Lancelot Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale


Lancelot Edward Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale, OBE, DL 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 College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he was a member of the University Pitt Club. On 13 October 1886 Lowther was made lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion, The Border Regiment.
Soon thereafter, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in the counties his family had traditionally dominated, Cumberland and Westmorland. In keeping with the family tradition, he enjoyed sports and, by 1905, was a Master of the Drag and the Deputy Master of the Quorn.
During World War I, he served in the Middle East, and after the war received the OBE and the Order of the Nile, 4th Class. On 3 June 1922, the aging Lowther, now 55, resigned his deputy lieutenancy of Westmorland.
In 1944, he finally succeeded to the Earldom of Lonsdale on the death of his childless brother, Hugh. Hugh's free-spending, sporting life had largely wrecked the estate, and he was forced to auction off the contents of Lowther Castle in 1947. This proved to be the largest English country house sale of the 20th Century.

Marriages & Family

On 24 April 1889, Lonsdale married Gwendoline Sophia Alice Sheffield, daughter of Sir Robert Sheffield, 5th Baronet, with whom he had three children:
His first wife, Gwendoline, having died in 1921, Lonsdale married Sybil Beatrix Feetham on 8 October 1923. They had one son together:
Lonsdale's eldest son Anthony predeceased him in 1949. Lord Lonsdale died in 1953 and was succeeded in the earldom by his grandson James. The Countess of Lonsdale died on 10 March 1966.