Lyson Company first advertised in the SCMP on 29 July 1919 as follows: "We have just received a large consignment of porcelain and Shanghai baths, lavatory basins, commodes, window glass mirrors and tiles of all descriptions. Tel. No. 2559 39A Queens Road C, Hong Kong." The company made no secret that it was in direct competition with C.E. Warren & Co. Ltd. as it ran its advertisements simultaneously, sometimes side by side and offered the same products. The company wasn't gazetted until 11 September 1920 and although the advertisements ceased in 1922, I haven't found a notification in the Gazette that it was wound up. I don't currently have access to the China Directory and can't verify the name of the Managing Director. It would have been an obvious sideline for William Lyson (Wong Lai-son) who worked with the architect, Hazeland, also based in Queen's Road. To have his brother-in-law, the millionaire, Chan Kai Ming as a potential safety net, would probably have been enough to give him financial security for his capital investment. The company's connection with the Lyson family can only be inferred by the similarity in the name. It isn't openly stated. The sudden disappearance of Lyson company after only two years is mysterious.
