Although his brother John Lyon, 5th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne was to display the family's royalist sympathies when he joined the Jacobite cause, and was slain at the battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715, Charles, the 6th Earl was not directly implicated in the rebellion and although both his family seats were visited by the Old Pretender (James).

Before the funeral, he entertained the Earl of Strathmore, his own brother James Carnegie of Finhaven, Mr Lyon of Bridgeton, and some others, at dinner in his house.

Afterwards, the Earl of Strathmore went to call at the house of Mr Carnegie's sister, Lady Auchterhouse, and the others followed.

About dusk, the party sallied forth into the street, and here Bridgeton pushed Carnegie of Finhaven into a "deep and dirty kennel" (ditch), which covered him nearly head to foot with "mire".

The earl, seeing him advance, pushed Bridgeton aside, and unhappily received the lunge full in the middle of his own body.