Abraham Lyons


Abraham Montagu Lyons was an English lawyer, judge, politician and author, who served as a Conservative member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Leicester East, and as Recorder of Great Grimsby.

Background

Lyons was the only son of Rabinovitch Lyons of West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.
He attended Clee Grammar School for Boys in Lincolnshire.
He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the British Army on 23 October 1914, following the outbreak of World War I.

Legal career

Lyons was called to the Middle Temple on 28 June 1922, at which time he was a solicitor living in West Bridgford; became "leader" of the Midland circuit, and "took silk" in 1933. In 1936 he was appointed Recorder of Great Grimsby He was said to have been one of the few Jewish judges in 1930s England to take an active role in the Jewish community.

Service in Parliament

Lyons was elected in the 1931 general election, unseating Labour incumbent Edward Frank Wise. He was re-elected in the 1935 election, but was defeated in the 1945 election by Labour candidate Terence Donovan.

Writings

He was the author of The Law and Procedure Relating to Bastardy Orders and of Advertisement Control, a commentary on the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, and on the Town and Country Planning Regulations, 1948.

World War II service

On 5 July 1938, he was granted a commission as Squadron Leader and appointed to the command of the No. 910 Balloon Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force. He is referred to in Hansard as "Major Lyons" but in his last appearance in that record is referred to as "Colonel Lyons"; the latter may have been a brevet commission.

Later years

From 1959-1960 he served as Master of the Livery for the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers.