Six Generations of Ownership

Julia Frances Lyon with the family.

Julia with Underhill Lyon

Julia on horse

Julia Lyons Saunders, 20 years of age

Thomas Lyon at Rye, New York (c.1621-1690) married 

1. Martha Joanna Winthrop (1630-1653), the daughter of Henry Winthrop and Elizabeth Fones² by whom he had one surviving daughter. Mary.
2. Mary Hoyt by whom he had Abigail, John, Thomas, Samuel, Joseph, Elizabeth, Deborah and Sarah.

He lived successively in Stamford, Fairfield and Rye, and owned land In Byram. He owned a mill and land in Rye, land in White Plains, a large tract below  the Country Road (Route 1) in Greenwich, about 60 acres above the Country Road - the homelot given to his son Thomas — and land at Byram Ridge.
 

Thomas Lyon (1673-1739), born in Greenwich, married Abigail Ogden (d. before 1760) by whom he had Abigail, Thomas, Samuel, Jonathan, Mary, David, Joseph, Jemima, Deborah, Elizabeth and Gilbert. He received by his father’s will the homelot above the country Road, half a parcel of land on the Byram River with two Byram Ridge lots, half the salt meadow and a weaver’s loom with its furniture and “tacklin”. Thomas built the house above the Country Road, possibly when he married about 1695.

He was a member of Colonel Robert Hunter’s Company of Fusiliers, mustered in New York and Westchester counties on February 24. 1711 for 61 days service on the Canadian frontier (Booth’s Hist. New York City)³

Gilbert Lyon (1719- 1816, born at Byram Neck, married Jane Kniffen (1725-?) by whom he had Deborah, Gilbert, Sarah, Andrew, Joshua, Simeon, Abigail, Elizabeth and Abraham.

“Gilbert was called ‘Gentleman Gil’ He owned a large tract of land in Rye and much real estate in White Plains and Harrison. During the Revolution his sympathies were with the loyalists (tories), but his sons did not share his feelings in this regard” ⁴

 

However, according to Charles W. Baird. he was chosen to serve for one year, from May 1776, on The Committee of Safety for Rye whose members were chosen “to keep a vigilant eye upon the tories on Rye Neck”⁵
 

Abraham Lyon (1764-1849), born at the homestead at Byram Bridge, married in 1789 Hannah Mills (1764-1854) by whom he had Seth, Fitch, Deborah, Olivia, Underhill, Elias, Abigail Jane, Hannah, Emeline, and Adaline.
 

Elias Lyon (1800-1863), born at the homestead at Byram Bridge, married Martha A. Banks (l805- 1893) by whom he had Underhill and Louisa.
 

Underhill Lyon (1837-1920), born at the homestead at Byram Bridge. married in 1880 Maria Blackett (1854-1900) by whom he had Julia Frances. He was a well-known farmer and nurseryman and had a large cider mill. When he was a young man he was a champion ice skater who competed with other skaters in Central Park, and he enjoyed skating into his old age. He was clerk of the Byram school district for 30 years, served as a selectman between 1872 and 1878 and as town assessor for fifteen years. He was a friend of Commodore Elias C. Benedict of Indian Harbor. ⁶

Julia Frances Lyon (1889-1976), married Chester S. Saunders (1888-1951) by whom she had Barbara  (1916-1991), John (1919-1971) and Ann Davenport (1923-1980).⁷

1. The source for seven generations given here is Miller, Robert T. Ed. Lyon Memorial, New York Families descended from the Immigrant Thomas Lyon of Rye (Detroit, Michigan, William Graham Publishing Co. 1907.

2. Elizabeth Fones married 2) Robert Feake and 3) William Hallett and was the subject of Anya Seton's novel The Winthrop Woman.

3. Miller, 49.

4. Ibid. 61.

5. Baird, Charles W, History of Rye, Westchester County,New York, 1660-1870 (New York: Anson, D.F.Randolph and Company, 1871), 228.

6. Greenwich News & Graphics obituary, 3 December, 1920.

7.Town of Greenwich vital Statistics is the source for the birth, marriage and death dates of this family.