Biography of John Lyon 1514-1564
In 1514 John Lyon was born to Thomas Lyons of Perivale, Middlesex.
In Oct 1554 John Lyon (age 40) was elected Lord Mayor of London.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 29 Oct 1554. The xxix day of October the nuw lord mayre of London, master Lyons (age 40) groser, toke ys hoathe at Westmynster; and alle the craftes of London in ther barges, and with stremars; and ther was a grett penoys decked with ij topes and stremars and .... gones and drumes and trumpetes, rohyng to Westmynster up and don; and when thay cam hom thay landyd at Powlles warff, and ther mett the mayr lx in rosett gownes and with targetts and gyffelyns and blue hattes; and then a goodly pagant, a gryffen with a chyld lyung in harnes, and sant John Baptyst with a lyon, and ij vodys [woods aka wild men] and a dulle [devil] with squybes bornyng, and trumpetes blohyng, and drum(s) and flute(s), and then the bachelers with cremesun damaske hedes [hoods], and then trumpeters, and the wettes [waists] of the cete; and so to yeld-hall to dener, for ther dynyd my lord chanseler (age 71) and all the nobuls, and the Spaneardes, and the juges and lernyd men.
Note. P. 73. Sir John Lyons lord mayor. Son of Thomas Lyons of Perivale, co. Middlesex; a member of the Grocers' company: and sheriff 1550. "He dwelled in Bucklersbury, and was buried in St. Syth's church, which toucheth on the south syde of his house." Arms, Azure, on a fess engrailed between three plates each charged with an eagle's head erased sable, a lion passant between two cinquefoils gules. (List of Lord Mayors, &c. by Wm. Smith, Rouge-Dragon.) Sir John Lyons bequeathed 100l. towards building a garner for corn at Queen Hithe, which was enlarged at the charges of the city in 1565. (Stowe.) See a notice of his widow hereafter, p. 346.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 27 Jan 1555. The xxvij day of January ther was a goodly prossessyon cam from Westmynster unto Tempull bar with crosses and a C. chylderyn in surples and a C. clarkes and prestes in copes syngyng, the wyche the copes wher very ryche of tyssuw and cloth of gold; [and after] that master dene Weston carehyng the blessyd sacrement, and a canepe borne over yt, and a-bowt yt a xx torchys bornyng, and after yt a ij C. men and women.
Note. P. 81. Knightes mayde by kinge Phillip in his chambre upon Sunday the xxvij.th of January, in An°. 1554. (MS. Harl. 6064, f. 80b.)
Sir John Lyon (age 41), lorde maior of London.
Sir Robert Broke, lord chief justice of the comon place.
Sir Edward Saunders, judge.
Sir John Whiddon, judge.
Sir William Staimford [judge of the common pleas.]
Sir Clement Hygham [afterwards chief baron of the exchequer.]
The droughtes that is to be payde by them that be mayde knightes by the kinges Matie in his chambre under the degre of a baron: (Ibid. f. 79.)
Imprimis, to the office of armes for the enteringe of their armes in record xxs.
Item, to the gentlemen ushers of the chambre . . xxs.
Item, to the yeoman ushers . . . . xs.
Item, to the gromes of the chambre . . . vs.
Item, to the pages of the chambre . . . vs.
Notwithstandinge these recordes afore rehersed, their was taken by them of the chambre of divers knightes that were made by kinge Phillip the xxvijth of Januarie in A°. 1554, these summes followinge, the which was never had before:
Item, to the gentlemen of the privy chambre . . xiijs. iiijd.
Item, to the gentleman ushers of the chambre . . xxs.
Item, to the yeoman ushers of the chambre . . xs.
Item, to the gromes of the chambre . . . xs.
Item, to the pages . . . . xs.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 10 Sep 1555. The x day of September was bered my lade Lyons, the mares of London [wife of John Lyon (age 41)], with a goodly [herse] mad in sant Benet-sherog parryche, with ij branchys, and xxiiij gownes of blake for pore men; and thay had xxiiij torchys, with v banars, one of armes, and iiij of emages, and vj dosen pensells, and vij dosen of skochyons, and ij harold(s) of armes, and c. mornars in blake, and the althermen folohyng the corsse, and after the [company of] the Grosers, and the morow the masse, and master H .. dyd pryche, and after a grett dener.
Note. P. 94. Funeral of lady Lyons. Alice wife of sir John Lyons then lord mayor, who has been noticed in p. 340. "A remembraunce for thenterement of my ladye Lyons" is in I. 3, in Coll. Arm. f. 94b. After the death of his first wife Alice, sir John Lyon married "Elsabeth doter of Lee and widow of Austen Hynde alderman and shreve of London. This Elsabeth dyed the xth of July in A° 1569. He dyed the 7th Sept. 1564 sans issue, wherefore he made his heyre . . . Lyon, his brother's son, of Acton, unto whosse sons he gave all his landes." (MS. Harl. 874, f. 25b.)
Henry Machyn's Diary. 16 Jun 1561. The xvj day of June was the masters the Grossers fest; ther dynyd my lord mare (age 52), ser Roger Chamley, ser John Lyons (age 47), sir Marten Bowse, ser Wylliam Huett, and ser Wylliam Garrett, [master] Loge, master John Whytt, master Cryster Draper, master Rowe, and master Cha[mley? master] Marten, master Baskerfeld (age 44), and master chamburlayn of London, and mony worshephull men and mony lades and gentyllwomen; and grett chere; boyth the whettes [waits] and clarkes syngyng, and a nombur of vyolles playhyng, and syngyng, and they had xxx bokes [bucks] [and] (blank) stages.
On 07 Sep 1564 John Lyon (age 50) died