Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - An haifi Lyster a Dublin, Ireland, ɗan na uku na Chaworth Lyster, kyaftin a cikin sojojin, da matarsa Anne, "née" Keightly. Kawunsa shi ne William Saurin, Babban Lauyan Ireland. Iyalin Saurin sun kasance wani ɓangare na fitowar Hugenot na Faransa. Wani daga cikin kawunsa shi ne James Saurin, Bishop na Dromore. A lokacin da yake da shekaru 13, Lyster, bayan rashin lafiya, an aika shi a kan tafiya a duniya kuma ya ziyarci Sydney da Melbourne a 1842. Bayan dawowarsa Ingila, ya tafi Indiya da niyyar zama mai shuka, amma yanayin bai dace da shi ba, sai ya sake komawa Ingila. A 1847, yana Afirka ta Kudu kuma ya yi yaƙi a cikin 7th Cape Frontier War
, kuma bayan shekara guda, yana cikin Amurka inda ya gwada sa'arsa a matsayin dan wasan kwaikwayo ba tare da nasara ba.