HN BYRON, 1ST BARON (c. 1600-1652), English cavalier, was the
eldest son of Sir John Byron (d. 1625), a member of an old Lancashire
family which had settled at Newstead, near Nottingham. During the third
decade of the 17th century Byron was member of parliament for the town and
afterwards for the county of Nottingham; and having been knighted and
gained some military experience he was an enthusiastic partisan of Charles
I. during his struggle with the parliament. In December 1641 the king made
him lieutenant of the Tower of London, but in consequence of the persistent
demand of the House of Commons he was removed from this position at his own
request early in 1642. At the opening of the Civil War Byron joined Charles
at York. He was present at the skirmish at Powick Bridge; he commanded his
own regiment of horse at Edgehill and at Roundway Down, where he was
largely responsible for the royalist victory; and at the first battle of
Newbury Falkland placed himself under his orders. In October 1643 he was
created Baron Byron of Rochdale, and was soon serving the king in Cheshire,
where the soldiers sent over from Ireland augmented his forces. His defeat
at Nantwich, however, in January 1644, compelled him to retire into
Chester, and he was made governor of this city by Prince Rupert. At Marston
Moor, as previously at Edgehill, Byron's rashness gave a great advantage to
the enemy; then after fighting in Lancashire and North Wales he returned to
Chester, which he held for about twenty weeks in spite of the king's defeat
at Naseby and the general hopelessness of the royal cause. Having obtained
favourable terms he surrendered the city in February 1646. Byron took some
slight part in the second Civil War, and was one of the seven persons
excepted by parliament from all pardon in 1648. But he had already left
England, and he lived abroad in attendance on the royal family until his
death in Paris in August 1652. Although twice married Byron left no
children, and his title descended to his brother Richard (1605-1679), who
had been governor of Newark. Byron's five other brothers served Charles I.
during the Civil War, and one authority says that the seven Byrons were all
present at Edgehill.

BYRON, HON. JOHN (1723-1786), British vice-admiral, second son of the 4th
Lord Byron, and grandfather of the poet, was born on the 8th of November
1723. While still very young, he accompanied Anson in his voyage of
discovery round the world. Dur