Caroline A. Finley and John Scott Lyle

JOHN SCOTT LYLE, son of MARGARET HAYES SCOTT and DAVID LYLE, was born June 10, 1821 in Timber Ridge, Rockbridge, Virginia,^{627, 2030} and died January 25, 1899 in Richmond, Wayne, Indiana.²⁰² He is buried in Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Wayne, Indiana.^{89, 1125, 5607}

He married CAROLINE A. FINLEY on October 15, 1844 in Richmond, Wayne, Indiana,^{193, 2031, 1675} daughter of JANE LYLE and ANDREW FINLEY. She was born May 26, 1825 in Indiana,⁷⁶ and died August 3, 1915 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota.⁷⁶ She is buried in Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Wayne, Indiana.^{89, 907}

• Descendant Reports
  • William Scott Descendant Report (Ancestor of John S. Lyle)

Children of CAROLINE A. FINLEY and JOHN SCOTT LYLE:

1. CATHARINE ISABELLA LYLE, b. November, 1845, Ohio or Indiana; m. JOHN S. HUNT on January 3, 1867 in Wayne County, Indiana¹⁶⁷⁵; d. August 26, 1926, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.⁸⁷⁶
2. JOHN HENRY LYLE, b. August 23, 1860, Richmond, Wayne, Indiana;⁶²⁹ m. MARY CONGDON WAGNER on October 21, 1885 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota¹¹²⁸; d. December 14, 1930, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, California.⁴⁰¹⁰

Military Service

Marriage Announcements and News

Evening Item, October 12, 1897²⁰³¹

FIFTY-THREE YEARS

Ago Today John S. Lyle and Wife Married.

The Bride of More Than Half a Century Ago was Miss Caroline Finley the Youngest Sister of One of Richmond's Early Mayors—The Anniversary of the Event Not Celebrated.

Fifty-three years ago today, John S. Lyle, justice of the peace and one of Richmond's oldest, best known and most highly respected citizens, was married. The bride of more than a half century ago was Miss Caroline Finley, the youngest daughter of Andrew Finley, a pioneer settler of the city, and a sister of John Finly, one of the early mayors of Richmond.

The ceremony that made John S. Lyle and Caroline Finley man and wife was performed by the Rev. Frederick Whalen, a Presbyterian minister and the event took place at the home of the Finleys on South Sixth street near St. Andrew's Catholic church.

There were fifty or more guests at that wedding, but besides Major Lyle and his wife, only three other persons present now survive. They are Mrs. Wrigley and Julia Finley of this city, and Mrs. Mary Hibberd, of Louisville, Ky.

Major Lyle is in his 77th year, and is in fairly good health, being able to get to his office at the court house most of the days in the year. His wife is less than two years his junior, but is in feeble health.

Today's anniversary was not celebrated, but the 'squire and his wife were recipients of many congratulations from a host of friends.

Major Lyle in his younger days was a printer. He learned the trade in the old Palladium office in 1837, the office then standing at the corner of Fourht and Main, where the old court house stood. He was engaged in several other printing offices during those early days, and at one time published a paper at Fountain City.

In 1855 he was elected a justice of the peace and has served continually since, with the exception of the three or four years put in as a soldier in the rebellion.

Indianapolis News, October 12, 1898⁴⁷¹¹

Their Fifty-Fourth Anniversary

[Special to The Indianapolis News.]

Richmond, Ind., October 12. — At the ages of seventy-seven and seventy-five, respectively, 'Squire and Mrs. John S. Lyle to-day celebrated the fifty-fourth anniversary of their marriage, which took place in Richmond October 12, 1844. They have been identified with the city nearly all their lives, and for more than forty years have lived in the house they now occupy. Mr. Lyle is a candidate for justice of the peace, an office which he has already held for forty-three successive years.

Newspaper Articles

Richmond Palladium, September 6, 1866⁵⁶⁰⁶

Major John S. Lyle was appointed by the Council at its meeting on Tuesday evening last, Chief of Police, in place of the Marshal, Wm. Zimmerman.

Obituaries

Evening Item, January 25, 1899²⁰³⁰

SQUIRE LYLE DEAD

Aged and Prominent Citizen Passed Away Today.

Was Seventy-Six Years of Age - Born in Virginia But Most of His Life Passed in Richmond - Had a Career as a Journalist, Soldier and Justice of the Peace - Sketch of His Life.

'Squire John S. Lyle, died this morning at 11:08 o'clock at his home No. 105 North Fifth street, after an illness of six weeks. His passing away was not unlooked for as his condition had been deemed critical for two or three weeks, but he seemed to cling to life with a wonderful tenacity.

For a year or so past 'Squire Lyle was a constant sufferer from asthma and was consequently in a rather enfeebled condition most of the time. Despite this condition, however, he remained close to his office in the court house, attending to his duties and seemed despondent when upon certain occasions he was not able to be on hand. Six weeks ago he was taken down seriously ill. His constitution seemed to be undermined and there were but few indications that he would ever recover. Tuesday he was much worse and this morning found him breathing very weakly. At the time above stated he passed away peacefully. He leaves a wife, one son and one brother, Harry, the son is a resident of Minneapolis and had been here at the bedside of his father until a day or so ago when he was compelled to leave. He was summoned again today.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

John S. Lyle was not a native of Wayne county or of Indiana as many people might be disposed to believe because of his long residence here. The state of his nativity is Virginia. He was born in June 1821, and would have been seventy-eight years of age at the next anniversary of his birth. He was a mixture of Scotch and Irish, his father being of Scotch descent and his mother having been born in Ireland. David Lyle, the father, with his little family, came to Indiana in 1823, settling in Richmond, then a small village of less than 200 people. Mrs. Lyle died in 1835 and the father married again, this time, Ann Cox, daughter of Jeremiah Cox, one of the first settlers in this portion of the state and one of the founders of Richmond. The Lyles then moved to Randolph county, the father dying in 1851. The subject of this sketch was reared in Richmond, his education being derived at the public schools. He was popular as a young man and in 1854 was for the first time elected justice of the peace, and four years later was re-elected. At the breaking out of the civil war, he organized company B of the Fifth Indiana cavalry, and was chosen captain. He served with distinction in the early days of the rebellion and was promoted to major of his regiment. It is said that Major Lyle captured more rebels who were with General Morgan, than any other Union soldier.

In his boyhood Mr. Lyle took a fancy to the printers' trade and he turned his attention to it, serving an apprenticeship in the office of the Richmond Palladium. His journalistic career is interesting. Having learned the trade of a printer and being termed one of the best tradesman in the town. Mr. Lyle decided to start a paper of his own and in 1841, after finishing his schooling, he went to Fountain City, then Newport, and with Arnold Buffon launched an abolition paper. A year later he retired from this venture and went to Liberty, Union county, where he started a Universalist magazine for Jonathan Kidwell. Later he went to Cincinnati and worked as a compositor on the Cincinnati Chronicle. He returned to Richmond in the latter days of 1844, and was later chosen justice of the peace as stated above. At the close of the war Mr. Lyle returned to Richmond and in 1871 was made city attorney. Previous to this he had been the deputy prosecuting attorney of the county and had also been chief of police of the city, being the first to hold that position. In 1875 he was again elected justice of the peace, and had served continuously up to the time of his illness which resulted in his death. He was married in 1844 to Caroline Finley, the daughter of Richmond's first mayor.

Major Lyle was an excellent justice of humanity. He was noted as an honest justice and his decisions were always sound. He was a true friend to all and probably had as few enemies as any man who ever held public office in the county.

During his long career as a justice, he married many couples and he looked back over his record in this line with considerable pride. Forty years ago a justice of the peace married as many people if not more than the ministers, and 'Squire Lyle's services were in constant demand. He drove all over the county performing marriage ceremonies and tied as many as ten nuptial knots in one week.

Richmond Evening Item, January 27, 1899⁵⁶⁰⁷

The funeral of John S. Lyle took place this afternoon at 2 o'clock from the First Presbyterian church and a large number of relatives and friends of the deceased were present. Webb lodg[e] of Masons attended in a body. The casket was covered with beautiful floral offerings. Rev. I. M. Hughes conducted the service in a very impressive manner and spoke words of comfort to the bereaved ones. At the cemetery the service was conducted by the Masons. The pall-bearer were Lafayette Larch, I. C. Doan, Clayton Hunt, G. W. Patterson and S. C. Pyle.

Richmond Palladium, August 6, 1915⁹⁰⁷

Mrs. Caroline Lyle

Mrs. Caroline Lyle, 89, widow of the late John S. Lyle, and a former resident of Richmond, died Thursday at the home of her son, J. Harry Lyle, of Minneapolis, Minn. The body will be brought to Richmond for burial. It will arrive at 2:40 o'clock Saturday afternoon and will be taken directly to Earlham cemetery for burial. Short funeral services will be held at the grave. Friends are invited to attend.

Cemetery Pictures



Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Wayne, Indiana

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
September 9, 1850307	Richmond, Wayne, Indiana	John Scott Lyle Caroline A. Finley Catharine Isabella Lyle Samuel Baldridge Lyle
1860306	Richmond, Wayne, Indiana	John Scott Lyle Caroline A. Finley Catharine Isabella Lyle
June 11, 1870305	Richmond, Wayne, Indiana	John Scott Lyle Caroline A. Finley John Henry Lyle
June 7, 1880659	Richmond, Wayne, Indiana	John Scott Lyle Caroline A. Finley John Henry Lyle
June 11, 1900616	Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota	John Henry Lyle Mary Congdon Wagner Marie Caroline Lyle Dewitt Wagner Lyle Wagner Finley Lyle Frances Wagner Lyle Caroline A. Finley Henry Chapman Lyle
April 19, 1910905	Portland, Multnomah, Oregon	Catharine Isabella Lyle Caroline E. Hunt Caroline A. Finley