William Lyford (1598–1653) was an English nonconformist clergyman, elected to the Westminster Assembly though not sitting in it.

Lyford was born at Peasemore, near Newbury in Berkshire, the son of the rector, an elder William Lyford and his wife, Mary Smith. He entered Magdalen Hall, Oxford, as a commoner on 26 April 1615, became a demy of Magdalen College in 1617, and graduated B.A. on 16 December 1618. He proceeded M.A. on 14 June 1621 (incorporated at Cambridge 1623), and B.D. 12 May 1631. On the presentation of John Digby, 1st Earl of Bristol, he became vicar of Sherborne, Dorset, in 1631.

His Calvinistic views left him undisturbed during the civil war; he was chosen member of the Westminster Assembly, but did not sit. In 1653 he was allowed an annuity out of Lord Digby’s estate. Lyford died at Sherborne on 3 October 1653, and was buried under the communion table in the chancel of the church. By his wife Elizabeth he left children. [More via Wikipedia] [Biographical Preface from The Instructed Christian] [More from Benjamin Brooks’ The Lives of the Puritans]

The Works of William Lyford:

An Apology for our Public Ministry and Infant Baptism. (51 pages)
[pdf web via Google Books]

The Instructed Christian. (342 pages)
[pdf epub mobi txt web via Internet Archive]
or, The Plain Man’s Senses Exercised to Discern Both Good and Evil.  Lyford wrote this to help laymen discern truth from error.  Lyford presents error on topics such as the divine authority of Scripture, the nature and essence of God, the deity of the Son of God, justification, and so forth.