Robert Adam Lyon, who represents the Algoma District in the Ontario Legislature, is a native of Glasgow, Scotland, having been born October 21, 1829. His father, John Lyon, was a gardener in the old country, and a farmer in this, coming to Upper Canada in 1832, settling on bush land at Esquesing, county of Halton, and cultivating the soil until his death in 1877. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Catharine McFarlane, died in 1856.
Mr. Lyon attended a common school until seventeen years of age, and then went into the general mercantile business at Milton, the county town, in company with his elder brother, William Durie Lyon, who represented Halton in the third Parliament of the Ontario Legislature, they trading there under the firm name of W. D. and It. A. Lyon, for seventeen years. During nine of those years our subject represented one of the wards in the village council.
About ten years ago Mr. Lyon removed to Manitoulin Island, where he has been engaged in lumbering and merchandising, having a general store, and doing a large business in both branches.
In 1878, on the resignation of Simon J. Dawson, who represented the Algoma district in the Local Parliament, Mr. Lyon was chosen by acclamation to take his place, and was re-elected by a large majority at the general election held in June 1879. He represents one of the largest ridings in the Province, the district being about 500 miles wide and 1,000 long. He has never undertaken to canvass the riding, but he is an active politician, a strong Reformer, an earnest advocate of any cause which he believes to be right, and while a resident of Milton, canvassed the riding of Halton four or five times. He has good mental faculties, and never abuses them.
Mr. Lyon has been a member of the Presbyterian church nearly thirty years, and is a man of sterling, christian qualities. In all the relations he maintains a good standing.
In 1856 he married Miss Sarah Elizabeth Moore, of Esquesing, and they have had seven children, five of them yet living.
