Robert Byerley

Robert Byerley (1660–1714), of Middridge Grange, Heighington, County Durham, and Goldsborough, Yorkshire, was an English soldier and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1685 and 1714. He is credited with capturing the Byerley Turk, a famous stallion considered one of the three major foundation sires of the Thoroughbred breed of race horse. Byerley was the fourth, but second surviving son of Anthony Byerley of Middridge Grange, Heighington, county Durham and his wife Anne Hutton daughter of Col Sir Richard Hutton of Goldsborough Hall. He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford in 1677. As a soldier Byerley was a captain of an independent troop in 1685 and a member of Queen Dowager's Horse (later the 6th Dragoon Guards) from 1685 to 1687. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1689 and colonel in 1689–1692. Although he was said to have fought at the Battle of Buda in 1686 there is no actual evidence that he fought abroad. There is evidence, however that he fought Battle of the Boyne in 1690. He is famous for owning the Byerley Turk, one of the three founding stallions of all thoroughbred horses in the world, whose origins are still uncertain. Byerley was elected Tory Member of Parliament for County Durham in 1685 and 1689. He was then returned for Knaresborough in 1695, 1698, Feb and Dec 1701, 1702, 1705, 1708, 1710 and 1713.