Note. This section is a work in progress, the complexities of A F Lydon's family history have taken over somewhat. More details on his work as an artist and engraver for Benjamin Fawcett will follow in due course, in the meantime I hope you find the following information as interesting as I did. It all adds together to help create a picture of Lydon's background, life and work. It's not really in chronological order, it's been pieced together more or less as the story unfolded.

Alexander Francis Lydon, born in 1836 and known as Francis, became apprenticed to Benjamin Fawcett in around 1850 at the age of 14. This was when Fawcett was just about to launch his iconic work A History of British Birds. What a time and place for a gifted teenager to embark on a career in the printing industry! How and why did Francis end up in Driffield, was it by design or was it just a happy coincidence? Probably the latter but we'll never know. (Note, I've just discovered more information on the Lydon's connection with Driffield which may shed some light on this, please read on.)

The 1851 census shows Francis Lydon living in Driffield, a printer's apprentice, aged 14. He was the son of Patrick and Elizabeth Lydon and one of seven children. Patrick, born in Ireland, was a Chelsea Pensioner and Relieving Officer of Driffield Union, Elizabeth was born in Portugal. Francis's siblings were born in Driffield, Newcastle, Dublin, Bermuda and New Brunswick in Canada. Excuse me if I digress but this looked far too intriguing to pass by! Elizabeth was a British subject born in 1813 in Lisbon, Portugal. Patrick, a labourer, had joined the 30th Regiment of Foot (the Cambridgeshire) in Portsmouth on 3rd October 1823 declaring himself to be 16 years old though his army records note that he was suspected of being underage! His father Luke Lydon had also served in the 30th Foot. Patrick achieved the rank of Sergeant but was subject to a Court Martial on 4th December 1833. He was found guilty of Disgraceful Conduct, the crime being embezzlement. His sentence was a reduction in rank back to Private and the "forfeiture of all Advantage to Additional Pay while Serving and Pension on discharge". In spite of this, he was later promoted again up to Colour and School Master Sergeant. During his 26 years of service he spent four years in Bermuda and two years in North America. He was discharged on 8th March 1849 due to "a reduction in the establishment" and being medically unfit, "Intended place of Residence, Hull."

Patrick must have taken up his post of Relieving Officer in Driffield shortly afterwards. Driffield Poor Law Union was overseen by an elected Board of 44 Guardians representing 43 parishes and townships. The Relieving Officer was an important role in the workhouse environment. They would assess applications, investigate, recommend and help decide who would be eligible for relief. A new workhouse had been built in 1836 on Middle Street, just along from Fawcett's premises, but it was inadequate from the start. Eventually, in 1866 another new workhouse was built on Bridlington Road next to the cemetery. The 1836 workhouse is now Dring's Garage, currently for sale with planning permission for a housing development. The separate Master's House is at the front, a Grade II Listed Building with Tuscan columns. The 1866 workhouse eventually expanded into a hospital. The original workhouse buildings were demolished in 1992 and replaced by a housing development with the expanded Alfred Bean Hospital next door. Alfred William Bean (1861 to 1944) was a renowned local philanthropist and benefactor who significantly funded the hospital which opened in 1931. He also ensured that all the churches in Driffield were free of debt. He made his fortune in the rubber plantations of Singapore.

Elizabeth's father, Charles Houghey, was a retired Quartermaster Sergeant in the British Army. Elizabeth was born in Portugal in 1813 at around the same time that Charles married her mother, Margaret. Charles had also served in the 30th Regiment of Foot and was awarded medals for action in the Siege of Badajoz (16 March – 6 April 1812), one of the bloodiest and most harrowing battles of the Napoleonic Wars, and the battle of Salamanca (22 July 1812). Both actions saw an Anglo-Portugese force, under the command of General Arthur Wellesley, defeat the French. Wellesley later became the Duke of Wellington. In studying the military records which include Charles Houghey, by pure coincidence I spotted Luke Lydon, Patrick's father. Luke also saw action in these two battles plus the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro (3–5 May 1811).

An interesting aspect of the British Army during this period, very much highlighted by the Lydon's and Houghey's circumstances, is the fact that soldiers serving all over the world may have been accompanied by large, and growing, families or may have married (or not married) and had children in difficult circumstances while serving abroad. It was a real and difficult issue for the army with some unsavoury elements. This is probably not the place to expand on this but there are plenty of resources which provide further information and a deeper insight into this complex but intriguing area.

Patrick, Elizabeth and the remainder of the family moved to 30 High West Street, Dorchester in around 1854 leaving Francis in Driffield, now a key part of Fawcett's workforce. They lived in Dorchester with Elizabeth's mother, Margaret Houghey and had two more children. At this point, more research revealed that in 1851 Margaret Houghey was living in Driffield with her son John and his family. John was a "Professor of Music" in Driffield at the age of 29. He was born on 7th April 1821 in Secunderabad, a British controlled area in Hyderabad State, Madras, India. It was a place noted for its appalling conditions and high mortality rate amongst the troops. John's one year old sister, Isabella died in Madras in 1827. Sadly John died of consumption on 24th November 1853 with his wife, Martha at his bedside. John's death may have prompted Patrick's move to Dorchester along with his mother-in-law. John's wife, Martha, remained in Driffield where she was a seller of Baby Linen and Fancy Wools beyond 1900 and well into her 70s. John, a music teacher at the time, and Martha, a musician, were married in Hull on 2 December 1847 at Holy Trinity Church. Martha, the daughter of William and Mary Nelson, was from Welton, a quaint little village a few miles to the west of Hull where her father was the village blacksmith. (Holy Trinity church in Hull is reputed to be the largest parish church in the country, it was re-designated as Hull Minster in May 2017 during Hull's year as the City of Culture.)

It looks like Patrick's move to Hull then Driffield was not a random event but due to the relationship with his in-laws and his army connections.

One of the more poignant aspects of historical research is the unexpected discovery of distressing events and this is just such a case, for a number of reasons. In November 1844 Charles Houghey, John's father, Patrick's father-in-law and Francis's maternal grandfather, appeared before the magistrates in Hull "for assaulting his son, and behaving in a very disreputable manner to the whole of the family." As reported in the Hull Packet of 8th November 1844 - "A painful case occupied the Magistrates some time, Mr. John Houghey, a respectable young man, a teacher of music, who is labouring most honourably and benevolently to obtain for himself, brothers, mother, and some destitute children of his brother's, a living by his profession, charged his father with interrupting his pursuit, and violently assaulting him. The Magistrates bound the defendant over to keep the peace." I suspect that in the 21st century Charles may have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder following decades of gruelling active service but in those dark and distant days life had to go on. Either way, there is no excuse for domestic violence. John had three brothers who all died while serving in the army. Perhaps Charles Houghey resented the fact that John, a music teacher, had ploughed a different furrow and followed his heart along a more intellectual and academic path. However the situation came about one can only imagine how difficult it was for all concerned.

John Houghey and Martha Nelson got married three years later in 1847. Charles died in 1849. In about 1850, with his wife, new-born son Charles and one year old daughter Maria, John moved to Driffield also taking his mother and two nieces, Matilda Crowe aged 11 born at sea and Emily Crowe aged 9 born in the East Indies. This coincides with the arrival in Driffield of Patrick Lydon who was married to John's sister, Elizabeth. It could just be that the move to the quiet East Yorkshire town of Driffield marked a welcomed break with the past for all concerned, on a number of levels.

Following John's death, Patrick's subsequent move to a nice town house in the centre of Dorchester with his extended family was not as cosy as it sounds. Rather than describe it here in detail I'll include a link to a rather poignant newspaper article in the Taunton Courier of 27 August 1873.

Francis Lydon worked solely for Benjamin Fawcett during his time in Driffield until he left for London in 1883.

Again digressing slightly and following on from 1851, the census information from 1861 to 1911 provides an interesting insight into the history of the Lydons.

1861 Francis 24 is now married to Catherine 24, a British Subject born in St Vincent in the West Indies, and they have a six month old daughter Geraldine. Francis is now out of his apprenticeship and the Fawcett Printing Works have moved to East Lodge as a result of the astounding success of Birds.

1871 Francis is an Artist Designer and they have five boys and two girls aged between one and ten. Geraldine 10, Frank F 9, Albert E 8, Frederick F 6, Noel S 5, Kate 3, Charles 1.

1881 Francis is an Artist and Draughstman for Engraver. Two of his children look like they're also working for Fawcett, Frank 19, an Engraver on Wood and Albert 18, a Printer and Compositor. Fred 16 and Noel 15 are both Pupil Teachers.

In 1883 the Lydons left Driffield for London. There was a presentation to Francis at the Mechanic's Institute with many speakers praising him for his service to the Institute and to the community. He was presented with a Cabinet and a purse containing around 20 gold sovereigns. Mechanic's Institutes laid the foundations for further education and public libraries with the target audience being working class adults. A 'mechanic' in this context meant an artisan or 'working man'. They were generally very successful, for example, the Manchester Mechanic's Institute went on to become the world renowned University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).

1891 The Lydons are living in Hackney, London. Francis is an Artist Draughtsman Sculptor. Frederick and Noel are both Schoolmasters, Kate at home, Charles is a Word Engraver and Sculptor.

Also in 1891 Frank F Lydon 29, Artist and Engraver on Wood, wife Nellie 25, children Arthur G 4, Frank C 3, plus two boarders are living in Clapham, London.

1901 Frank F Lydon 38, Artist and Engraver on Wood & Sculptor, wife Nellie 36, children Arthur G 14, looks like Basil S (must be Frank C?) 12, Leonard 8, Violet 4.

The 1911 Census is filled in and signed by the occupier, prior to this it was filled in by an official.

The 1911 Census finds Francis, aged 74, a widower, an Artist and Illustrator, living with his daughter Kate aged 43 as his housekeeper.

Also in 1911 Living in Thornton Heath, Frank Fitzgerald Lydon 48 Copperplate Engraver, Nellie his Wife 46, Arthur Gerald 24 Teacher County Council, Cecil Frank 23 Photo Engraver's Colour Etcher, Leonard Noel 18 Illustrating Draughtsman, Violet Dorothy 14. There's an entry in the census that has been crossed out, you can just about read it. It's for Tom; Relationship to Head of Family, Cat; Birthplace, Persian. Clearly Frank Fitzgerald Lydon had a sense of humour!

1911 Frederick Fitzgerald Lydon, Art master, married to Anne, 5 children (2 children had died in infancy), Fred Fitzgerald 14, John Hamish 8, Margaret Kathleen 18, Dorothy 11, Elizabeth 4.

F F Lydon (it must have been Frederick Fitzgerald, the Art Master) published a number of books including Woodwork for Schools; Model and Blackboard Drawing and Geometrical Drawing for Schools. Noel S published A Junior Geometry; Cusack's Perspective Drawing and Cusack's Blackboard Drawing.

The talents of the Lydons have been passed down through the generations.

Alexander Francis Lydon of 18 Boileau Road, North Ealing, Middlesex, died on 20th March 1917 aged 80. Probate of £735 3s 6d was granted to his daughter, Kate.