The Lyon Family's Ties to Culture and Performance

A selected published poem by Miss Emma Lyon, A.S. Lyon's sister.

Title page of a collection of handwritten documents by and pertaining to Miss Emma Lyon.

            Lyon’s family background offers insight into his adult life, particularly with regard to his interests in arts and literature. Though he was a businessman, A. S. Lyon sought out cultural pursuits such as reading, chess games, and of course attending the theatre. Abraham’s father, Solomon Lyon (published under the title “Revd.” in his academic work) was a true man of letters, teaching at various respected institutions throughout his career. The Lyon family always struggled financially as a result of Solomon Lyon's bankruptcies and many moves to new towns. A. S. Lyon's sister, Emma Lyon, was not only deeply invested in the arts, but also extremely talented. She is credited as being the “first Jewish woman writer to be published in England” (Cream, 27).

            Though her poetry was well regarded, it was published largely out of necessity, as her father's cataracts threatened the family’s income. Her work made a decent sum of money based on the documented 360 subscribers, though, as Cream puts it, “the large number of subscribers to a book they had not seen suggests knowledge of the family and compassion for its plight” (20). Financially motivated or not, Emma’s poetic talents did not go unnoticed in the world of performance. One of her published poems, “The Soldier’s Farewell” was made into a song by Isaac Nathan and performed by John Braham, a singer referred to by the National Portrait Gallery as “one of the leading opera singers of the day.” Much like his sister, A. S. Lyon was involved in performance even more directly, (see Lyon's involvement in Theatre and Performance).

Despite the family’s struggle, it is clear that A. S. Lyon inherited the love of scholarship, literature, and culture in his diary. His entries are populated with frequent mentions of the books he read and theatre performances he attended. Even in his most dire economic straights, Lyon was able to enjoy theatre arts thanks to a growing shift in the London theatre scene.