Timeline
1834? – Estimated year of birth.
1848 – 17th October – John Lyons, an illiterate 13-year-old, was found guilty of Larceny at the East Riding Sessions and was sentenced to 2 months imprisonment.
1848 – 21st October – Extract from the York Herald –“JOHN LYONS (13), and JOSEPH WILSON were charged with having, on the 31st of July last, at Cockrill, near Whitby, stolen a pair of shoes, belonging to Stephen Green. Lyons pleaded guilty, mid was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment. Wilson was acquitted.
1851 – 17th October – John Lyons, 16 years old, was found guilty of Larceny at the Quarter Sessions at Kingston Upon Hull and was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment.
1851 – 24th October – Extract from Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette- “John Lyons (16), charged with stealing one shilling and two sixpences, the property of John Wilkinson, Four months’ imprisonment.”
1855 – 12th November – John Lyons was committed to York House of Correction. His behaviour here was Bad.
1856 – 7th January – John Lyons, a single 21-year-old catholic hawker, was found guilty of Larceny at the epiphany sessions of the city of York and was sentenced to 4 years penal servitude.
1856 – 12th January – Extract from the York Herald – “JOHN LYONS (21), and MARGARET WILKINSON (18), were charged with having, on the 10th of November, stolen £18 5s. from the person of John Hymers. Mr. Shepherd prosecuted. Mr. Price and Dr. Bower defended the prisoners. The prosecutor is a well-sinker, and resides at Burton Leonard, near Ripon. On the morning of the above day, he came to York from Knaresbro’, and during the day he received some money at one of the banks. About a quarter before six o’clock in the evening, he proceeded towards the railway station, for the purpose of returning to Knaresbro’. On arriving at the steps which lead from the station to Lendal ferry, he had in his left side trowsers pocket a canvas bag containing thirty-six half-sovereigns and two half crowns. He saw the prisoners at that place, and the female said something to him about her being a stranger in York, and had lost the train to Malton. He said he was going to Knaresbro’, and she said he was too soon. She asked the prosecutor to treat her with something to drink, which he refused to do. She walked about twenty yards towards the station by the side of the prosecutor, when the male prisoner jostled him, and caused him to come in contact with the female. At that moment the prosecutor felt a hand near to his pocket whence the money was taken. They walked a few yards further, and then the female prisoner turned round, and she and Lyons ran away. Hymers immediately discovered that he had been robbed. Sergeant Driscoll and Fuesdale, policemen, from the description which had been given of the thieves, apprehended the prisoners the same evening in Skeldergate. On their behalf, it was submitted that the prosecutor was mistaken in their identity, and that he had lost his money before he came near the parties who he had said had robbed him. — Guilty. Both the prisoners had been previously convicted! Lyons at Hull in 1851, and Wilkinson at Northallerton, in the same year. The former had been in custody thirteen times in various towns. They were each sentenced to four years’ penal servitude.”
1856 – 8th March – Extract from the Yorkshire Gazette –“On Monday last, at midday, a bold and partly successful attempt was made by two convicts to escape from our House of Correction. The names of the men are John Riley and John Lyons, both of whom were convicted at the last quarter sessions for this city, and sentenced, the former to 6 and the latter to four years’ penal servitude. Riley, a ticket of leave man, the beau ideal of burglar or highwayman, in appearance, and whose conduct was most violent at the time of his trial, was convicted of Stealing a number of wide awake hats from a shop in Colliergate, in the most cool and deliberate manner; and Lyons was convicted, along with a prostitute named Wilkinson, of robbing a person named Hymers, from Burton Leonard, of £18,, at the railway station. These men, it appears, were in the day-yard up to about one o’clock on Monday, when they managed to escape thence into the garden, and so to the outer wall of the prison, which they were in the act of scaling when their absence from the day yard was discovered. They had procured some blankets from the sleeping cells, to use as a scaling ladder, and Lyons had reached the top of the wall, while Riley was still making his way up the inside of the wall, with the aid of the blankets. As soon Lyons perceived the governor of the prison and other parties making up to where he and Riley were, he dropped down the outer side of the wall into the moat, and got away. Riley, however, was in every sense of the word on the wrong side of the wall. He was either suddenly let down by Lyons leaving him in the lurch, or he voluntarily let go his hold of the blanket ladder, and dropped back again into the garden. However, this may be, his fall was a serious one, for in its course he came in contact either with some iron palisades, or chevaux-de-frise, one of the spikes of which was forced into one of his legs, and injured him very seriously. He was not only completely disabled, but the blood poured forth from the wound in his leg such torrents that had not Mr. Anderson, the surgeon of the prison, been on the spot at the time, the probability is that Riley would have quickly bled to death. With as little delay as possible Mr. Raper, the governor, and a turnkey, started off in pursuit of the escaped convict, Lyons. They were fortunate in hitting the right track, and soon came with him in a shed near Bishopthorpe, where he had taken refuge, but whence he speedily emerged as soon as he found his whereabouts was discovered. Lyons made for the river, and finding himself hard pressed upon its banks, in he went, and attempted to swim across to the other side, but he was so far exhausted with running that he could not stem the centre current, and after struggling with the water for some time, and seeing moreover that there happened to be someone ready to receive him, even he reached the other side, be swam back to the Bishopthorpe side of the river, and surrendered himself into the custody of his pursuers, by whom he was relodged with all speed in the House of Correction. The Gaol Finance Committee will probably now inquire how it is that these men, Riley and Lyons, both desperate, and the former a really dangerous character, have not been removed long before this from a prison Which is so insecure, and altogether unfit for the safe custody of convicts. There are present several very desperate fellows in the York House of Correction, and correspondingly desperate means ought to be adopted to restrain them. ” Riley, we are told, has been in chains several times on account of his violent conduct, but he Persuaded the governor to free him of them, on the faith promise that he would behave himself, and then, in concert with Lyons, attempted to escape from prison together.”
1856 – 8th March – Extract from the York Herald– “On Monday last, a man escaped out of the above prison, and daring attempt was made by one of his companions to follow his example. The nameofthe men are John Riley a ticket-of-leave man, and John Lyons. They were both tried at the York sessions, Riley being sentenced to six years and Lyons to four years penal servitude. At one o’clock on Monday, theprisonersgot out of the day yard onto the garden behind Mr Raper’s, the governor’s, house, mounted the iron palisades which connect the boundary wall with the prison and by means of a rope formed of handkerchiefs. And a blanket, Lyons got upon the outer wall— to which he had pulled himself up by throwing other end of the rope to which a piece of flag was attached, over the wall, and dropped on to the ground outside of the prison. Riley, in attempting to follow him, fell upon the chevaux de frise, and thence to the ground, the iron spikes having entered the flesh of his left leg, and severely lacerated it, rupturing an artery. He was consequently seriously injured, and there was a considerable flow of blood from the wound. Fortunately, however, Mr. Anderson, surgeon, happened to be in the prison at the time, and having immediately attended to the man, he succeeded in stopping the bleeding, and Riley, who has had every attention paid to him, is now recovering. After the “Sheppardonian” descent which Lyons had made, it might have been thought that he too had been disabled, but this was not the case, and he proceeded to make good his escape, in a few minutes after he had gone he was missed from the yard. A pursuit was consequently instituted, and Lyons was traced on the road towards Bishopthorpe by Mr. Raper and others, bit when they got sight of him, he seemed to confide so much in his ” racing” qualities as to bid defiance to those in his rear. Notwithstanding this, his utmost powers were rather unexpectedly called into exercise by a young man, who was enlisted into the service of his ” Queen and country” to aid in the capture of a breaker of the laws. The second turnkey also rendered important service by raising a cry of ” tally -ho 1” This was done in order that it might excite the attention of anyone who might be in the neighbourhood, and by keeping up the “view halloo!” Lyons appeared to be a good deal baffled. He, therefore, took to the fences, and the young man in question coming to one of them, succeeded in laying hold of the clothing of Lyons near the“seat of honour,” but the fencer proving a “rasper,” the man again “broke away” at a rapid rate. Not being able to come to “earth,” he at any rate thought of hiding himself in a straw-shed. In this he was prevented by the scent proving too strong, and seeing no other probable means of escape, he took to the river Ouse. He swam about ten yards, and twice attempted to cross, but being already partially exhausted by his prowess in the “chase,” he gave up the attempt, and returned to terra firma. His pursuers were on the spot ready to receive him, and after about an hour’s recreation of not the most agreeable kind, he was placed in his old quarters. The reason probably why these repeated attempts have been made by prisoners to escape from the House of Correction is owing to an increased amount of tax-work, as compared with former times, which they have to perform, and the large number of bad characters who are now confined therein. No doubt proper measures will be taken by the authorities to prevent such escapes in future, and as one means to that end we believe the gaol finance committee have it in contemplation to try the separate system of confinement, similar to that which is adopted at the prisons at Northallerton, Wakefield, and other towns.”
1856 – 10th March– James is transferred from York House of Correction to Millbank Prison and given the prison number 2291. His behaviour here was Good.
1856 – 14th April – Transferred to Pentonville Prison, his prisoner number is 6593. His behaviour here was Indifferent.
1857 – 27th March–Transferred to Chatham Prison, his prisoner number is 855. His behaviour here was Good.
1859 – 6th May – Received at Woking Convict Invalid Prison. Prisoner Number 63. His behaviour here was Indifferent.
He is described as having a fair complexion with dark brown hair and grey eyes and his height is 5’4 and his body proportionate.In addition, his notes state he has a brown mark on his body and bubo marks on both groins. His next of kin is his mother and father, living in Hull.
1859 – 18th July – Transferred to Millbank Prison, his prisoner number is 9132.
1859 – 2nd August – Transferred to Portsmouth Prison, his prisoner number is 6042. His behaviour here was Good. His notes also state that he has had several summary convictions in “Hull, Yorkshire, Leeds, North Allerton and Beverley”.
1860 – 6thJanuary – Released from Portsmouth Prison at expiration of sentence.
1863 –3rd October – Committed in Beverley, presumably the Borough Gaol.
1863 – 20th October – John Lyons, a single 34-year-old Catholic hawker, was found guilty of Larceny at the Michaelmas sessions in Beverley and was sentenced to 6 years penal servitude.
1864 – 25 th February – Transferred to Wakefield Prison, his prisoner number is 7855. His behaviour here was Good.
1864 – 29th December – Transferred to Portland Prison, his prisoner number is A.4112. He is still listed as beingsingle with no children and his next of kin is his father John Lyons, living at 4 Beaton Street, Holderness Road, Hull.
1865 – 12th February – For refusing to work, John was put on 3 days bread and water and recommended that 360 marks be forfeited.
1865 – 25th February – For talking in his cell, John forfeited 18 marks.
1865 – 25th June – For general idleness during past work, John was put on 1 day’s bread and water and to go on the 2nd class diet thereafter and forfeit 84 marks.
1865 – 29th June – For general idleness on the works, John was put on 1 day’s bread and water, was moved to a dark cell without a mattress and forfeited 84 marks.
1865 – 25th November – For fighting on the parade, John was put on 1 day’s bread and water andforfeited 42 marks
1869 – 15thFebruary – John Lyons was released on licence from Portland Prison.