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Diana, Goddess of the Hunt — for Ancestors!
 
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Every-Name Index
Richard Brown LYON, a.k.a., Robert Brown LYONS
Martha Adelaide BROWN
Henrietta STURGIS
Martha Bell LOCKWOOD
Alice Matilda WATSON
I have a problem with this page...

There is documentation to show that the Richard Brown LYON (b. 1846, MI) who married Alice WATSON in Ontario, Canada, was the son of William & Nancy (CAHOON) LYON, and that this Richard had a son, Ray Richard LYON, from a prior marriage to an "Adelaide," and that he is the Richard B. LYON in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses of Kent Co., MI, in the 1880 census of Osceola Co., MI, and the 1901, 1911, and 1921 censuses of Ontario, Canada.

There is documentation showing that an R.B. LYON (b. 1840 — see age on marriage record) married and divorced Henrietta STURGIS in Kansas, then "ran off" with Martha LOCKWOOD, had two children with her in Minnesota, then disappeared.  Both Henrietta and Martha claimed to be widows in the 1900 census. 

What I cannot find is anything to document that the man in Michigan and Canada (b. 1846) is the same man as the one in Kansas and Minnesota (b. 1840).

Secondary sources claim they are the same man and have naratives describing this man's life, especially the period between 1880 and 1900 when we have no census (the lost 1890 census would probably resolve the issue).  Without those stories, the credibility of which is unknown to me, I wouldn't even begin to consider that these records belong to one man.  If you believe they are one and the same, please share the evidence.

My dog in this fight is that I'm the administrator of the LFA Lyon(s) DNA project, and a male LYON descendant of Martha's son, Ulysses Clair LYON, has been Y-DNA tested, so his test results have major significance for this line of LYONs (see #29716 in the results table).  I am temporarily accepting the alleged connection, but a solidly documented line is needed here — as it is for all Y-DNA test subjects — because we really do need a certain identification for Ulysses's father.

Husband:  Richard Brown LYON, a.k.a., Robert Brown LYONS
Birth:  14/18 Jan 1846, Lowell, Kent Co., MI
Death:  4 Jul 1924, Conneaut, Ashtabula Co., OH
Disposition:  buried Glenwood Cemetery, Conneaut, Ashtabula Co., OH
Occupation:  farmer
Father:  William Brown LYON
Mother:  Nancy CAHOON
Marriage-1:  by 1867
Wife-1:  Martha Adelaide "Addy" BROWN
Birth:  8 Jul 1841 (not 1849), Norwich, Chenango Co.,  NY
Death:  20 Sep 1882, Evart, Osceola Co., MI
Occupation:  homemaker
Father:  William H. BROWN (1813/4-1896) — of NY
Mother:  Emily FITCH (1818/9-1852) — of NY
Marriage-2:  27 Sep 1887, Coffeyville, Montgomery Co., KS
Divorce:  8 Aug 1890, Neodesha, Wilson Co., KS
Wife-2:  Henrietta STURGIS

Tentatively, this Henrietta STURGIS —
Birth:  9 Sep 1840, Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., MI
Death:  5 Mar 1927, Grand Rapids, Kent Co., MI
Occupation:  homemaker
Father:  John STURGIS
Mother:  Ardillacy MILLER

Most secondary sources leave Henrietta's parents unidentified.  I have connected her, here, based on strong circumstantial evidence (see below).  She "fits the bill" perfectly, and no other Henrietta STURGIS comes close.  Both her parents died in the 1870s, so that's when their children dispersed.  What we need, now, is an obit or something similar that mentions her one-and-only ex-husband was — or was not(!) — R.B. LYON.

Note:  This Henrietta STURGIS is being mixed up with the Henrietta STURGIS (1836->1900) who was born in, lived in, and died in Worcester Co., MD.  These are two decidedly different women.

Marriage-3:  ca. 1891
Wife-3:  Martha Bell "Mattie" LOCKWOOD
Birth:  15 Jun 1869, Riverton, Floyd Co., IA
Death:  14 Dec 1936, Gooding Co., ID
Other Spouse:  m2. ca. 1901, Isaac WELTY
Occupation:  homemaker, farm laborer
Father:  Jacob B. LOCKWOOD (1822/4-1901) of VT
Mother:  Mercia / Mercy INKS (1831-1870)

Martha's mother died shortly after she was born, and she must have been given to another family to raise because I do not find her with her father in the 1870 or 1880 censuses, nor anywhere else under her birth name.  Her parents names are given on her marriage record to Isaac WELTY, so we know who they are, and Martha is listed next to her widowed father in the 1900 census.

Marriage-4:  9 Nov 1904, Rainy River Dist., ON
Wife-4:  Alice Matilda WATSON
Birth:  1866/7, Jamaica, W.I.
Occupation:  homemaker
Father:  David WATSON
Mother:  Elizabeth MATHESON
Children with Adelaide Martha BROWN:
 — born in Kent Co., MI:
1.  Charles William LYON, b. 1867/8; m. 25 Dec 1893, New London, Waupaca Co., WI, Bertha Mae McDONALD (1870-1953)
2.  Joseph Bertie LYON, b. Feb 1870; d. by 1880
3.  Floyd B. LYON, b. 10 May 1874; d. 26 Apr 1894, Neodesha, Wilson Co., KS; m. Ada T. GREER

— born in Evart Twp., Osceola Co., MI:
4.  Ray Richard LYON, b. 16 Mar 1876 
5.  Grace LYON, b. Apr 1881; m. Harry O'NEIL (1880- )

Children with Henrietta STURGIS:
-
Children with Martha Bell LOCKWOOD:
6.  Clifford LYON, b. 1891; d. 1896
7.  Ulysses Clair LYON, b. 1 Apr 1893, Kabetogama, St. Louis Co., MN; m. Flora F. HESSER (1899-1998)
8.  Violet E. LYON, b. 9 Dec 1895, Lake of the Woods, Lake of the Woods Co., MN; d. 20 Nov 1993, Boise, Ada Co., ID; m. George Rollen HESSER (1889-1972)
Children with Alice Matilda WATSON:
-
Keywords for search engines:  genealogy; West Indies; CAN, Canada, Ontario; USA, US, United States, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin

Sources (n.b., Kent Co. is just two counties away from Osceola Co.):

1a.  Kansas Marriages, 1840-1935 (online at familysearch.org):
Name R B Lyon
Age 47
Spouse's Name Henrietta Sturgis
Age 47
Event Date 27 Sep 1887
Event Place Independence, Montgomery, KS
GS Film Number 1404632
Reference ID 216
Our subject is only 41 years old at this point.

1b.  Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928:  Schedule B Marriages: District of Rainy River, pp. 533-534 (online at Ancestry.com; Image #11 of 50):
The image of the second page (right half of this table) is missing at Ancestry, but obviously must exist because they've indexed the date (blue font).
NAMES OF PARTIES AGE RESIDENCE
WHEN
MARRIED
PLACE
OF
BIRTH
Bachelor
Widower
Spinster
Widow
OCCUPATION
OR
PROFESSION
NAMES OF PARENTS | FATHER—F.
| MOTHER—M.
N.B.—Always give Maiden Name of Mother.
 
NAMES OF WITNESSES RESIDENCE
OF
WITNESSES
DATE AND PLACE
OF MARRIAGE
RELIGIOUS
DENOMINATION
BY WHOM
MARRIED
License
or
Bans
(L. or B.)
DATE OF
REGISTRATION
Groom.
Lyons Robert Brown
53 Emo Ont Michigan Widdower Farmer Wm Lyons F.     9 Nov 1904          
Nancy Cahoon M.
Bride.
Watson Alice Matilda
37 West Superior Jamaica, W.E.     David Watson F.                    
Elizabeth Matheson M.

2.  1850 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):
Richard B. LYON (æ 4, b. MI) is living in the Town of Lowell, Kent Co., MI, with his parents (q.v.).
Martha A[delaide] BROWN (æ 8, b. NY) is living in Norwich, Chenango Co., NY (pp. 200B-201A), with her parents, Wm. H. BROWN (æ 36, b. NY) and Emily A. (æ 31, b. NY), et al.
Henrietta STURGIS (æ 9, b. MI) is living in Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., MI, with her parents (q.v.)

3.  1860 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):
Richard LYON (æ 14, b. MI) is living in the Town of Lowell, Kent Co., MI, with his parents (q.v.)
Can't find Martha Adelaide BROWN or her father.
Henrietta STURGIS (æ 19, b. MI) is living in Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., MI, with her parents (q.v.).

4a.  1870 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #34 of 78):  Lowell P.O., Lowell, Kent Co., MI, Roll M593_682, p. 456B, PN 34, 270/272, enumerated 28 Jul 1870, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1870 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•
Lyon Richard 25 M W Farmer   300 Michigan      
____ Addie 28 F W Keeping House     New York      
____ Charly?  2 M W       Michigan      
____ Joseph 4/12 M W       "     Feb

4b.  1870 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):
Henrietta STURGES (æ 29, b. MI) is living in Sturgis Twp., St. Joseph Co., MI, with her parents (q.v.).
Can't find Martha Bell LOCKWOOD.

5a.  1880 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #1 of 23):  Evart Twp., Osceola Co., MI, Roll 600, p. 158A, PN 2, SD 2, ED 226, enumerated 3 Jun 1880, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1880 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•
1880:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see
What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 13 21 22 23 24 25 26
22 22 Lyon Richard B W M 35     / Farmer       MI NY NY
      "  Adelaide W F 38 Wife   / Keeps House       NY NY NY
      "  Charley W W M 12 Son /           MI MI NY
      "  Floid B W M  7 Son /     /     " " "
      "  Ray R W M  4 Son /       / / " " "

5b.  1880 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):
Can't find Henrietta STURGIS or Martha Bell LOCKWOOD.

6.  1885 Kansas State Census Every-Name-Index/Images.  Kansas State Historical Society (online at Ancestry.com):  not found.

7.  1890 U.S. Census:  the 1890 Census Population Schedules were destroyed.

1895 Kansas State Census Every-Name-Index/Images.  Kansas State Historical Society (online at Ancestry.com):  not found.

9a.  1900 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #3 of 16):  Rose Twp., Payne Co., OK, Roll 1341, p. 179A, SN 13, SD 9, ED 189, enumerated 23 Jun 1900, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1900 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•
1900:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see
What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 23 24 27
217 224 Lyons Mattie B Head W F Jun 1870 29 wd 2 2 IA VT IN Farm Laborer 0   Y Y Y H
    _____ Clair U Son W M Apr 1893  7 S     MN MI IA At School   5        
    _____ Violet Dau W F Dec 1895  4 S     MN MI IA              
Listed next to Martha's widowed father, Jacob LOCKWOOD (æ 77, b. Aug 1822, VT).

9b.  1900 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):  Henrietta STURGIS (æ 59, b. Sep 1840, MI/PA/NY; nurse) is living in Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., MI (p. 213A), with a sister-in-law.  She is describing herself as a widow with 0/0 children.  Typically, widows do not go by their maiden name, which suggests this woman is, indeed, R.B. LYON's ex-wife, who was known in the divorce proceedings to have returned to her maiden name.

10.  1901 Canadian Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #5 of 14):  Emo, Algoma Dist., ON, p. 5, enumerated 19 Apr 1901, official enumeration date 31 Mar 1901 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•
1901:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Canadian Census Mean.(missing columns contained no data).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 20 29 30 31 33
59 59 Lyons R B M W Dom W Jan 18 1846 54 USA 1897 Eng American Free Thinker Farm lab? / / / / Eng
Boarding w/SNYDER brothers.

11a.  1910 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #10 of 22):  Valley Road, Soldier's Home Pct., Ada Co., ID, Roll T624_221 (Book 2), p. 6A, SN 6A, SD 46, ED 21, enumerated 20 Apr 1910, official enumeration date 15 Apr 1910 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤(•)
1910:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see
What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
7 7 Welty Isaac Head M W 66 M1 9     OH un un Eng Farmer   OA N 0 Y Y   O M F
    _____ Martha Wife F W 41 M2 9 3 3 IA VT OH Eng None         Y Y        
    _____ Bessie Dau F W  8         OK OH IA   None         Y Y Y      
    Lyon Clair Son M W 17         MN MI IA Eng Farmer farm W N 0 Y Y        

11b.  1910 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):  Henrietta STURGES (æ 70, b. MI/PA/NY) is living in Mattoon City, Coles Co., IL (p. 213A), with a married niece and her family, which includes their son, Robert McLAUGHIN (æ 2, b. IL).  Henrietta is wrongly called "mother-in-law" to her niece's husband, wrongly labeled, "widow," and wrongly given children 1/1. 

12.  1911 Canadian Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #8 of 9):  Kingsford Twp., Rainy River Dist., ON, p. 8, enumerated 14-15 Jun 1911, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1911 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•
1911:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Canadian Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 34 35 36
10 10 Lyons Robert B Kingsford M Head M Jan 1846 65 U.S.A. 1901 ? English Canadian Anglican Farmer 0-0-00 Y Y Y E
      "   Alice   F Wife M June 1867 49 W india 1904 ? English Canadian Anglican none NG   Y Y E
Listed next to Robert's son, Ray LYONS.

13.  1920 U.S. Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):  Henrietta STURGIS (æ 79, b. MI/PA/NY; single) is living in Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., MI (p. 173A), with an unmarried niece and her nephew (Henrietta's grandnephew), Robert McLAUGHLIN (æ 11, b. IL).  Robert's son, Ray, is in Ohio.

14.  1921 Canadian Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #9 of 10):  Dist. 79, Sub-Dist., 22, Carpenter, Kingsford, and Fleming Twps., Ft. William and Rainy River Dists., ON, p. 8:, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1921 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•
1921 SHORT FORM :  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Canadian Census Mean
(missing columns contained no data, were indecipherable, or were not genealogically relevant).
1 2 3 4 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 25 29
80 81 Lyons Robert Kingsford Head M M 75 USA USA USA 1896 1921 Canada English? Meth Farmer
      "   Alice " Wife F M 52 West Indies West Indies West Indies 1884   Canada Scot? Meth none
    Green Elevlyn? " Lodger F S 20 Ont Ont Ont     Canada ? Presb ?

Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952 (online at FamilySearch.org):
Name - Henrietta Sturgis - - - - -
Event Date - 05 Mar 1927 - - - - -
Event Place - Grand Rapids, Kent, MI - - - - -
Gender | Age - Female | 86 - - - - -
Marital Status - Divorced - - - - -
Birth Date - 09 Sep 1840 - - - - -
Birthplace - Sturgis, MI - - - - -
Father's Name - John Sturgis - - - - -
Mother's Name - Ardillacy Miller - - - - -
GS Film Number - 1972819 - - - - -
-

Find-a-Grave: Entries (online at findagrave.com):
Name Robert B Lyons -
Birth 14 Jan 1846
Lowell, Kent Co., MI
-
Death 4 Jul 1924
Conneaut, Ashtablua Co., OH
-
Burial Glenwood Cemetery, Conneaut, Ashtabula Co., OH -
Inscription [grave unmarked] -
Father - -
Mother - -
Spouse - -
- - -
- - -
Memorial # 86118867 -
-
 

.  LDS.  Family Search: Internet Genealogy Service: IGI - International Genealogical Index (online at FamilySearch.org).
Richard Brown LYON
Birth: 14 Jan 1846, Lowell, Kent, Michigan
Death: 20 Sep 1882, Evart, Osceola, Michigan
Marriage: 1866, Kent, Michigan
Spouse: Martha Adelaide BROWN
Birth: 08 Jul 1849, Norwich, Chenango, New York
Death: 20 Sep 1882, Evart, Osceola, Michigan
Child: Charles LYON
Birth: 1868, Bowne, Kent, Michigan
Source: patron submissions

 

Public Member Trees (online at Ancestry.com).
A contributor states that in a divorce proceeding filed 8 Aug 1890 in Neodesha, Wilson Co., KS, Henrietta states her husband, Richard, deserted her and left with a Mattie LOCKWOOD.
Another contributor states that on 10 Jul 1893, John INGALSBE is appointed guardian of Ray LYON "after his mother's death and his father leaves."  His mother died in 1882, so the implication here is that it was abandonment(?) by his father that prompted appointment of a guardian.
It would be very helpful if the people who obtain these records would share transcriptions, better yet scans, of them.

Lyon(s) Families Association of America: Database (on CD as of 22 Feb 2010; these are member submissions).

WorldConnect / WorldTree (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).

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