He again attended in his place on the 26th of November, 1661, from which time to the 17th of May, when Parliament was prorogued, until the 18th of February, 1662, he attended thirty-two meetings with much irregularity, being on one occasion absent for above a month; and he did not appear on the re-opening of Parliament, when the House being called, he was declared absent; wherefore, it would seem he attended on the next meeting of the House, on the 25th of the same month, when he was elected one of a Committee to report on Petitions, occasioning his further more regular attendance.
These particulars satisfactorily show his residence in or near London, while they likewise account for the nature of a large share of the employments that then engaged his active mind. But a change in the Government had brought him little if any alleviation in a pecuniary point of view, for on the 2nd of July, 1661, his petition was read in the House of Peers,[K] showing “That he having contracted many debts in the service of his late Majesty’s wars, and some of his creditors have obtained judgments against his estate, and are now extending his lands, being contrary to the privilege of Parliament, he being a Peer of this Realm.
“It is Ordered, That there shall be no further proceedings, by any of the Marquis of Worcester’s said creditors, against him, during the time of the privilege of this Parliament: And hereof all counsel, attornies, and solicitors herein employed, or to be employed, are to take notice, and yield obedience to this Order, as the contrary will be answered to this House.”
And as affecting his property, on the 7th of August, 1660, he had leave granted him by the House to bring in a Bill,[L] “for restoring him to his estate, as other Lords have.” Accordingly, on the 13th of that month an Act for the same was read. But in consequence of the petitions of certain creditors, his Lordship had leave granted him on the 28th of February, 1661–2, to withdraw his Bill; and on the 10th of March following he brought forward an amended Bill, entitled--“An Act on the behalf of Edward, Marquis of Worcester, and of the creditors of the said Marquis, for vesting and settling upon the feoffees, in trust, certain manors, lands, and tenements, for payment of the debts of the said Marquis.” In fact, the estates were heavily encumbered, the petitioners, among others, alleging, that “They have bought lands and houses of the Marquis of Worcester, for which they have as good assurances as the law can give;” and being heard by counsel at the bar of the House, they succeeded in their object, as just stated.