Thomas Lyon House
Encyclopedia
The Thomas Lyon House, at 1 Byram Road, was built ca. 1690-95 and is considered to be the oldest unaltered structure in Greenwich, Connecticut
. The restoration of the house, a Colonial saltbox, is the primary project of the Greenwich Preservation Trust, a not-for-profit organization that grew out of the Thomas Lyon House Committee formed by the Byram Neighborhood Association. Its heritage dates back to the family of Thomas Lyon (1621-1690), one of the earliest settlers of Fairfield County, and particularly his son, Thomas Lyon (1673-1739) who, with his wife Abigail and their children, were the initial occupants. The house stayed in the family line of Abigail and Thomas Lyon in to the 20th Century.
His first wife was Martha Johanna Winthrop, the only child of Elizabeth Fones
Winthrop and her husband Henry Winthrop
, second son of Governor John Winthrop
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. Martha had been born May 9, 1630 at Groton Manor, the Winthrop home in England, and as an infant sailed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with her mother, arriving November 2, 1631. In the early 1640's, the young Martha moved with her parents to their newly-acquired property encompassing the area known now as Old Greenwich
in Fairfield County, CT. Martha married Thomas Lyon circa 1647, and they had one child, Mary Lyon, born August 1649. Having battled frail health for some years, Martha (Winthrop) Lyon died in her early twenties, likely in 1653. Thomas Lyon remarried in 1654 to Mary Hoyt, daughter of Simon Hoyt of Stamford, CT. This Thomas Lyon died in Greenwich in 1690, and was buried in the old Lyon family burying ground at Byram Neck. His will left extensive land holdings in the area to his children, including his son Thomas Lyon.
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
. The restoration of the house, a Colonial saltbox, is the primary project of the Greenwich Preservation Trust, a not-for-profit organization that grew out of the Thomas Lyon House Committee formed by the Byram Neighborhood Association. Its heritage dates back to the family of Thomas Lyon (1621-1690), one of the earliest settlers of Fairfield County, and particularly his son, Thomas Lyon (1673-1739) who, with his wife Abigail and their children, were the initial occupants. The house stayed in the family line of Abigail and Thomas Lyon in to the 20th Century.
Thomas Lyon (1621-1690)
The first Thomas Lyon was born in England about 1621. He is reported to have come first to the Massachusetts Colony, and thence to have gone to seek his fortune in the 'far west' of Fairfield County, CT.His first wife was Martha Johanna Winthrop, the only child of Elizabeth Fones
Elizabeth Fones
Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Feake Hallett was an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where her father-in-law John Winthrop served as Governor...
Winthrop and her husband Henry Winthrop
Henry Winthrop
Henry Winthrop was the second son of John Winthrop, founder and Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In addition to his taking part in his father's Great Migration to America in 1630, Henry is part of American history for being the first husband of Elizabeth Fones, who would later be a...
, second son of Governor John Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. Martha had been born May 9, 1630 at Groton Manor, the Winthrop home in England, and as an infant sailed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with her mother, arriving November 2, 1631. In the early 1640's, the young Martha moved with her parents to their newly-acquired property encompassing the area known now as Old Greenwich
Old Greenwich
Old Greenwich is a neighborhood/section and census-designated place in Greenwich in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611. It was founded in 1641 and has been a long-time beach community...
in Fairfield County, CT. Martha married Thomas Lyon circa 1647, and they had one child, Mary Lyon, born August 1649. Having battled frail health for some years, Martha (Winthrop) Lyon died in her early twenties, likely in 1653. Thomas Lyon remarried in 1654 to Mary Hoyt, daughter of Simon Hoyt of Stamford, CT. This Thomas Lyon died in Greenwich in 1690, and was buried in the old Lyon family burying ground at Byram Neck. His will left extensive land holdings in the area to his children, including his son Thomas Lyon.
Thomas Lyon (1673-1739)
Thomas Lyon was born in 1673 to Thomas Lyon and his second wife, Mary Hoyt. This younger Thomas Lyon married Abigail Ogden, daughter of Judith (Budd) and John Ogden. This Thomas Lyon "built the house near Byram Bridge, which is still standing, having been occupied until the present time by his descendants." In 1711, Thomas Lyon was called into short-term military service on the Canadian border as a member of Col. Robert Hunter's Company of Fusiliers. This Thomas Lyon died in April, 1739, with his will proven May 1 of that year. His wife, Abigail (Ogden) Lyon, lived until 1760; ownership of the house went to the next generation in their family.Sources
It is to two sources that we are indebted for much of the knowledge we have of the life and descendants of Thomas Lyon (1621-1690): 1) Robert C. Winthrop, a lineal descendant of Governor John Winthrop, who in 1891 made public in a communication to the Massachusetts Historical Society, of which he was for thirty years president, a number of letters found among the papers of Governor Winthrop, written by Thomas Lyon, his wife Martha (Winthrop) Lyon, and other members of the family., and 2) Robert B. Miller, who edited the 1909 book Lyon Memorial which gives additional background on Thomas Lyon (#1) as well as detailed genealogical information on his descendants, including is son, Thomas Lyon, of the Thomas Lyon HouseSee also
- List of the oldest buildings in Connecticut
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut