Richard Lowther (1532-1607) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Sir Richard "of Lowther Hall" Lowther

Born 14 Feb 1532 in Lowther, Westmorland, England

Ancestors

Son of Hugh Lowther and Dorothy (Clifford) Lowther

Brother of Anne (Lowther) Wybergh and Barbara (Lowther) Carleton

Husband of Frances (Middleton) Lowther — married 1551 in Westmorland, England

Descendants

Father of Anne (Lowther) Fetherston, Christopher Lowther, Frances (Lowther) Cleburne, Gerard Lowther and William Lowther

Died 27 Jan 1607 at age 74 in Lowther, Westmorland, England

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Profile last modified 5 Dec 2022 | Created 23 Aug 2011

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1 Biography
2 Pedigrees
3 Marriage and Family
4 Occupations
5 Sources

Biography

Sir Richard Lowther of Lowther Hall, was the son of Sir Hugh and Dorothy Clifford Lowther, born 1532 and died January 27 1607.^[1] O'Hart states that Hugh Lowther, son of John and Lucy Curwen, was Richard's father.^[2] Hugh, however, pre-deceased John, leaving his eldest son (Richard) as the next heir. Burke (1844), names Hugh who married Dororthy de Clifford as father of John and Lucy Curwen then names them as Richard's parents.^[3] This is disputed by the will of Sir John Lowther made February 1552 which identifies Richard as the son of Hugh who predeceased his father and married Dorothy Clifford. In it Sir John disinherits Hugh, despite the advantage of the alliance he made with the Clifford family, and named Richard, his grandson as the heir.^[4] However, Rev C M Lowther Bouch disputes that Richard's father predeceased his grandfather and was alive in 1554 and the following pedigrees support his parentage.^[5]

Pedigrees

All of the following are the Lowther Pedigrees which confirm that Sir Hugh and Dorothy Clifford were the parents of Sir Richard Lowther in this order: 1615, 1664, 1846, 1891,1948 This is the pedigree of Sir Richard St George^[6] This is the Lowther Pedigree a combination of Sir Richard St George (1615), Sir William Dugsdale, (1666), Joseph Foster, 1891.^[7] This is the pedigree of "Pedigree of Lowther of Wilton Castle".^[8] "The origin and early pedigree of the Lowther Family" written by Rev C M Lowther Bouch which appeared in "Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society" (1948) Series: 2, Volume 48 contributes to both the lineage and the pedigree.^[9] In the 'Two Lions Hotel', formerly the home of Gerard Lowther, all of the Coats of Arms of the Lowther family are on the ceilings in different parts of the house except Featherstonhaugh. A description of the interior may be found here.^[10]

Marriage and Family

m. Frances Middleton (father: John Middleton, esq).^[11] Issue: 8 sons; 7 dau. They were the parents of:

John
George died young
Sir Christopher m (1) Eleanor Musgrave, daughter of William Musgrave of Hayton Castle, (2) Mary Wilson, daughter of Thomas Wilson, Dean of Durham
Gerard m (1) Grace Bellingham, widow of Edmund Cleburne, (2) Anne Bulwer, (3) Anne Parsons, daughter of Sir Lawrence Parsons and (4) Margaret King
Hugh, Captain of the Army
Richard died young, Sir Lancelot
William m Eleanor Welbery of Ingleton.
Anne m Alexander Fethertonhaugh of Northumberland
Florence#Frances died infant
Margaret m John Bysse
Dorothy died infant
Mabil died infant
Frances married Thomas Clyburne (Cliberne)
Susannah died young.^[12]^[13] ^[14]

A pedigree of the family with the children who grew to adulthood, their spouses, occupations and provisions he made for them may be found here.^[15] An interesting note about two of the children: Gerard married Grace Bellingham who died the same year that Frances, their daughter married Thomas Cleburne (Clyburne), Grace's son. Had she lived her relationship to Frances would have been stepmother and Thomas' stepmother-in-law and Gerard's relationship to him as his stepfather and brother-in-law ^[16]

Occupations

He was knighted in 1565, served as sheriff of Cumberland in 1565 and 1587, succeeded Henry Scrope as Lord Warden of the West Marshes in 1591 and served as Commissioner for Queen Elizabeth three times in her affairs with England and Scotland.^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20] In his service to the Queen he was given the responsibility of caring for Queen Mary of Scots during the time Queen Elizabeth was seeking to depose her as Queen of Scotland. He was very kind to Mary while she was in his care at Lowther Castle and wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth praising him. That letter landed him in the North Tower of London. Accounts of the story may be found here.^[21]^[22]^[23]