Clark and Hogg Family History

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Robinson E Lyon 1826-1886

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Robinson e Lyon
Robinson E Lyon
(probably)
c. 1885
Robinson E. Lyon was born in Richmond, Ontario, the son of Captain George Lyon and his wife Catherine Radenhurst. For several years, he farmed in the Richmond area. On August 20, 1849 he married Elizabeth Ann Maxwell (born June 9, 1825) of Richmond. Elizabeth Ann died of "Quick TB" about 3 months after they were married. In about 1850, Robinson E. Lyon (sometimes written as Robertson E. Lyon in documents) married Sarah Maria Maxwell (born in Richmond, Canada on October 6, 1833), the younger sister of his first wife. They continued to farm in the area although Robinson E. is also listed sometimes as "barrister" and "merchant".
 
During this time he is known to have taken his turn in public life serving as a school trustee and in 1874 as Reeve. It is interesting to note that the father and his sons Omer and Robert were in competition responding to tenders for the supplying of wood to the local school. We must assume from this that Robert still owns his farm even though he is a successful Ottawa lawyer and has served a term as Mayor of Ottawa (1867). It could be, however, that the "Robert" listed in the sale of 1873 is a corruption of "Robertson" Lyon. Robinson E. Lyon was baptized as "Robertson E." This usage appears several times.
 
Contract with R E Lyon
NOV. 10 1873 contract with Robert Lyon for 15 cords of tamrac wood of 128 cubic feet each to be sawed into 2 foot lengths $2.00 per cord Thos. Shea gave verbal notice to Board that school finished Board examined said building and find it not satisfactory advertise for male and female teachers. NOV. 13 1875 tenders for wood as follows:
Tamarac Hardwood Omer Lyon $1.00 a cord $1.25 a cord R. E. Lyon .95 1.15 George Dunbar .98 David Moore .94 1.20 R. E. Lyons tender accepted 15 cords hardwood and 10 cords of tamarac, to be piled in shed, where it will be measured that Board consider one teacher sufficient for 1876 and reappointed John Dalglish at $400.
Sarah Maxwell
Sarah Maxwell,
wife of Robinson E Lyon
 
1861 and 1871 Census
The Census of 1861 does not include their eldest child, "Joseph Maxwell Lyon", as he was born in 1852 and died in 1855. It does list the family as including "William B." Lyon at one year of age. It has an error listing "Louisa" as the wife of Robinson E. Lyon though. The 1871 census does not list William Bradley Lyon so, as we had understood, he had died as a child in May 1861. The same would be true for "Ida Catherine" who was born in 1866 and died that same year. She would not appear on either the 1861 or 1871 census. The 1871 census has an error listing "Sarah Marion", wife of Robinson E., instead of "Sarah Maria". Omer is listed as "Ometrton D." instead of "Omerton C." In 1871, Omer, Charles, George and Albert are all listed as going to school.
 
Working on the Kingston & Pembroke Railroad
Around 1880, the lure of a job with the railroad attracted Robinson E. away from Richmond to Flower Station, one of the stops on the new Kingston & Pembroke Railroad north of Kingston, Ontario. Robinson became station agent there. Other members of his family who accompanied him and his wife on this move were also attracted to railway careers here and at other railway stops. In 1886, Robinson E. Lyon died of heart disease at either Flower Station or Clyde Forks, one of the other nearby stops in Lavant Township. His body was taken home to Richmond for burial. It would appear that no tomb stone was erected for him. Following his death, his wife Sarah, took over for him as station agent at Flower Station. She occupied that position for about 3 years until her son Fred Lyon was appointed station master at 18 years of age. Fred died in 1897 at 25 years of age. His sister Edith took over and held the position until her marriage in 1903. In the census of 1891, Sarah is listed as "occupation" being "general store" and her children Mary, Frederick and Henry are all listed as "telegraph opp." for "operators". Daughter Edith is only 15 so not with an occupation. Her son Robert Lyon, his wife Susan and 2 year old daughter Edith are listed as living in Flower Station as well. The 1901 census lists Sarah as "Post Mistress" (67 years of age) and only her daughter Edith at home at age 24 years. Her son Robert with wife and children - Edith, Benjamin, Rosswell, Lina and Gladys - are listed as still residing there. We know that Sarah resigned from her position as post mistress and moved to Calgary in 1907 to live with her youngest daughter Edith Lyon Stewart. Sarah died and was buried in Calgary in 1910.
 
The Lyon Family and The Railway in Canada
Railways provided the promise to Confederation that this vast territory, the northern half of the North American continent, would be bound together for both community and economic advantages. It must be remembered that the original Confederation of 1867 was made up of only eastern territories. It was only in the latter part of the 19'h century and the early 1900's that western provinces joined the union one by one. The railway pioneering followed that time span in those territories.
 
In Ontario, one of the early railways played a great role in the lives of the Lyon family members. This was the Kingston & Pembroke Railway, always fondly referred to as the "Kick & Push". The K & P was chartered on April 14, 1871. This was to open up communication to remote areas of settlement and to bring about an economic boom with jobs created in the building of the railway and in the creation of communities with stores and hotels etc. at the railway stops along the way. Jobs would also be created in the running and maintenance of the railway. Logging and mining would have a boom as a result of being able to get their products out to markets in the United States, Europe and the rest of Canada.
 
There were difficulties in completing the railway, though. The railway never did reach Pembroke. It took 12 years to build the 112 miles of track as far as Renfrew. This total included spur lines which ran to the mines. It was rough and wild terrain. With problems in slow construction came problems in maintaining both private and public funding for the project. Other problems are illustrated in the book "In Search of the K & P" where they quote for June 29, 1883 : "A telegram has been received in Kingston stating that a steamship having 4,000 tons of rails for the K & P is a total wreck in the Gulf of St. Lawrence." It is noted that during the North American Railroad boom, steel for Canadian railways came mostly from the mills of England and Wales. There was of course steel to be had in such American states as Pennsylvania, but this was earmarked for the American railroad expansion, and there was little or none for export to Canada. It was expensive to bring rail across the Atlantic to Canada. As well, the financial squabbles led to problems of vandalism
 
In 1913, the Kingston & Pembroke Railway Company officially became part of the Canadian Pacific Railway system. This had not been a sudden takeover by the CPR. For years there had been bargaining among financial investors and between the K & P and other railway lines for exchanges of services and ways of making its functioning more viable. The Lyon family involvement began around 1880 when Robinson E. Lyon, his wife Sarah Maxwell Lyon and their family moved from their farm in Richmond, Ontario to Flower Station on the K & P line. Richmond no longer had much to offer since it had been by-passed in influence.
 
Robinson E. was Station Agent at Flower Station until his death in 1886. He was replaced by his wife for some time and then by his son Fred W. Lyon, when he became 18 years of age. Fred died in 1897 at the age of 25 years. Charles H. Lyon also sold his farm in the Richmond area around this time and worked on the log drives through this area and lived in Snow Road where he likely worked in the Allen Saw Mill. Mary Maxwell Lyon Appleby, Robinson E. Lyon's daughter, worked as Station Agent at Clarendon Station for many years. Pictured is the original train station where she lived and raised her children (Edith Appleby Moss and Dr. Lyon Appleby). She was known in the area as being a rather no nonsense person. In the book "Back of Sunset", it is noted that "In contravention of railway rules - which demanded a clear line of sight up and down the track - Miss Appleby filled the windows of her station with red geraniums. None of the railway officials had the nerve to tell her to take them down!," "Miss Appleby" should of course be "Mrs. Appleby".
 
Harry Lyon, youngest son of Robinson E. Lyon left the Flower Station area in the late 1890's and established the CPR drop off point in Crowsnest Pass near the Rockies. He basically established the community which later became known as Blairmore, Alberta. Another son Robert Lyon of Lavant and Kingston also had a career in railway work. As illustrated, the Lyon family mentioned here as well as others participated to a considerable degree in the early life with the railway in this "K & P" area and throughout Canada.
 
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Mary Maxwell Lyon Appleby served as Station Agent at both the old and new stations at Clarendon. Many stations along the K & P were not nearly as large and elaborate as these.
 
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fire little ;ration at P lower on the Kingston and Pcmbroke Railway line where Robinson E. Leon, his wife Sarah and family member, Frederick, Mary,:, Harry and Edith worker) as station agents and/or telegraph operators for almost _'3 years beginning, in approx. 1830. Others such as their son, Robert Ernest Lyon, also worker) on the railway line. Sarah worked as Post Mistress in the Wage until she resigned in 1907 and moved to be with her daughter EMS Lyon Stewart in Calgary.
 
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fire tombstone in I nion Cemetery-. it*, ( Calgary which marks the grave of Sarah Maxwell Lyon -Mho died there in !`1!U. Her husband. Robinson E. Lyon died in 1886 and was buried in Richmond, Ontario. " In Memory beloved wife of the late Robinson Lyon Born at Richmond, Octoberb- h. I S-13
 
George Seymour Lyon (1858-1938)
 
George Seymour Lyon
 
 

George Seymour Lyon (1858-1938) was the son of Robinson E Lyon. George was a famous amateur golfer in Canada in the early 1900's. He was the captain of Lambton Golf Club for 23 years and President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association in 1923.

He was Canadian Amateur Champion eight times between 1898 and 1914.

 
Olympic Champion

George Seymour Lyon won the Olympic gold medal for golf at the 1904 Olympics.

See George Seymour Lyon

 
 
 
George Seymour Lyon
 
Information provided and based upon research by
Jim McTavish, Barbara Gibson, Reg Lyon, George Mackenzie and Cynthia Milligan.
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