Rev. Hon. Samuel Lyons

Samuel Lyon's daughters counterclaimed for compensation on Lyons estate in Antigua as legatees of their father in his position as legatee of their grandfather John Lyons senior (1731-1775). The compensation was awarded to the trustees of Samuel's brother John Lyon junior (1760-1816).

1. Born 24/01/1768, the son of John Lyons (1731-1775) and Jane Harman (1733-1792). Married Alica Harman, daughter of William Wickham Harman of Murray's. Matriculated St Edmund Hall, Oxford, 19/10/1787; gained a BA 1791. Rector of St John's, Antigua, 1802-1803 and again in 1825. Lost at sea in the brig Underhill in November 1827.

2. Although he came from a slave-owning family in Antigua, Lyons was probably largely resident in Nevis and was rector of St Thomas, Lowland, and St James, Windward, in Nevis from 1804 until at least 1817. He wrote to Thomas Probyn in 1817: "... each parish contains a church, with a few acres of glebe land, but no parsonage house; and I am under the necessity of residing in town, nine miles distant from my Windward church. There is an annual stipend of 16,000 lbs. weight of sugar allowed to the rector, by each parish; and 1,500 lbs. of sugar in lieu of a parsonage house; when I am obliged to pay an annal rent of 70l. sterling, or 140l. currency, for my house in Charlestown. The sugar which I usually receive is of inferior quality. Fees are seldom or never paid by either master or slave; and if the negroes (as requested) will bring their children to the parish church on Sundays to be baptised, no fees will be required for baptism. Very few negroes indeed can be induced (though invited) to attend Divine worship in the churches. The number of negro and other slaves baptised by me, during the last three years, amounts to about one hundred and sixty-five, men, women and children. In future, I will be more particular, and note down in a book the names of such slaves as I can persuade to attend either of my parish churches." In 1817 he was listed as owning 9 enslaved people: 3 women, 3 boys and 3 girls.

3. He was known to have undertaken baptisms in Nevis in 1808 and 1813 and to have attended meetings of the Nevis Council in 1812 and 1814. He was a magistrate and supposed to have been within hearing of a brutal public flogging in January 1810 in which he did not intervene. A document dated 31 Dec 1825 recorded that he had been appointed to the Council on 11 August 1817. He officiated at a burial on 1 January 1827.

T71/877 Antigua claim no. 266 (Lyons).

1. T71/877 Antigua claim no. 266 (Lyons). Langford Vere Oliver, History of the Island of Antigua (London, Mitchell and Hughes, 1894) Vol. 2 pp. 214-217.

2. '4. Further papers relating to the treatment of slaves in the colonies', House of Commons Miscellaneous Papers Vol. XVII (27 Jan - 10 June 1818) pp. 121, 209.

3. Email from Christine Eickelmann, 03/05/2016 sourced to:

   Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS), Wills and Deeds Box MG1.16(3c) Family Notes

   UK National Archives (UKNA), CO 186/9 and CO 186/10 Minutes Nevis Council; Assembly; Council in Assembly 1810-1815 (23 Jan 1812 and 14 Jan 1814)

   Reference courtesy of Vincent Hubbard from Connecticut Journal 2 January 1812, quoting London Statesman 21 September 1811 in Hamilton College, Beinicke Lesser Antilles Collection; see also David Small’s entry on Edward Huggins in the Oxford DNB

   UKNA, CO 186/12 Nevis Sessional Papers; Legislative Council. Assembly 1819-1825 (List of Council Members, 31 December 1825)

   NHCS, St Thomas Burials 1827-1957 No 1.

We are gratefu to Christine Eickelmann for her assistance with compiling this entry.