade was sent to Bath, which was strongly Jacobite, in command of two regiments of dragoons. His zeal in ferreting out conspiracies resulted in a find of eleven chests of firearms, swords, cartridges, three pieces of cannon, one mortar, and moulds to cast cannon, which had been buried underground. Two years later Wade was instrumental in discovering a plot against the government hatched by Count Gyllenberg, the Swedish ambassador, who was arrested. On 19 March 1717 George I bestowed the colonelcy of the regiment now known as the 3rd dragoon guards on Wade; and when it was decided to send an expedition, under Sir Richard Temple, viscount Cobham [q. v.], against Vigo in 1719, Wade was appointed second in command. This expedition was entirely successful. Vigo surrendered, and Pont-a-Vedra was taken by Wade, who captured and destroyed the arsenal after removing the most valuable guns, stores, and ammunition, which were sent on board the fleet.

In 1722 Wade was elected M.P. for Bath, which borough he continued to represent until his death. Two years later he was sent to Scotland to reconnoitre the