By this time, the Glorious Revolution was already in train. Early in November, Abingdon was the first of the peers to openly take arms for William of Orange. On 22 November, Bertie and his father-in-law Sir Edward Norreys held a dinner with the corporation of Oxford, and agreed to bring Oxford over to William as well. On 25 November, he led a company of men out of Oxford to Witney, who met reinforcements there and proceeded toward Banbury. Bertie and his militia joined Sir Ralph Dutton in rescuing Lord Lovelace from jail in Gloucester; Lovelace, a zealous Whig and political rival of the Berties before the Revolution, had been captured at Cirencester trying to break through a force loyal to James. Bertie returned to Oxford on 5 December with the troops under Lord Lovelace, who came to hold Oxford for the Prince. He and Norreys were returned for Oxford in the abortive December elections.