Edward Massey Sir Edward Massey ( c . 1619 – 1674 ) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1646 and 1674 . He fought for the Parliamentary cause the first and second English Civil War s before changing allegiance and fighting for King Charles II during Third Civil War . During the Interregnum he was active for the Royalist cause . After the Restoration he was knighted and was active in public life , as Member of Parliament and occasionally in military and administrative affairs . Early life . Massey was the fifth son of John Massey of Coddington , Cheshire and his wife Anne Grosvenor , daughter of Richard Grosvenor of Eaton , Cheshire . He may have been a London apprentice before serving in the Dutch army against the armies of Philip III of Spain who ruled the Spanish Netherlands ( see Dutch Revolt ) . In 1639 he appears as a captain of pioneers in the army raised by Charles I of England to fight against the Scots . At the outbreak of the English Civil War he was with the King at York , but he soon joined the Parliamentary army . Parliamentary soldier . As lieutenant colonel under the Earl of Stamford Massey became deputy governor of Gloucester , where he remained till towards the end of the First Civil War , becoming governor early in 1643 . He conducted minor operations against numerous small bodies of Royalists , and conducted the defence of Gloucester against the King ' s main army in August 1643 , with great steadiness and ability , receiving the thanks of parliament and a grant of ₤1 , 000 for his services . In 1644 , Massey continued to keep the field and to disperse the local Royalists , and on several occasions he measured swords with Prince Rupert . In May 1644 , he was made general of the forces of the Western Association . In 1645 , he took the offensive against Lord Goring and the western Royalists , advanced to the relief of Taunton , and in the autumn cooperated effectively with Sir Thomas Fairfax and the New Model Army in the Langport campaign . After taking part in the desultory operations which closed the first war , he was elected Member of Parliament for Wootton Bassett . Royalist soldier . Massey then began to take an active part in politics on the Presbyterian side , and was one of the generals who was impeached by the army on the ground that they were attempting to revive the Civil War in the Presbyterian interests . He fled from England in June 1647 , and though he resumed his seat in the house in 1648 , he was again excluded by Pride ' s Purge , and after a short imprisonment escaped to Holland . Thence , taking the side of Royalists openly and definitely . Like many other Presbyterians , he accompanied Charles II to Scotland . He fought against Cromwell ' s army at the bridge of Stirling and Inverkeithing , and commanded the advanced guard of the Royalist army in the invasion of England in 1651 . It was hoped that Massey ' s influence would win over the towns of the Severn valley to the cause of the King , and the march of the army on Worcester was partly inspired by this expectation . At the Battle of Worcester , he was seriously wounded , and when Massey realised that his wounds were dangerously slowing King Charles II down during his escape , he persuaded Charles to continue without him , although the king was reluctant to leave him . Massey was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London . He again managed to escape to Holland . While negotiating with the English Presbyterians for the restoration of Charles , he visited England twice , in 1654 and 1656 . He was arrested in England for his part in Booth ' s Uprising in 1659 , and able to escape for a third time . After his escape , while hiding in London , he encouraged the discontent which led to the soldier ' s mutiny over pay on 1 February 1660 . Restoration . In 1660 , Massey was elected MP for Gloucester in the Convention Parliament , and was active in preparing for Charles ' s return . He was awarded a knighthood on 27 May 1660 and a grant of ₤3 , 000 . In 1661 he was re - elected MP for Gloucester in the Cavalier Parliament . The rest of his life was spent in political , and occasionally in military and administrative business . He was unmarried , and died in Ireland in 1674 .