in
in 1721, and to support himself taught a new method of shorthand of his own
invention, till he succeeded (1740) to his father's estate on the death of
his elder brother. His diary gives interesting portraits and letters of the
many great men of his time whom he knew intimately. He died on the 26th of
September 1763. A collection of his poems was published in 1773, and he is
included in Alexander Chalmers's _English Poets_. His system of shorthand
was not published until after his death, when it was printed as _The
Universal English Shorthand; or the way of writing English in the most
easy, concise, regular and beautiful manner, applicable to any other
language, but particularly adjusted to our own_ (Manchester, 1767).

The _Private Journal and Literary Remains of John Byrom, related by Richard
Parkinson, D.D._, was published by the Chetham Society (1854-1857).

BYRON, GEORGE GORDON BYRON, 6TH BARON (1788-1824), English poet, was born
in London at 16 Holles Street, Cavendish Square, on the 22nd of January
1788. The Byrons were of Norman stock, but the founder of the family was
Sir John Byron, who entered into possession of the priory and lands of
Newstead in the county of Nottingham in 1540. From him it descended (but
with a bar-sinister) to a great-grandson, John (1st Baron) Byron (_q.v._),
a Cavalier general, who was raised to the peerage in 1643. The first Lord
Byron died childless, and was succeeded by his brother Richard, the
great-grandfather of William, the 5th lord, who outlived son and grandson,
and was [v.04 p.0898] succeeded by his great-nephew, the poet. Admiral the
Hon. John Byron (_q.v._) was the poet's grandfather. His eldest son,
Captain John Byron, the poet's father, was a libertine by choice and in an
eminent degree. He caused to be divorced, and married (1779) as his first
wife, the marchioness of Carmarthen (born Amelia D'Arcy), Baroness Conyers
in her own right. One child of the marriage survived, the Hon. Augusta
Byron (1783-1851), the poet's half-sister, who, in 1807, married her first
cousin, Colonel George Leigh. His second marriage to Catherine Gordon (b.
1765) of Gight in Aberdeenshire took place at Bath on the 13th of May 1785.
He is said to have squandered the fortunes of both wives. It is certain
that Gight was sold to pay his debts (1786), and that the sole provision
for his wife was a settlement of L3000. It was an unhappy marriage. There
was an attempt at living together in France, and,