John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale
John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale, PC, (25 April 1655 – 10 July 1700[1]), known as Sir John Lowther, 2nd Baronet, from 1675 to 1696, was an English politician.
He was born at Hackthorpe Hall, Lowther, Westmorland, the son of Colonel John Lowther of Lowther and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Bellingham, Bart, of Hilsington, Westmoreland. He was educated at Kendal Grammar School and Sedbergh School before admission to Queen's College, Oxford (matriculated 1670). He was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1671 and called to the Bar in 1677.[2] Prior to his creation as a viscount in 1696 John had succeeded his grandfather, another Sir John Lowther (1605–1675), as a baronet, and was twice member of parliament for Westmorland between 1677 and 1696. In 1688 he was serviceable in securing Cumberland and Westmorland for King William III, and was appointed to the Privy Council in 1689. In 1690 he was first lord of the treasury, and he was Lord Privy Seal from March 1699 until his death.[3] He was badly injured in a duel in 1691.
On 3 December 1674, he married Lady Katherine Thynne (d. bef. 1713), daughter of Sir Henry Frederick Thynne, 1st Baronet. They had children:
- Richard Lowther, 2nd Viscount Lonsdale (died 1713)
- Henry Lowther, 3rd Viscount Lonsdale (died 1751)
- Hon. Mary Lowther (c. 1676 – 16 April 1706), married in February 1692 Sir John Wentworth, 1st Bt., of North Elmsall. Mary is buried in Bath Abbey, Somerset where she is commemorated by a fine marble memorial on the south wall of the chancel.
- Hon. Elizabeth Lowther, married on 6 August 1695 Sir William Ramsden, 2nd Baronet
- Hon. Margaret Lowther (died 15 September 1728), married on 20 April 1706 Sir Joseph Pennington, 2nd Baronet
- Hon. Barbara Lowther (died 1716), married c. 1703 Thomas Howard of Corby (died 1740)
- Hon. Anthony Lowther (died 1741)
- Hon. Jane Lowther (died 1752), unmarried
He died at Lowther in 1700 and was buried in Lowther churchyard. His branch of the Lowther family became extinct when his son Henry, the 3rd viscount (1694–1751), died unmarried in March 1751.[3]
Lonsdale wrote in 1688 a brief account of events from the accession of James II to the landing of the Prince of Orange at Torbay, which was later printed as Memoirs of the Reign of James II (in 1808, for private circulation) and again in 1857. The Memoirs reveal no more of Lonsdale's part in events than his public utterances.[4]
Notes
- "J. V. Beckett, 'Lowther, John, first Viscount Lonsdale (1655–1700)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004". Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- http://www2.royalsociety.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqSearch=%28Surname=%27lowther%27%29&dsqPos=2%5B%5D
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lonsdale, Earls of". Encyclopædia Britannica. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 987. - Richard Saul Ferguson (1871). Cumberland and Westmorland M. P.'s from the Restoration to the Reform Bill of 1867, (1660-1867.). C. Thurnam and Sons. p. 403.
References
Parliament of England | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Sir Philip Musgrave Sir Thomas Strickland |
Member of Parliament for Westmorland 1677–1679 With: Sir Philip Musgrave 1677–1678 Alan Bellingham 1678–1679 |
Succeeded by Alan Bellingham Christopher Philipson |
Preceded by Alan Bellingham Christopher Philipson |
Member of Parliament for Westmorland 1681–1696 With: Alan Bellingham 1681–1689 Henry Wharton 1689 Goodwin Wharton 1689–1690 Sir Christopher Musgrave 1690–1695 Sir Richard Sandford 1695–1696 |
Succeeded by Sir Richard Sandford William Fleming |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by James Porter |
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 1689–1694 |
Succeeded by Peregrine Bertie |
Preceded by The Earl of Monmouth |
First Lord of the Treasury 1690 |
Succeeded by The Lord Godolphin |
Preceded by The Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery |
Lord Privy Seal 1699–1700 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Tankerville |
Honorary titles | ||
Preceded by Sir Philip Musgrave, Bt |
Custos Rotulorum of Westmorland 1678–1700 |
Succeeded by The Lord Wharton |
Preceded by The Earl of Carlisle |
Vice-Admiral of Cumberland and Westmorland 1686–1700 |
Vacant Title next held by Sir Richard Musgrave, Bt |
Preceded by The Viscount Preston |
Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland and Westmorland 1689–1694 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Carlisle |
Preceded by The Earl of Thanet |
Custos Rotulorum of Cumberland 1689–1700 | |
Peerage of England | ||
New creation | Viscount Lonsdale 1696–1700 |
Succeeded by Richard Lowther |
Baronetage of Nova Scotia | ||
Preceded by John Lowther |
Baronet (of Lowther) 1675–1700 |
Succeeded by Richard Lowther |