Background
Lowther was the son of Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet, of Little Preston and Swillington, and his wife Anne Zouch.
Lowther was the son of Sir William Lowther, 1st Baronet, of Little Preston and Swillington, and his wife Anne Zouch.
He was educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge.
He was also appointed to the northern Lord Lieutenancies of Cumberland and Westmorland. In 1807, Lowther was himself created Earl of Lonsdale and appointed a Knight of the Garter. A coal magnate, he spent £200,000 on the Lowther estate and built a new Lowther Castle.
Lonsdale died at York House, Twickenham in 1844.
Lowther also enjoyed fox hunting, serving as Master of the Cottesmore Hunt from 1788 to 1802 and 1806 to 1842. Lord Lonsdale married Lady Augusta Fane (d 1838), daughter of John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland, on 12 July 1781.
They had six children:
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (1787–1872)
Henry Cecil Lowther (1790–1867)
Lady Elizabeth Lowther (d 12 February 1869), unmarried
Lady Mary Lowther (d 21 October 1863), married on 16 September 1820 Major General Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (d 1828), son of the 3rd Duke of Portland
Lady Anne Lowther (daughter
8 November 1863, married on 20 January 1817 Sir John Beckett, 2nd Baronet
Lady Grace Caroline Lowther (d 1 November 1883), married on 3 July 1815 William Vane, 3rd Duke of Cleveland.
1st United Kingdom Parliament. 15th Parliament of Great Britain. 16th Parliament of Great Britain.
18th Parliament of Great Britain]
Lowther was briefly Member of Parliament for Appleby in 1780, for Carlisle from 1780 to 1784 and for Cumberland from 1784 to 1790.
In 1796, he was returned as Member of Parliament for Rutland, holding the seat until 1802.