He was 16 years of age in 1615 and 67 at his death in December 1664; he was probably born in 1598. He was a son of Richard Byfield by his second wife, and
Nicholas Byfield was his elder half-brother. In Michaelmas term 1615 he was entered either as servitor or
batler at
The Queen's College, Oxford. He graduated B.A. 19 October 1619, and M.A. 29 October 1622. He was curate or lecturer at
Isleworth, probably during his brother's incumbency (i.e. before 8 September 1622), and had some other minor employments before being presented in 1627 by Sir Thomas Evelyn to the rectory of
Long Ditton,
Surrey. He sat in the Westminster Assembly, but was not one of the divines nominated in the original ordinance of 12 June 1643, being appointed, perhaps through the influence of his nephew
Adoniram Byfield, to fill the vacancy caused by the 1645 death of
Daniel Featley. In 1654 he was appointed one of the assistant commissioners for Surrey, under the ordinance of 29 June for the ejection of scandalous, &c. ministers and schoolmasters. He held his rectory until the passing of the
Uniformity Act 1662; he retired to
Mortlake, where he was in the habit of preaching twice every Sunday in his own family, and did so the Sunday before his death. He died suddenly in December 1664, and was buried in Mortlake church. ==Works==