Family and Education

b. c.1628, 1st s. of Sir John Lowther I, 1st Bt., by 1st w.; bro. of Richard Lowther and half-bro. of Robert Lowther. educ. G. Inn 1646. m. (1) by 1653, Elizabeth (d. c.1661), da. and coh. of Sir Henry Bellingham, 1st Bt., of Hilsington, 1s. 2da.; (2) lic. 25 Feb. 1667, aged 39, Mary, da. of William Wythens of Southend, Eltham, Kent, 1s.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Westmld. Aug. 1660-d.; steward of Richmond and Marquess fees, barony of Kendal Dec. 1660-d., capt. of militia ft. Cumb. and Westmld. by 1661-d.; commr. for corporations, Westmld. 1662-3, loyal and indigent officers 1662.2

Biography

Lowther was too young to take part in the first Civil War, but in his own words, perhaps exaggerated, he ‘endured perpetual imprisonment for his loyalty’ from 1648 to the Restoration. After paying fines of £194, he took up arms in 1651 and fought at Worcester. He was involved in Booth’s rising, and again imprisoned till the return of the secluded Members. The compounding commissioners expressed some disquiet at the vigour displayed by their local agents, who replied that ‘he is such a known delinquent that he is not likely to defend himself’. He was nominated to the order of the Royal Oak with an income of £4,000 p.a., which presumably included his expectations from his father.3

Lowther was returned for Appleby at the general election of 1661, and became a moderately active Member of the Cavalier Parliament. During most of the first session, there is the possibility of confusion with his uncle, William Lowther, but he was certainly appointed to 40 committees and twice acted as teller. His sister had married Sir Christopher Wandesford, and on 11 Jan. 1662 he was appointed to a committee for establishing a family trust. In the same session he helped to consider the measure for preventing theft and rapine on the northern borders which his father had opposed in the previous Parliament. Nevertheless they were not on good terms, and the King recommended Lowther for ‘the greater measure of fatherly favour’ in view of his ‘loyalty, fidelity and valour during the late wars’. He was particularly active in the 1663 session, in which he was appointed to the committees to consider the petition from the loyal and indigent officers and to recommend remedies for the meetings of dissenters. A supporter of the Clarendon administration, he acted as teller against the retrospective clause in the bill to prevent abuses in the sale of offices, and was appointed to the committee. He was also named to the committee of inquiry into the conduct of Sir Richard Temple. He was teller on 1 Apr. 1664 for the bill to settle certain Hampshire marshlands on Lady Wandesford, and was appointed to the committee. The bill failed, and the lands were granted to Clarendon’s physician, William Quatremaine. Thereafter Lowther took little part in Parliament. His last committee was again on behalf of the loyal and indigent officers, to which he was added on 12 Dec. 1667. He died on or about 8 Jan. 1668.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: Leonard Naylor

Notes

• 1. Vis. Cumb. and Westmld. ed. Foster, 85; Collins, Peerage, v. 703; London Mar. Lic. ed. Foster, 865.
• 2. Cal. Treas. Bks. i. 98, 145; SP29/445/115; Westmld. RO, Appleby memo. bk. 12 Jan. 1663.
• 3. Cal. Comm. Comp. 1025, 3265; CSP Dom. 1651, p. 478; 1659-60, p. 126; 1660-1, p. 71; SP23/264/49.
• 4. CSP Dom. 1661-2, p. 351; CJ, viii. 486; Cumb. RO, Lonsdale mss.