John Byron (died 1567)

For other people named John Byron, see John Byron (disambiguation).

Sir John Byron or Beron (1487/8 – 1567) was an English knight of the Tudor era, who was Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1529.

He was the son and heir of Sir Nicolas Byron, who was knighted by Prince Arthur in 1502.

Sir John lived at Colwick in Nottinghamshire, before being granted Newstead Abbey in the same county by Henry VIII of England on 26 May 1540. He was appointed Lieutenant of Sherwood Forest. He was also Steward of Manchester and Rochdale. He was a trusted adviser to Henry VIII, and was at court most of his life. He started work on Newstead, making it into a home for his family.

He was appointed Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire for 1523–24, 1527–28, 1542–43 and 1551–52. He was Custos Rotulorum of Nottinghamshire by 1562.

Family

He married twice: firstly Isabel Lemmington (or Lenington), by whom he had no issue and secondly Elizabeth, the daughter of William Costerdine of Lancashire, and also the widow of George Halgh of Halgh, Lancashire, with whom he had a son, John. His son, Sir John Byron (aka Little Sir John with the Great Beard), was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I of England and his grandson became the first Baron Byron.