married a daughter of William Mascall (d. 1609), rector of Clotworthy, Somerset, and succeeded to the rectory on Mascall's death. In May 1625 he received a dispensation to hold also the vicarage of Dulverton, Somerset. His living of Clotworthy was sequestered, and he was imprisoned at Wells for loyal correspondence. He died in 1653, and is said to have left a manuscript account of his sufferings.
Edward, third son of Lawrence Byam, was born at the end of September 1585, matriculated at Exeter College 31 Oct. 1600, chosen demy at Magdalen 1601 (till 1610), graduated B.A. 12 Dec. 1604, M.A. 13 July 1607, took priest's orders 7 April 1612, and was presented 4 Aug. 1612 to the vicarage of Dulverton, Somerset, which he resigned, May 1625 to his brother John. On 30 April 1627 he was collated to the precentorship of Cloyne, and he afterwards became vicar of Castle Lyons. On 17 April 1639 he received the prebend of Clashmore in the diocese of Lismore. He died at Kilwillin 6 June 1639, and was buried at Castle Lyons. He married 22 July 1613, at Walton, Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Eaglesfield, formerly fellow of Queen's, then vicar of Chewton Mendip, rector of Walton-cum-Street, and prebendary of Wells. His widow, Elizabeth Byam, was among the despoiled and impoverished protestants of 1642. His son William was lieutenant-general, and governor of Guiana and Surinam. Edward Byam wrote ‘Lines on the death of Q. Elizabeth’ in ‘Acad. Ox. Funebre Officium in mem. Eliz. Reginæ,’ Oxford, 1603.
[Chronological Memoir of the three clerical brothers, &c. Byam, by Edward S. Byam, Ryde, n. d. (dedication 5 Aug. 1854), 2nd ed. Tenby, 1862; Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, ii. 29, 207; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), iii. 836; Fasti, i. 296, &c.; Bloxam's Register of Magdalen College, the Demies, vol. ii. 1876, p. 1.]
BYER, NICHOLAS (d. 1681), painter, was a native of Drontheim in Norway. He practised portrait and historical painting, and on coming to England found a steady patron in Sir William Temple, at whose seat at Sheen, in Surrey, he lived for three or four years (Walpole, Anecdotes of Painting, ed. Wornum, ii. 479). His reputation as a face-painter must have been considerable; several persons of distinction, including some members of the royal family, sat to him. Dying at Sheen in 1681 he is said to have been the first person buried at St. Clement Danes after the rebuilding of the church (Redgrave, Dictionary of Artists, 1878, p. 66).
[Authorities as above.]
BYERLEY, THOMAS (d. 1826), journalist and compiler of the ‘Percy Anecdotes,’ was the brother of Sir John Byerley. Devoting himself to literary pursuits, he became editor of the ‘Literary Chronicle’ and assistant editor of the ‘Star’ newspaper. He was also editor of ‘The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction,’ from 1823 till his death, on 28 July 1826. Under the pseudonym of Stephen Collet Byerley published ‘Relics of Literature,’ London, 1823, 8vo, a collection of miscellanies, including a long article, reprinted in 1875, on the art of judging the character of individuals from their handwriting; but his chief claim to remembrance rests on ‘The Percy Anecdotes,’ 20 vols., London, 1821–3, 12mo. These volumes, which came out in forty-four monthly parts, were professedly written by ‘Sholto and Reuben Percy, brothers of the Benedictine monastery of Mount Benger.’ Reuben Percy was Thomas Byerley, and Sholto Percy was Joseph Clinton Robertson, who died in 1852. The name of the collection was taken from the Percy coffee-house in Rathbone Place, where Byerley and Robertson were accustomed to meet. Byron insisted that ‘no man who has any pretensions to figure in good society can fail to make himself familiar with the “Percy Anecdotes;”’ but the work is now acknowledged to be of no real value. The ‘Anecdotes’ were reprinted in 2 vols. in the ‘Chandos Library,’ with four pages of preface by John Timbs, F.S.A. The ‘Brothers Percy’ also compiled ‘London, or Interesting Memorials of its Rise, Progress, and Present State,’ 3 vols., London, 1823, 12mo.
[Notes and Queries, 1st ser. vii. 214, 3rd ser. ix. 168; Cat. of Printed Books in Brit. Mus.; Preface to reprint of Percy Anecdotes; Gent. Mag. N.S. xxxviii. 548.]
BYERS or BYRES, JAMES (1733–1817), architect and archæologist, died at his seat Tonley, in the parish of Tough, Aberdeenshire, on 3 Sept. 1817, in the eighty-fourth year of his age (Scots Mag. N.S. 1817, i. 196). During a residence of nearly forty years at Rome, from 1750 to 1790, he assiduously collected antique sculpture. At one time he possessed the Portland vase, which he parted with to Sir William Hamilton. Bishop Percy, for whom Byers procured old Italian romances, calls him ‘the pope's antiquary at Rome’ (Nichols's Illustr. of Lit. iii. 726, vii. 718–19). Byers also gave lectures for many years on the favourite objects
