Robert Lyon (politician)

Robert Lyon (July 6, 1829 - March 21, 1888) was a lawyer, politician and judge in the County of Carleton in eastern Ontario. He was mayor of Ottawa in 1867 and a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 1871.[1]

Robert Lyon
Ontario MPP
In office
1867–1871
Preceded byRiding established
Succeeded byGeorge Monk
ConstituencyCarleton
6th Mayor of Ottawa
In office
1867–1867
Preceded byMoss Kent Dickinson
Succeeded byJohn Rochester
Personal details
DiedMarch 21, 1888(1888-03-21) (aged 58)
Ottawa, Ontario
Political partyLiberal
RelationsGeorge Byron Lyon, brother
OccupationLawyer

His father, George Lyon, was a Scottish captain in the British army, who settled in Richmond, Ontario. His oldest brother was George Byron Lyon, another mayor of Ottawa. Robert was born in the village of Richmond in 1829.

He studied law and was called to the bar in 1853. He began practicing law in Ottawa in 1856. He became an alderman and later mayor. Lyon also represented Carleton in the Ontario legislature from 1867 to 1871. He was named a judge for Carleton County in 1873.

Lyon street in downtown Ottawa is named after the family, as is the underground Lyon Station on the Confederation line of Ottawa's light rail system.

Electoral history

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1867 Ontario general election: Carleton
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Robert Lyon 987 47.29
Conservative J. Skead 939 44.99
Independent Mr. Eastman 161 7.71
Total valid votes 2,087 88.13
Eligible voters 2,368
Liberal pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario[2]
1871 Ontario general election: Carleton
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative George William Monk 822 50.31
Liberal Robert Lyon 812 49.69
Turnout 1,634 63.46
Eligible voters 2,575
Election voided
Source: Elections Ontario[3]
Ontario provincial by-election, January 1872: Carleton
Previous election voided
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George William Monk 1,109 54.23 +9.24
Liberal Robert Lyon 936 45.77 −1.52
Total valid votes 2,045 100.0   −2.01
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +5.38
Source: History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario[4]: 40 

References

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  1. ^ Dave Mullington "Chain of Office: Biographic Sketches of Ottawa's Mayors (1847-1948)" (Renfrew, Ontario: General Store Publishing House, 2005)
  2. ^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1867. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  3. ^ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. 1871. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  4. ^ Lewis, Roderick (1968). Centennial Edition of a History of the Electoral Districts, Legislatures and Ministries of the Province of Ontario, 1867–1968. OCLC 1052682.
  • Historical Sketch of the County of Carleton (1971) - originally published in 1879, reprinted by Mika Press, Belleville, Ontario
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