He was an Alderman, as a member of the Worshipful Company of Vintners, and served as both as Sheriff of London and MP for Essex.
[8] Lyons was a financier, merchant (in wine, wool, cloth, iron, and lead), shipowner, and landowner.
[10] Lyons was knighted[2] and served as Privy Counsellor and as Edward III's financial agent.
[13] Lyons was extremely rich:[14][15][8][9] He owned lands in Essex, Kent, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, in addition to several properties in London: including a large house that contiguous with the Guildhall of the Hanse of Germany in Thames Street; and property in Cosyn Lane in the Ropery.
[2][7][16] Together with his fellow Privy Counsellor, William Latimer, 4th Baron Latimer, the King’s Chamberlain, Lyons was involved in economic frauds, including the deliberate retardation of the market at several ports,[7] the increase of the prices of foreign imports throughout the kingdom, and the abuse of his position as collector of the wool subsidy to export his wool otherwise than through the staple at Calais to avoiding duties.