:''Sometimes confused with his contemporary

William Eyre (leveller) William Eyre ('' fl''. 1634–1675), was an English Parliamentary army officer in the English Civil War and a Leveller. Early life Eyre's origins are unknown, but Paul Hardacre writing in the ODNB suggests that as he held a captain's rank in the ...

'' William Eyre of Neston,

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

('' fl''. 1642–1660), was a parliamentarian army officer and politician. Eyre fought for the parliamentary cause in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. He may have risen from the rank of captain of foot to colonel (the latter rank probably being held in the Wiltshire militia). On 29 November 1648 he was returned as the member of parliament for

Chippenham Chippenham is a market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village ...

and was admitted to the

Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament was the English Parliament after Colonel Thomas Pride commanded soldiers to purge the Long Parliament, on 6 December 1648, of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason. "Rump" n ...

on 15 January 1649. At the end of the Protectorate, the restored Rump commissioned him colonel of a regiment of foot previously commanded by

John Lambert John Lambert may refer to: *John Lambert (martyr) (died 1538), English Protestant martyred during the reign of Henry VIII *John Lambert (general) (1619–1684), Parliamentary general in the English Civil War * John Lambert of Creg Clare (''fl.'' c. ...

. However, along with other officers who General

George Monck George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cruc ...

believed to be unsympathetic to the restoration of the monarchy, he was relieved of his command.

Notes

References

* Roundheads English army officers People from Corsham Year of birth missing Year of death missing Politicians from Wiltshire Place of birth missing English MPs 1648–1653 {{England-mil-bio-stub