Matthew Lyon (abt. 1750 - 1822)

Born about 14 Jul 1750 in County Wicklow, Ireland

Husband of Mary (Hosford) Lyon — married 23 Jun 1773 (to before 1783) in Cornwall, Litchfield, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 1 Aug 1822 at about age 72 in Spada Bluff, Arkansas Territory, United States

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Short Biography of Colonel Matthew Lyon

Matthew Lyon is Notable.

Matthew Lyon was born in County Wicklow, in 1746, some say a 'Scotch-Irishman'. He was brought to America at the age of 13, bound to the sea captain that brought him, to work for 12 months as an indentured servant to pay for his passage. A Connecticut farmer gave the captain two bulls in exchange for Matthew's services, and it is said that he worked out his time "faithfully" with the farmer, most likely growing tobacco. Matthew's favorite saying was "By the bulls that bought me".^[1]

Matthew's father was one of the "White Boys" in the south of Ireland, that had their beginnings in Tipperary in 1761. They assembled at night, putting white shirts over their clothes and gave forceful expression to grievances that were widely shared by the farmers towards high taxation on produce, and the "keeping of tillage of land" by the English, monies that were used to support the church and control the people. Matthew's father was caught and executed around 1762 when Matthew was only 12 or 13.^[2]

Matthew lived in the same county as Ethan Allen and it is supposed that Matthew followed Ethan to the New Hampshire Grants, now known as Vermont, to buy cheap land and become a farmer on his own. However, he quickly became embroiled in land disputes with the "New York establishment".

When the Revolutionary War began, Matthew joined up with his friends, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, as a 'Green Mountain Boy', and attacked the Brits at Fort Ticonderoga, capturing the fort. The first battle won by the patriots against the British.

Soon, Matthew became part of Thomas Chittenden's government in the Republic of Vermont, before it became a state in the Union.

In 1771 Lyon married a Miss Hosford, a niece of Ethan Allen. She died 1782. ^[3]

Matthew's first wife died and Matthew married the governor's daughter, Beulah Chittenden, having several children.

Matthew soon became a popular Vermont republican, holding several offices in his home in Arlington. He became deputy secretary of Vermont's governor Thomas Chittenden, clerk of the assembly and assistant to the treasurer, Ira Allen, Ethan Allen's brother.

Matthew built several paper mills and a forge and published a newspaper called 'The Farmer's Library'. Like the Allens and the Jeffersons, Matthew was a republican and fiercely opposed the ruling Federalist class. He opposed president Adams and the Federalist's passage of the Sedition Act, as unconstitutional, which was created to prevent young Americans from speaking out against the Federalist government. Matthew was the first person to be indicted and convicted of violating the Sedition Act, with his newspaper, and was sentenced to four months in prison and fined $100,000.00. Although, once Thomas Jefferson was elected president the money was supposedly returned to the family.

In the House of Representatives, in the 77th Congress, second session, the vote of Matthew Lyon, of Vermont, elected Thomas Jefferson as president in 1801

Matthew served the state of Vermont as their representative for two terms and he is the politician that was re-elected while still in prison. After serving Vermont for several termss, Matthew moved his family to Kentucky, where he was the congressman for eight years. After failing to gain re-election for the third term, Matthew was appointed as the U.S. Factor in the new Arkansas Territory to negotiate deals with the Cherokee Nation.

Matthew passed away on January 21, 1822, several years after the loss of his wife, Beulah. However, his son, Chittenden Lyon, became a huge land owner and served the state of Kentucky as a state representative, a state senator, and served in four U.S. congresses. The Kentucky county of Lyon is named after this family.

Sources

1. ↑ Journal of the American-Irish Historical Society; Volume 2
2. ↑ The Whiteboys
3. ↑ Lyon, Matthew Contributed by Geoghegan, Patrick M. https://www.dib.ie/biography/lyon-matthew-a4970

Matthew Lyon, the Hampden of Congress James Fairfax McLaughlin - 1900

A History of the Town of Fair Haven, Vermont in 3 parts by Andrew N Adams; Leonard & Phelps, printers, Fair Haven, VT 1870

See also: * Wikipedia: Matthew Lyon

• Wikidata: Item Q1909566, en:Wikipedia

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Bettianne Quinn for starting this profile.

Thanks to Scott Lee for writing the biography for this profile.