Anthony Buller (1613–1679) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

between 1659 and 1660. He fought in the

Parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

army in the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

. 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.Duke Henning ''The House of Commons, 1660-1690''
/ref> 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 The Isles of Scilly ( ; ) are a small archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is over farther south than the most southerly point of the British mainland at Lizard Point, and has the souther ...

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 the

Western Design The Western Design was an English expedition against the Spanish West Indies during the 1654 to 1660 Anglo-Spanish War. Part of an ambitious plan by Oliver Cromwell to end Spanish dominance in the Americas, the force was short of supplies an ...

, an expedition to the West Indies during the

Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660) The Anglo-Spanish War was a conflict between the Commonwealth of England, English The Protectorate, Protectorate and Spain between 1654 and 1660. It was driven by the economic and religious rivalry between the two countries, with each side at ...

. He was a colonel of foot from 1654 to 1655. In 1659, Buller was elected Member of Parliament for

Callington Callington () is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston. Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had increased to 5,78 ...

in the

Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a po ...

. In 1660, he was elected MP for

Saltash Saltash () is a town and civil parish in south Cornwall, England. It had a population of 16,184 in 2011 census. Saltash faces the city of Plymouth over the River Tamar and is popularly known as "the Gateway to Cornwall". Saltash’s landmarks ...

in the Convention Parliament. 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 Bossiney (, meaning ''Kyni's dwelling'') is a village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is north-east of the larger village of Tintagel which it adjoins: further north-east are the Rocky Valley and Trethevy. Until 1832 the village, ...

. 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 The Second Anglo-Dutch War, began on 4 March 1665, and concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Breda on 31 July 1667. It was one in a series of naval wars between England and the Dutch Republic, driven largely by commercial disputes. Despi ...

, and was given a newly built Sloop HMS Portsmouth. 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buller, Anthony 1613 births 1679 deaths Politicians from Saltash 17th-century soldiers Roundheads English MPs 1659 English MPs 1660 Anthony, 1613 Members of the Parliament of England for Callington Members of the Parliament of England for Saltash