Sir Richard Lowther, of Lowther Hall, Lord Warden of West Marches

http://members.tripod.com/~Randy_T/lowther.html

Sir Richard Lowther, was born on 14 Jan 1531/32 in Lowther Hall, Lowther, Co. Westmoreland, England, the son of Sir Hugh Lowther and Dorothy de Clifford. Richard Lowther at the age of 22 became the sole heir to his Grandfather Sir John Lowther's Estate. In 1560 he was appointed Deputy to Lord Henry Scrope, Warden on the British side of the border between England and Scotland. His principle duty of Deputy Warden was to lead raids into the Scots territory. Richard was Knighted in 1565, and was given the post of Sheriff of Cumberland. Richard took Mary Queen of Scots into custody on 17 May 1568, at the home of Henry Fletcher, accompanied by 400 men. Sometime later, it is said that Richard's sympathy fell toward Mary Queen of Scots. Richard was confined to the Towers of London on two separate occasions from 1570 through 1573, due to aiding in a small part to place Mary in the thrown of Queen Elizabeth. Richard married Frances Middleton. Frances was the daughter of John Middleton and Anne Tunstall. Sir Richard died on 27 Jan 1606/07 in England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Warden_of_the_Marches

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He held the office of High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1568. In 1568 he received Mary, Queen of Scots, when she fled to England after her defeat at Langside. He held the office of High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1588. He held the office of Lord Warden of the West Marches in 1591.

Born at Lowther Hall (Lowther Castle), Westmorland.

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Captivity of Mary Queen of Scots[edit] In the course of her flight to the Solway, after her defeat at the battle of Langside in May 1568, Mary Queen of Scots sent a letter to Lowther asking whether he could ensure her safety. He returned an evasive answer, but added that if in the meanwhile the Queen of Scots were forced to enter England he would protect her. On the evening of 16 May Mary landed in an open fishing-boat at Workington. The news spread rapidly, and on the next evening Lowther, with an escort of neighbouring gentry, conveyed her to Carlisle Castle. There she held for several days in succession a little court, and received, among others, the Earl of Northumberland, who claimed the custody of her person in right of his office as lord warden, and by authority of the council of York.[1]

Lowther refused to give up Mary, and a violent altercation ensued. Lowther, however, had a band of soldiers to back him, and Mary remained in his hands. A few days later he permitted the Duke of Norfolk to hold an interview with her. Lowther was heavily fined in the Star Chamber for allowing Norfolk and Mary to meet, and before the end of May he was relieved of his charge of the fugitive by Sir Francis Knollys and Lord Scrope. When, however, the Queen of Scots left Carlisle on 13 July for Bolton Castle, Lowther Hall was chosen by Knollys as her first sleeping-place.[1]

Rising of the North[edit] In 1569 Lowther took part in the attempt to place Mary at the head of the rising of the North, and orders were issued for the apprehension of his younger brother Gerard. The latter escaped, and in 1570 advocated a scheme for the forcible deliverance of Mary from Tutbury Castle, in which he counted upon Sir Richard's assistance. But the project was not approved by the Duke of Norfolk, under whose guidance the brothers appear to have been working on Mary's behalf.[1]

Aftermath[edit] On Norfolk's execution in June 1572, Gerard Lowther succeeded in extricating himself. This was perhaps through the influence of his wife, Lucy Dudley, widow of Albany Fetherstonhaugh, and second cousin once removed to Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. This Gerard, who was a bencher of Lincoln's Inn, was sheriff of Cumberland in 1592.[1]

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References

1. WikiTree contributors, "Richard Lowther (1532-1607)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lowther-44 : accessed 10 May 2024). cites
   1. Westmorland Church Notes, Edward Bellasis, 1888, page 181 https://archive.org/stream/westmorlandchur00bellgoog#page/n191/mode...
   2. Irish Pedigrees, or, The origin and stem of the Irish Nation, John O'Hart, 1892, page 291 http://www.archive.org/stream/irishpedigreesor02byuohar#page/291/mo...
   3. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England, Ireland and Scotland, J Burke, etal, 1844 pp. 329 https://books.google.com/books?id=lF1tAAAAMAAJ&vq=lowther&pg=PA327#...
   4. "Some Notes About Our Family History", E R Yerburgh1912, 91-92 https://archive.org/stream/somenotesonourfa00yerb#page/91/mode/1up
   5. Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Transactions, Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 2015, Rev C M Lowther Bouch, page 124 http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/cumberland/conten...
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   7. Pedigrees recorded at the heraldic visitation of the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, Joseph Foster, 1891 pages 84-86 https://archive.org/stream/pedigreesrecorde00sainrich#page/84/mode/1up
   8. The History and Antiquities of Cleveland, John Walker, 1846, pages 386-387 https://books.google.com/books?id=qPsnAAAAYAAJ&dq=hugh%20Lowther&pg...
   9. Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 2015, pages 114-124 http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/cumberland/conten...
   10. Edmund Rochfort Yerburgh, 1912, pages 92-93 https://archive.org/stream/somenotesonourfa00yerb#page/92/mode/1up/...
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   12. The History of the County of Cumberland, William Hutchinson, 1794, page 74 https://books.google.com/books?id=E3xbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA74#v=onepage&q&...
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   17. Dictionary of National Biography, Sir Leslie Stephen, 1885, pages 222-223 https://archive.org/stream/dictionarynatio57stepgoog#page/n234/mode...
   18. John Burke, 1844 page 327' https://books.google.com/books?id=lF1tAAAAMAAJ&vq=lowther&pg=PA327#...
   19. Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archeological Society, 'Some Notes on the Lowthers', M A Collingwood, 1902, Vol 2 pages 9-10 https://books.google.com/books?id=D6dUAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA11&ots=Ulau2Ny...
   20. "The History and Antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland, Joseph Nicolson, etal, Vol 1, 1777 p. 431 https://archive.org/stream/historyandantiq00burngoog#page/n574/mode...
   21. Sir Sidney Lee, pages 222-223 https://archive.org/stream/dictionarynatio57stepgoog#page/n234/mode...
   22. Edmund Rochfort Yerburgh, 1912 pages 90-91 https://archive.org/stream/somenotesonourfa00yerb#page/90/mode/1up/...
   23. History of Westmorland, Richard S Ferguson, 1894, page 205, 284 https://archive.org/stream/ahistorywestmor00ferggoog#page/n289/mode...
   24. Le Neve, John. Monumenta Anglicana (W. Bowyer, London, 1717) Vol. 1, Page 16. In the Parish Church of Lowther in Westmorland.