[10] Lyall's abilities and potential came to the attention of William Howley, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who shaped his career.
There is a monumental tomb in the north aisle of the nave at Canterbury, said to be designed after a model by the sculptor John Birnie Philip (1824–1875),[17] but his remains are in fact buried at the parish church of St Michael in the nearby village of Harbledown, alongside his wife's.
[18] He wrote a number of dissertations on religious topics, and was a regular contributor to the Quarterly Review, albeit anonymously.
[21] Co-authors of this work were Jacob Henry Brooke Mountain, George Cecil Renouard and Michael Russell.
[22] His eldest brother was George Lyall, Snr, sometime MP for the City of London (UK Parliament constituency), and Chairman of the East India Company.