Robert Phayre Robert Phayre ( c . 1619 - 1682 ) was a soldier and one of the Regicide s of King Charles I of England . Son of a Devonshire clergyman who emigrated to Ireland , Phayre was driven from his farm during the Irish Uprising ( 1641 ) . He joined the army of Murrough O ' Brien , 1st Earl of Inchiquin to fight the Confederates and rose to the rank of lieutenant - colonel , but did not follow Inchiquin when he declared for the King in 1648 . Phayre went to England and joined the New Model Army . He was one of the officers delegated to supervise and carry out the King ' s execution in January 1649 . Phayre signed the general document , along with Cromwell and some 30 others , ( his name is on the left side of the document ) , but like Colonel Hercules Huncks , Phayre refused to sign the order to the executioner . After the King ' s execution , Phayre returned to service in Ireland under Lord Broghill . He served as governor of Cork and acquired Irish lands after the defeat of the Confederates . He was associated with Quakers and other religious radicals . At the Restoration , Phayre was arrested and transported to England . Although imprisoned in the Tower of London he was not brought to trial , but paid over a significant sum to the Crown , ( some say about two hundred thousand pounds ) , married the Protestant daughter of the Governor of the Tower of London and was released in 1662 . Notes . Robert Phayre was allegedly released from the tower of London on the first occasion for a one - year ' holiday ' after ceding 50 % of his assets in Ireland back to the crown . He duly arrived back at the tower one year after he was released and stayed there for a further few months . He negotiated his final release after forfeiting the majority of the rest of his assets . He was never tried for regicide , primarily as a result of his never signing the actual death warrant of Charles the 1st . However , he did draw up the article , as can be seen on the original document . Robert had a large family and has numerous direct descendants who are still living in Ireland , England , France , Kenya , the USA , Australia and Middle East . The Phayre family name is often spelled in different ways which include Phayer , Phair and different branches of his descendants use one of these forms . In Ireland his direct descendants are to be found in a number of locations , but chiefly in Limerick and Cork . The modern spelling of the surname is normally Phayer or Phair . The Limerick branch of the family have given their name to Phayer ' s Road in Meelick in East Clare and to Phayer ' s lane situated off Upper Catherine Street in Limerick City . The family also have a 19th Century tomb in St Munchin ' s Church of Ireland graveyard King ' s Island Limerick . The Cork branch of the family have a strong association with the Watergrass hill area . In England , modern Phayres include : Colonel Robert Phayre MC ( late Queen ' s Own Gurkhas ) deceased and buried in Bow , Devon , son Lt Colonel Desmond Phayre RA ( deceased ) , his son Lt Col Robin Phayre Lt Inf ( retd ) , and eldest grandson of Col Robert Phayre - Colonel Terence Phayre Knott MC RM ( retd ) and his son Robert Phayre ( late AAC ) served in Iraq , now Kenya , who changed his name by deed poll , to prevent name dying out .