Manchester, EDWARD MONTAGU, second EARL OF, English general and statesman, was the son of the first earl, and was born in 1602. After leaving Cambridge—his college was Sidney Sussex—he accompanied Prince Charles to Spain, and afterwards sat in the House of Lords as Baron Kimbolton. But siding with the popular party, and being an acknowledged leader of the Puritans in the Upper House, he was charged by the king (3d January 1642) with entertaining traitorous designs, along with the five independent members of the House of Commons. He succeeded his father as earl in the same year. On the outbreak of hostilities he of course fought for the parliament. He served under Essex at Edgehill, then held the associated (eastern) counties against Newcastle, took Lincoln (1644), and routed Prince Rupert at Marston Moor—that is to say, he nominally commanded; the real fighting was done by Cromwell and his Ironsides. He then marched to oppose the royalists in the south-west, and defeated them at Newbury (the second battle). But after this battle he again showed slackness in following up the victory, the same fault that had been noticed after Marston
Moor. In consequence Cromwell accused him of military incompetency in the House of Commons, and the two had a downright quarrel. The Self-denying Ordinance deprived Manchester of his command, and this did not allay his bitterness against Cromwell. He opposed the trial of the king, and protested against the Commonwealth. Afterwards, having been active in promoting the Restoration, he was made Lord Chamberlain, a step designed to conciliate the Presbyterians. He died 5th May 1671.
His grandson, CHARLES MONTAGU, fourth EARL, supported William of Orange in Ireland, was sent as ambassador extraordinary to Venice (1696), Paris (1699), and Vienna (1707), and was made Duke of Manchester in 1719 for having favoured the Hanoverian succession. He died 20th January 1722.