Earl Of Lonsdale
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the
Peerage of Great Britain The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself r ...
in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802), and then in the
Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...
in 1807, both times for members of the Lowther family. This family descends from Sir Richard Lowther (1532–1607), of Lowther Hall,
Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
, who served as Lord Warden of the West Marches.


First creation

His great-grandson, John Lowther, was created a baronet, of Lowther in the County of Westmorland, in the
Baronetage of Nova Scotia Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James I ...
in circa 1638. He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Baronet (the son of John Lowther, eldest son of the first Baronet). He was an influential politician and held several ministerial posts during the reign of William III. In 1696 he was raised to the
Peerage of England The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in t ...
as Baron Lowther and Viscount Lonsdale. His eldest son, the second Viscount, died unmarried at an early age and was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Viscount. He was also a prominent politician. On his death in 1751 the barony and viscountcy became extinct. The late Viscount was succeeded in the baronetcy by his second cousin, James Lowther, the fifth Baronet. He was the son of Robert Lowther, son of Richard Lowther, second son of the first Baronet. Lowther was a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for over twenty years and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Westmorland and
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
. He inherited not only the Lowther estates in Westmorland, but also the
Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...
estates that had recently belonged to Sir James Lowther. In 1784 he was raised to the
Peerage of Great Britain The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself r ...
as Baron Lowther, of Lowther in the County of Westmorland, Baron of the Barony of Kendal in the County of Westmorland and Baron of the Barony of Burgh in the County of Cumberland, Viscount Lonsdale, Viscount Lowther and Earl of Lonsdale, with normal remainder to the heirs male of his body. The Earl was childless and all his titles were heading for extinction. In 1797 he was therefore created Baron Lowther, of Whitehaven in the County of Cumberland, and Viscount Lowther, of Whitehaven in the County of Cumberland, with remainder to the heirs male of his deceased third cousin, Reverend
Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet, of Little Preston Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet (10 July 1707 – 15 June 1788) was an English landowner and curate, of Little Preston, Yorkshire. The eldest son of Christopher Lowther (d. 1718) and grandson of Sir William Lowther, he went to school in Kirklea ...
, to whom he also devised his considerable estates. These titles were also in the Peerage of Great Britain. On Lord Lonsdale's death in 1802, the baronetcy and the peerages of 1784 became extinct. He was succeeded in the barony and viscountcy of 1797 according to the special remainder by his third cousin once removed, Sir William Lowther, 2nd Baronet, of Little Preston. He was the elder son of the aforementioned Reverend Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet, of Little Preston, great-grandson of Sir William Lowther, brother of Sir John Lowther, 1st Baronet, of Lowther (see Lowther Baronets for a more comprehensive history of this branch of the family).


Second creation

In 1807 the earldom of Lonsdale was revived when he was created Earl of Lonsdale, in the County of Westmorland, in the
Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...
. The same year he was also made a
Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...
. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He was a prominent
Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...
politician and notably served as
Postmaster General A Postmaster General, in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters. The practice of having a government official respons ...
and
Lord President of the Council The lord president of the Council is the presiding officer of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the fourth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State, ranking below the Lord High Treasurer but above the ...
. In 1841 he was summoned to the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
through a
writ of acceleration A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, is a type of writ of summons that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with more than one peerage to attend the British or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father ...
in his father's junior title of Baron Lowther. He was childless and on his death the titles passed to his nephew, the third Earl. He was the eldest son of the Hon. Henry Lowther, second son of the first Earl. He represented
Cumberland West Cumberland West was a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that elected one member to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. It was formed in 1949 when Cumberland County was divided into three new districts, the other two being Cumbe ...
in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Westmorland and Cumberland. His eldest son, the fourth Earl, died without male issue at an early age and was succeeded by his younger brother, the fifth Earl. He became known as "England's greatest sporting gentleman". He was succeeded by his younger brother, the sixth Earl. As at 2021 the titles are held by the latter's grandson, the ninth Earl, who succeeded his half-brother in that year. Numerous other members of this family have also gained distinction. John Lowther, eldest son of the first Baronet and father of the second Baronet, was Member of Parliament for Appleby. His son from his second marriage, William Lowther (who was born posthumously), sat as Member of Parliament for
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
. Richard Lowther, younger son of the first Baronet, was Member of Parliament for Appleby. His son Robert Lowther, the father of the fifth Baronet, was a Member of Parliament and
Governor of Barbados This article contains a list of viceroys in Barbados from its initial colonisation in 1627 by England until it achieved independence in 1966. From 1833 to 1885, Barbados was part of the colony of the Windward Islands, and the governor of Barbad ...
. The Hon. Anthony Lowther, third son of the first Viscount, sat as a Member of Parliament. James Lowther, younger brother of the first Earl of the second creation, was created a Baronet in 1824 (see Lowther baronets). Henry Lowther, second son of the first Earl of the second creation and father of the third Earl, was a
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
politician. His third son William Lowther was a diplomat and politician. He was the father of
James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater James William Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater, (1 April 1855 – 27 March 1949), was a British Conservative politician. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1905 and 1921. He was the longest-serving Speaker of the 20th century. Bac ...
(see
Viscount Ullswater Viscount Ullswater, of Campsea Ashe in the County of Suffolk, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 for James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater, James Lowther upon his retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons ...
), Sir Gerard Lowther, 1st Baronet (see Lowther baronets) and Sir Cecil Lowther. For information on other branches of the family, see Lowther baronets. The family seat was formerly
Lowther Castle Lowther Castle is a country house in the historic county of Westmorland, which now forms part of the modern county of Cumbria, England. It has belonged to the Lowther family, latterly the Earls of Lonsdale, since the Middle Ages. It is a fu ...
in
Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
. However, the seventh Earl lived at nearby
Askham Hall Askham Hall is a country house near Askham in Cumbria. It is a Grade I listed building. History A peel tower was built on the site during the 14th century. It passed into the hands of the Sandford family and in 1575 Thomas Sandford had it subs ...
and the present Earl lives at Thrimby a few miles south-east of the castle. The traditional burial place of the Earls of Lonsdale is the Lowther Mausoleum in the Churchyard of St Michael, Lowther, Cumbria.Lowther Mausoleum
/ref>


Lowther Baronets, of Lowther (c. 1638)

* Sir John Lowther, 1st Baronet (1605–1675) ** John Lowther (1628–1668) *
Sir John Lowther, 2nd Baronet Sir John Lowther, 2nd Baronet FRS (9 November 1642 – 17 January 1706) was an English gentleman and landowner at Whitehaven. Lowther was born at Whitehaven, in the parish of St Bees, Cumberland, the son of Sir Christopher Lowther, 1st Barone ...
(1655–1700) (created Viscount Lonsdale in 1696)


Viscounts Lonsdale (1696)

*
John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale, PC FRS (25 April 165510 July 1700), known as Sir John Lowther, 2nd Baronet, from 1675 to 1696, was an English politician. Early life He was born at Hackthorpe Hall, Lowther, Westmorland, the son of Col. Joh ...
(1655–1700) *
Richard Lowther, 2nd Viscount Lonsdale Richard Lowther, 2nd Viscount Lonsdale (1692 – 1 December 1713) was an English nobleman, the eldest son of John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale and Katherine Thynne. He succeeded his father at the age of eight, but died in 1713 a few months ...
(1692–1713) *
Henry Lowther, 3rd Viscount Lonsdale Henry Lowther, 3rd Viscount Lonsdale, (16947 March 1751) was an English courtier and landowner. Life He was a son of John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale and Katherine Thynne. He succeeded to the Viscountcy in 1713, upon the death of his elder b ...
(1694–1751)


Lowther Baronets, of Lowther (c. 1638; Reverted)

* Sir James Lowther, 5th Baronet (1736–1802) (created Earl of Lonsdale in 1784 and Viscount Lowther in 1797)


Earls of Lonsdale; First creation (1784)

*
James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale (5 August 173624 May 1802) was an English country landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons for 27 years from 1757 to 1784, when he was raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Earl of Lonsdale. ...
(1736–1802)


Viscounts Lowther (1797)

* James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, 1st Viscount Lowther (1736–1802) * William Lowther, 2nd Viscount Lowther (1757–1844) (created Earl of Lonsdale in 1807)


Earls of Lonsdale; Second creation (1807)

*
William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, KG (29 December 175719 March 1844), also known as Sir William Lowther, 2nd Baronet, of Little Preston, from 1788 to 1802, and William Lowther, 2nd Viscount Lowther, from 1802 to 1807, was a British Tory pol ...
(1757–1844) *
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale, PC, FRS (21 July 1787 – 4 March 1872), styled Viscount Lowther between 1807 and 1844, was a British Tory politician. Background Lonsdale was the eldest son of William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, and ...
(1787–1872) *
Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale (27 March 1818 – 15 August 1876) was a British nobleman and Conservative politician. Early life Lowther was born on 27 March 1818. He was the eldest son of Hon. Henry Cecil Lowther and Lady Lucy Sherard. ...
(1818–1876) *
St George Henry Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale St George Henry Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale (4 October 1855 – 8 February 1882) was a British nobleman, the eldest son of Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale and Emily Caulfeild. From 1872 until his succession to the earldom in 1876, he was st ...
(1855–1882) *
Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, (25 January 1857–13 April 1944) was an English peer and sportsman. Early life Born in 1857, he was the second son of Emily Susan (), daughter of St George Francis Caulfeild of Donamon Castle of Ro ...
(1857–1944) * Lancelot Edward Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale (1867–1953) ** Anthony Edward Lowther, Viscount Lowther (1896–1949) * James Hugh William Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale (1922–2006) * Hugh Clayton Lowther, 8th Earl of Lonsdale (1949–2021) *William James Lowther, 9th Earl of Lonsdale (b. 1957) The
heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...
is the present holder's half-brother, Hon James Nicholas Lowther (b. 1964)
The heir presumptive‘s
heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
is his second son, Flynn St George Lowther (b. 2005)


Line of succession

* ''
William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, KG (29 December 175719 March 1844), also known as Sir William Lowther, 2nd Baronet, of Little Preston, from 1788 to 1802, and William Lowther, 2nd Viscount Lowther, from 1802 to 1807, was a British Tory pol ...
(1757–1844)'' ** ''
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale, PC, FRS (21 July 1787 – 4 March 1872), styled Viscount Lowther between 1807 and 1844, was a British Tory politician. Background Lonsdale was the eldest son of William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, and ...
(1787–1872)'' **'' Henry Lowther (1790–1867)'' *** ''
Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale (27 March 1818 – 15 August 1876) was a British nobleman and Conservative politician. Early life Lowther was born on 27 March 1818. He was the eldest son of Hon. Henry Cecil Lowther and Lady Lucy Sherard. ...
(1818–1876)'' **** '' St George Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale (1855–1882)'' **** ''
Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, (25 January 1857–13 April 1944) was an English peer and sportsman. Early life Born in 1857, he was the second son of Emily Susan (), daughter of St George Francis Caulfeild of Donamon Castle of R ...
(1857–1944)'' ****''Charles Lowther (1859–1888)'' **** ''
Lancelot Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale Lancelot Edward Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale, OBE, DL (25 June 1867 – 11 March 1953) was an English peer, the fourth and youngest son of Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale. Biography Lowther was educated at Malvern College and Magdalene ...
(1867–1953)'' *****''
Anthony Lowther, Viscount Lowther Anthony Edward Lowther, Viscount Lowther (24 September 1896 – 6 October 1949) was an English courtier and soldier. Early life Anthony Edward Lowther was the eldest son of Lancelot Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale by his first wife, the form ...
(1896–1949) ****** ''
James Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale James Hugh William Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale (3 November 1922 – 23 May 2006), was a British peer. Background and education Lowther was the elder son of Anthony Lowther, Viscount Lowther, and Muriel Frances Farrar, daughter of Sir George ...
(1922–2006)'' ******* ''
Hugh Lowther, 8th Earl of Lonsdale Hugh Clayton Lowther, 8th Earl of Lonsdale (27 May 1949 – 22 June 2021) was the eldest son of James Lowther, 7th Earl of Lonsdale, and the only son by his first wife Tuppina Cecily Bennet. Life Lowther was born on 27 May 1949, the oldest son o ...
(1949–2021)'' *******'' William Lowther, 9th Earl of Lonsdale (b. 1957) *******(1) James Lowther (b. 1964) ********''James Lowther (2000-2022)'' ********(2) Flynn Lowther (b. 2005) *******(3) Charles Lowther (b. 1978) ******''Anthony Lowther (1925–1981)'' *******(4) Thomas Lowther (b. 1966) ********(5) Anson Lowther (b. 1998) *****''Timothy Lancelot Lowther (1925–1984)'' ***''Arthur Lowther (1820–1855)'' ***'' William Lowther (1823–1912)'' **** ''
James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater James William Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater, (1 April 1855 – 27 March 1949), was a British Conservative politician. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1905 and 1921. He was the longest-serving Speaker of the 20th century. Bac ...
(1855–1949)'' *****'' Christopher Lowther (1887–1935)'' ******''John Lowther (1910–1942)'' *******(6)
Nicholas Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater Nicholas James Christopher Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater (born 9 January 1942), is a British hereditary peer and former member of the House of Lords who sat as a Conservative. He succeeded his great-grandfather in the viscountcy of Ullswater i ...
(b. 1942) ********(7) Benjamin Lowther (b. 1975) *********(8) Nikolas Lowther (b. 2009) ********(9) Edward Lowther (b. 1981) *****''Arthur Lowther (1888–1967)'' **** '' Sir Gerard Lowther of Belgrave Square, 1st Baronet (1858–1916)'' ****''Harold Lowther (1864–1929)'' ****'' Sir Cecil Lowther (1869–1940)''


See also

*
Viscount Ullswater Viscount Ullswater, of Campsea Ashe in the County of Suffolk, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 for James Lowther, 1st Viscount Ullswater, James Lowther upon his retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons ...
* Lowther Baronets * Lonsdale Road, Oxford, named after the Earldom


References


Sources

* * Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lonsdale Earls of Lonsdale 1784 establishments in Great Britain 1802 disestablishments in the United Kingdom 1807 establishments in the United Kingdom Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of Great Britain Earldoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
Noble titles created in 1784 Noble titles created in 1807 Noble titles created for UK MPs