Young Absolom Lyons died 100 years ago today

Absalom Lyons (1912 to 1921)

This old, crumpled photo is one that stays with you when the story's attached. While I've seen a number of copies, this copy comes from MyHeritage. It's been shared by a member of the Lyons family.

Absolom is the great-grandson of John Killion and Jane Feeney. He was born on 27 June 1912. He's the second child and only son of Absolom Lyons and Annie Killion. Annie was the daughter of John and Jane's son, Thomas.


Absolom Lyons, 28, and Annie Killion, 23,  married in 1910 in Sydney.  Their first child's birth was registered in Sydney and the other three in Kempsey-
  • Doris Marion - 6 November 1910 to 27 June 1996,
  • Absolom - 27 June 1912 to 26 October 1921,
  • Monica Mary - 14 February 1914 to 23 December 1977 and
  • Kathleen Clare - 13 November 1918 to 20 October 2009.
Young Absolom looks so angelic. He's about two years of age. The family had settled back on the Macleay by this time. The 1913 NSW Electoral Roll shows them living on the family farm at Rainbow Beach which is very close to Jerseyville. Absolom senior's brother, Francis, and his wife were also living on the farm.


There are many newspaper reports about the death of young Absolom on 26 October 1921. Reading the report in the Macleay Argus, you can sense the shocking pain of young Absolom and imagine the scene of terror and helplessness for his parents, ten year old Doris and seven year old Monica. Little Kathleen had just turned three.

" A shocking fatality occurred at Jerseyville on Wednesday afternoon last, when Absolom Lyons, the nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Absolom Lyons, was gored by a bull. The lad had been playing around in the paddock when his father suddenly missed him. On making a search Mr. Lyons took a dog with him, and the animal located the boy lying in the grass. The father shouted "Are you there Absolom?" and the boy faintly answered "Yes". The boy was carried to the house, which was a considerable distance away, and there was some delay before a doctor could be procured, as a man had to run to Jerseyville, a distance of a couple of miles, to telephone for medical assistance. The accident happened about 6pm and Dr. McElhone was at Jerseyville by 9.15, but the boy had expired half an hour previously. The injuries were of a dreadful nature. The bull was a Durham, which breed is generally considered quiet. This particular beast was a pet, which the children at times used to ride on. The animal has since been shot."

Report of the death of young Absolom

Tragedy struck Annie and her girls just eighteen months later, when their husband and father, Absolom, died on 17 April 1923. Father and son are buried at Fredericktown Cemetery. 

Death of Absolom senior

Annie's parents, Thomas and Mary Jane Killion had moved to Sydney in the 1910s. Thomas died in 1917 and is buried at Waverley Cemetery. Annie and her daughters continued to live in Sydney. She was buried with her parents after her death on 7 December 1975 - fifty four years after the death of her only son and fifty two years after the death of her husband. 

Waverley Cemetery

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