John Rodolphus Lanyon was born on the 20th September 1839 at Stithians in Cornwall. He was the son of Richard Lanyon and Mary Anne Lanyon (cousins).
John was also the half brother of Richard Sampson Lanyon, the father of Arthur Richard Lanyon who was found guilty of larceny of post office letters.
John was a solicitor in London. He married Emily Anne Hearle in 1867 and they had six children.
In 1893 John forged the will of Mary Wellington with the intention to commit fraud along with Richard Stevens an insurance agent. They were tried on the 7th and 8th of November 1893 and found guilty. Both men were sentenced to seven years penal servitude.
John was described as 5’4″, dark complexion, brown hair and blue eyes, with a cast in each eye. He’s also described as being born in 1841 which is wrong, he was born in 1839.
He was released from prison in 1900.
The Lanyons 