Col. Anthony Buller, MP

Family and Education bap. 14 Nov. 1613, 5th s. of Sir Richard Buller† (d.1642) of Shillingham, Cornw. by Alice, da. of Sir Rowland Hayward, Clothworker, of Elsing Spittal, London, bro. of Francis Buller† and George Buller. m. Anne, da. of Sir John Wyndham of Orchard Wyndham, Som., 1s. 2da.1

Offices Held

Capt. of horse (parliamentary) to 1645, maj. 1645-6; gov. Scilly Isles 1647-8, dep. gov. 1666-7; col. of ft. 1654-5; capt. Duke of York’s Horse Gds. July 1660-1, Admiralty Regt. (Duke of York’s Ft.) 1667-d.2

Biography Buller’s valour in the service of Parliament was well known, though his troopers gave great offence by their disorderly and licentious conduct. He was given the governorship of Scilly after Francis Godolphin surrendered the islands to Parliament in 1646; but he was taken prisoner when the islands revolted to the Royalists two years later, though treated with ‘special kindness’ as ‘a gallant soldier’. During the Protectorate he served on the ill-fated expedition to the West Indies.3

Buller sat for Callington in Richard Cromwell’s Parliament, but transferred to the family borough of Saltash in 1660. Marked as a friend by Lord Wharton, he was probably a court supporter, being commissioned in the Duke of York’s regiment at the Restoration. An inactive Member of the Convention ‘Col. Buller’ was named only to the committee of 6 Sept. to regulate the Post Office, which was earmarked to provide the Duke with an independent income. Parliament accepted his claim of £3,436 for his military service as a charge upon the excise, but interest was still being paid to his executrix after his death. Buller apparently challenged the Robartes interest at Bossiney in 1661, when he was returned by the ‘free burgesses and commonalty’; but his opponents were seated on the merits of the return, and he did not press his case. During the second Dutch war he raised 300 ‘comely, well-apparelled young men’ for the defence of Scilly, and was rewarded with the grant of the newly built sloop Portsmouth and a permanent commission, though despite his long experience he remained an ineffective disciplinarian. In his will, proved on 7 Aug. 1679, he provided for portions of £2,000 each to his daughters, and left the residue of his personal estate in Weybridge and Westminster to his only son. But nothing further is known of his descendants.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690 Authors: M. W. Helms / Eveline Cruickshanks Notes 1. Vivian, Vis. Cornw. 56; PCC 125 King. 2. CSP Dom. 1644-5, p. 411; 1648-9, p. 366; 1655, p. 326; 1665-6, p. 495; 1679-80, p. 232; Parl. Intell. 23 July 166O. 3. M. Coate, Cornw. in Gt. Civil War, 241; CSP Dom. 1644-5, pp. 407, 561; HMC 6th Rep. 184; HMC Pepys, 230, 274; HMC 7th Rep. 571, 574. 4. CJ, viii. 234; CSP Dom. 1666-7, p 92; 1667, p. 382; 1667-8, p. 435; 1673, p. 439; Cal. Treas. Bks. iv. 84, 135; vii. 425; PCC 125 King.

From Wikipedia:

Anthony Buller (1613–1679) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1659 and 1660. He fought in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.

Buller was the son of Sir Richard Buller, of Shillingham, Cornwall and his wife Alice Hayward, daughter of Sir Rowland Hayward. He was baptised on 14 November 1613. The Buller family was originally from Somerset and acquired Shillingham in around 1555.[1] In the Civil War, he was a captain on the horse in the Parliamentary army becoming major in 1646. His own reputation for valour was high, but his troopers were given to disorderly and licentious behaviour. He was governor of the Scilly Isles after they were surrendered by Francis Godolphin in 1647 until 1648 when he was captured in the Royalist revolt. He was held prisoner but treated with special kindness as a "gallant soldier". He served in an expedition to the West Indies and was a colonel of foot from 1654 to 1655.[1]

In 1659, Buller was elected Member of Parliament for Callington in the Third Protectorate Parliament.[2] In 1660, he was elected MP for Saltash in the Convention Parliament.[3] He was a captain in the Duke of York's Horse Guards from 1660 to 1661. In 1661 he stood unsuccessfully for parliament for Bossiney. He was deputy governor of the Scilly Isles from 1666 to 1667. He served in the admiralty regiment from 1667 until his death. He raised 300 men for the defence of the Scilly Isles during the Second Dutch War, and was given a newly built Sloop HMS Portsmouth.[1]

Buller died before August 1679 when his will was proved. He was married and had a son who inherited his estates in Westminster and Weybridge and four daughters. His brothers Francis Buller and George Buller were also MPs for Saltash.[1]

References[edit]1.^ a b c d Duke Henning The House of Commons, 1660-1690 2.^ Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 .... London. pp. 229–239. 3.^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 2)[self-published source][better source needed] Parliament of England Preceded by Not represented in Second Protectorate Parliament Member of Parliament for Callington 1659 With: Thomas Carew Succeeded by Not represented in Restored Rump