MD Edin 1815; MRCS Eng 1812.
Lyon was born at Prestwich in 1790, the son of Reverend James Lyon, rector of Prestwich. He was educated at Oswestry and became a medical pupil of Benjamin Hutchinson of Southwell. Lyon attended lectures at Edinburgh and London, obtaining an Edinburgh doctorate for his dissertation 'de Asthmate' in 1815. Lyon settled in Manchester, and on the retirement of William Henry in 1817, was appointed honorary physician to MRI. He held this post until he retired in 1841, and then was consulting physician until 1851. Lyon had found it difficult to get a good income in Manchester, as Hull, Holme and Bardsley all had large practices. He was physician to Henshaw's Blind Asylum and Chetham's Hospital. In 1851, Lyon gave up medical work and became a member of the Board of Management of the Infirmary. Lyon was president of Manchester Royal Institution at the time of his death, and left some manuscripts to MMS. Lyon died on 17 December 1862 and was buried at St George's Church, Hulme.