George Lyon (1662-1694)

George Lyon was born on 16 Dec 1662 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, as the first child of George Lyon and Hannah Tolman. He had four siblings, namely: Thomas, Henry, Hannah, and Edward.

Boston, MA

When he was young, he moved with is parents to Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts.

When he was 25, he married Thankful Badcock, daughter of Robert Badcock and Joanna, on 14 Feb 1687/88 in Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts.

George Lyon and Thankful Badcock had the following children:

1. Preserved Lyon was born on 10 Sep 1688 in Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts. He married Joanna Vose on 12 Jun 1711. He died on 14 Jul 1785.
2. Joanna Lyon was born on 26 May 1690 in Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA. She married John Sawin on 25 Dec 1712 in Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts. She died on 01 Nov 1765 in Natick, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
3. Hannah Lyon was born on 03 Oct 1691 in Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts.
4. Silence Lyon was born on 15 Jun 1695 in Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts.

After his father’s death in 1691, George took over management of the Lyon’s Milton, Massachusetts estate which consisted of a house, barn, 75-acres of land, and two acres of salt marsh. George was also involved in the Town of Milton, for example, serving as surveyor and constable. Not surprisingly, his surname was often written as Lion.

He was included on the tax list in Milton for many years. As can be seen in the following list, there were taxes collected for the town, for the minister, and to send to their majesty (the king back in England).

• 20 Dec 1689: A single rate and half made by the select men of Milton by virtue of a warrant from the county treasurer to be paid in money – George Lion, senior 00£ 04s 05d; George Lion, junior 00£ 04s 11d
• 20 Dec 1689: Six single Country rates made by the select men of Milton by virtue of a warrant from the county treasurer to be paid according to said treasurer warrant – George Lion, senior 00£ 17s 08d; George Lion, junior 00£ 19s 08d
• 24 Dec 1689: This rate for the answering of the yearly salary injaged to Mr. Peter Thacher for his maintenance in the ministry for part of 89 and part of 1690: made by us whose names are under written : being chosen by the town to do this service – George Lion, senior 00£ 12s 01d; George Lion, junior 00£ 12s 01d
• 08 Aug 1690: Two single Country rates and half made by the select men of Milton to be paid in money by virtue of a warrant from the Country treasurer to be paid according to said warrant – George Lion, senior 00£ 09s 09d; George Lion, junior 00£ 08s 02d
• 28 Nov 1690: Pursuant to an order from the Country treasurer these twenty single rates made by the select men of Milton for the use mentioned in said order this the 19th Jan 1690 – Widdow Lion 01£ 02s 06d; George Lion 02£ 14s 02d
• 26 Oct 1690: For the use of the ministry in the town of Milton – Widdow Lion 00£ 09s 10d; George Lion 01£ 11s 10d
• 26 Sep 1691: A rate made for ye use of the ministry in the Town of Milton – George Lion 01£ 00s 00d
• By virtue of an order from the Treasurer John Philips Esquire bearing date the 9th of June 1691 for the Town’s Proportion to twenty four thousand pound & the town’s proportion to be two hundred seventy three pounds three shillings & eight pence : to be levied by the Select men the 20th of June 1691. Widow Lion 01£ 09s 09d; George Lion 03£ 11s 09d
• A rate made for the use of the Town of Milton this 7th day of January 1691/2 as followeth by the Raters Ezra Clap, Samuel Golifer, Manassah Tucker – George Lion 00£ 04s 08d
• This assessment taken in Milton the 30th day of August 1692 by the Select men & Commissioner by virtue of the general Assembles Act Instituted An Act for the granting to their Majesties An assessment upon Polls & Estate the 24th of June 1692 – George Lion 01£ 10s 03d
• This rate made in Milton by the Select men the 28th day of November 1692 for Mr. Peter Thacher’s salary engaged to him by the Town – George Lion 01£ 02s 00d
• This list taken in Milton this 23rd day of January 1692/3 by the select men and commissioner of said town upon polls and Estates for regulating the former assessment and for granting an additional supply of money unto their majesties for the defense of their subjects and interest and for prosecution of the war against the French and Indian enemy and defraying other public charges – George Lion 01£ 03s 01d
• This rate made in Milton by the select men this 13th day of November 1693 for Mr. Peter Thacher salary engaged to him by the said town – George Lion 01£ 02s 06d
• This rate made in Milton by the select men this 13th day of November 1693 being before granted by a town vote to repair the meeting house and to defray other town charges – George Lion 00£ 06s 09d
• A list or assessment taken in Milton the 13th day of August 1694 by the assessors chosen for that service by virtue of the treasurer and receiver generals warrant referring to an act of the general assembly instituted an act for granting unto their majesty’s a tax of twelve pence a poll and one penny on the pound –  George Lion 00£ 12s 08d. The names of the constables of Milton this present year Enock Badcock Georg Lion. The sum committed to constable Georg Lion to gather is  16£ 11s 10d
• This assessment taken the 22 of August 1694 in the Towne of Milton by virtue of a warrant from Mr. James Tailor treasurer and receiver General of this their majesty’s province referring to an act of the general assembly to assess the inhabitants of Milton in the sum of fifty four pounds, eleven shillings, and two pence being added to thirty four pounds fifteen shillings and eleven pence formerly assessed with completes the sum of eighty nine pounds, eight pence and two shillings per poll and one penny per pound –   George Lion 00£ 19s 06d

George Lyon died on 26 Oct 1694 in Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts. He was only 31-years old when he died, leaving a young widow and four young children. At the time of his death, he had been serving as constable. So at the 23 Nov 1694 town meeting, “Nathaneill Wals was Chofen Conftable to farve in the roome of Georg Lion.“

Where is he in the tree?

Selected Sources:

Ancestry.com. Lyon memorial : Massachusetts families, including descendants of the immigrants William Lyon, of Roxbury, Peter Lyon, of Dorche [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.

Ancestry.com, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), ancestry.com.

Ancestry.com. Milton town records, 1662-1729 [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Ancestry.com, North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016), Ancestry.com, Book Title: Lyon memorial.

Ancestry.com. The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1847-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Ancestry.com, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.

Sidney Elizabeth Lyon, Lyon memorial, Archive.Org edition (Detroit, Michigan: W. Graham Printing Co., 1907), (https://archive.org/details/lyonmemorial00lyon : accessed 11 Dec 2017).