Arthur Richard Lanyon was born in Plymouth in 1861, he was the son of Richard Sampson Lanyon 1828-1903 and Eliza Jane Mare.
Richard was a gunpowder manufacturer (like his father) and a merchant in Plymouth. Arthur was one of nine children. They were a very respectable family. When Arthur left school age 16 he joined the post office as a clerk and worked in Exeter. The post office soon noticed that letters were going missing so they ‘posted’ a letter containing three half sovereigns which were marked and they waited to see what would happen.
When the letter went missing Arthur was searched and the marked sovereigns recovered. Arthur was charged with larceny of postal letters, found guilty on the 29 October 1881 and sentenced to five years penal servitude. Appeals for leniency due to his age were ignored. His parents offered to send him to Canada instead, the appeal fell on deaf ears. Arthur was sent to Pentonville Prison.
On entering prison Arthur was a healthy young man and his prison medical record notes nothing untoward.
On release his parents sent him to Canada. It was a chance of a new life. Arthur died in Vancouver on 5 August 1888 at the age of 27.
The Lanyons 