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LYNES

in Leeds

For the earlier history of this family, see LYON and YARROW in Cambridgeshire

3.    [LYNE671] William Lyon (born 1828) had an illegitimate child at Tadlow by [YARR672] Elizabeth Lyon (born 1826), formerly YARROW, whilst she was married to James Lyon (born 1821, see later):

William Lyon moved down to Leeds for work around 1853-55, taking the surname Lyons. William, a forgeman, married (at Leeds, St. Peter, 1st April 1855) Jane Thacker (born at Croydon, 1834, daughter of William & Emma), both of Lloyd Street, Burley, Leeds. Jane had already had an illegitimate child, quite likely fathered by William Lyon:

William and Jane lived variously at Burley (Leeds), Kirkstall, Pool in Wharfedale, Burley again, Armley and New Wortley. William was variously a forge labourer, mason’s labourer, highway labourer and railway platelayer. They had twelve children:

William (age 60) was acting as a flagman on the railway at Lingwell Gate (East Ardsley) when he was run over by an express passenger train and killed instantly (18th October 1888, buried at New Wortley Cemetery, Leeds, 21st October 1888). Jane continued lived in Armley (until at least 1900), later moving to Kirkstall (by 1913) and finally Stanningley. She died (age 84) at Stanningley (buried at New Wortley Cemetery, Leeds, 8th October 1916).  

 

At this point the story moves to:

JAMES LYON, SON OF CHRISTOPHER LYON AND RUTH CHAPMAN.

James Lyon (born 1821, son of Christopher Lyon and Ruth), labourer, married (at East Hatley, 16th September 1844) Elizabeth YARROW, of East Hatley, a minor.

James and Elizabeth had five children at Croydon. There was a gap between the first and third, and in this gap, Elizabeth registered a male child (first-name left blank) on 28th December 1846: child born on 20th December 1846 at Tadlow, father’s name William Lion, labourer. The mother was shown as Elizabeth Lion formerly Yarrow, of Tadlow. She made her mark. When the baby was 6 weeks old it was baptised Francis at East Hatley (31st January 1847), but shown as the son of James & Elizabeth Lyon of East Hatley.

Several Croydon families moved to Leeds around the 1850’s for work. James Lyon and his family moved down some time between May 1855 (when a child was baptised at Croydon) and June 1857 (when a child was baptised at Burley). The family was now known as Lyons. Years later, Francis said he walked from Croydon to Leeds. 

Altogether James and Elizabeth brought up twelve children, as follows :

In 1868 this branch of the family took the name Lynes instead of Lyons. The circumstances behind the change are not recorded, but subsequent folklore said Samuel had changed the name by deed poll. However as at both his marriages (1866 and 1894) Samuel "made his mark" instead of writing his name, it seems unlikely that someone who could not write his name would change the spelling of the name. Samuel was also said to have been a practical joker!

James (a forge labourer) died (age 54, of pulmonary emphysema) at Minor Street, Burley (3rd August 1875), his surname then being recorded as Lyons. Elizabeth continued to live in the Burley area, where she died (age 78, of apoplexy hemiplegia, i.e. paralysis) at Burley Village (10th December 1903), her surname then being recorded as Lynes.

2.   [LYNE681] Francis Lynes (born 1846), an engine-tenter, married (at Little Holbeck, 12th February 1871) [KEMP682] Ann Kemplay (born 1851, see KEMPLAY), a servant, both of Derwent Street, witnessed by Thomas Appleyard (Ann's step-father) and Emma Lynes (Francis' aunt). Ann had been a child of almost 9 when her paternal grandfather Joseph had died, and she was his sole blood descendant. However any money there could have been, would have gone to his widow Elizabeth, his last wife. Ann was 14 when Elizabeth Kemplay died, and it is possible that Elizabeth had told her step-granddaughter that she would get the Kemplay money. If so, it failed to materialise, but Ann always said there was money they were entitled to.

Francis Ann

Francis and Ann had eleven children, as follows:

 

 

Grace Beatrice at Blackpool
about 1900

see later;

Their eldest child took “Kempley” as his middle name, to keep the name going in case the promised money eventually materialised. Albert Kemplay (spelling changed) Lynes in turn named his eldest son Albert Kemplay Lynes (1899), no doubt taking note of what his mother had told him (she did not die until 1903). It was to no avail, and in due course the descendants of Albert Kempley (senior) lost out when he too remarried at the age of 79, and after his death in 1956 all the money which his children were expecting went to their step-mother’s side!

Francis and Ann continued to live in the Kirkstall Road area until 1894, after which they lived at various addresses: Burley Street, “Smiths Arms” Holbeck (publican), Moorland Road (grocer), Denison Street (grocer), Belle Vue Street, Belle Vue Avenue (stationary engine tenter), “Moorhouse Inn” Hunslet (beer retailer) and finally 24 Belle Vue Road (engine tenter, then firewood dealer). Latterly they lived with their married daughter Grace Beatrice Boddy at No. 3 Belle Vue Street.

Ann died (age 76, of chronic nephritis) at Belle Vue Street (2nd May 1927, buried at Holbeck Cemetery 5th May 1927). Francis died (age 81, of hardening of the arteries) at St. James's Hospital Leeds (19th March 1929, buried at Holbeck Cemetery, 23rd March 1929). An interesting sign of changing times was that Ann’s hearse was horse drawn, whilst Francis’ hearse was a motor vehicle.