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Lowther

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"Lowther undoubtedly hath its name from the river. The word is British and signifies clear water. So Lauder, a river in Scotland, gives name to Lauderdale. The parish of Lowther is bounded on the east by the parish of Morland; on the south by the parishes of Shap, Bampton, and Askham; on the west, by the parishes of Askham and Barton; and on the north, by the parish of Clifton; and contains about 72 families, all of whom (except only one dissenter) are of the church of England. [in 1777] It is a rectory. Whale is a small village in the parish of Lowther, about a mile south from the church, consisting of about 8 or 10 families, with two or three straggling houses on Whale moor. About a mile and an half south-east from the church, is the village of Hackthorp, containing 13 or 14 tenements. About two miles eastward from the church is the village of Melkanthorp, which anciently seems to have belonged to a family of that name. "
[Nicolson & Burns: The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland. 1777. Transcribed by Anne Nichols.]

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The parish of Lowther is bounded on the east by the parish of Morland; on the south by the parishes of Shap, Bampton, and Askham;
on the west, by the parishes of Askham and Barton; and on the north, by the parish of Clifton

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Cemeteries

M.I.s for Lowther were transcribed in Westmorland Church Notes by E. Bellasis 1888-89

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Census

Returns survive for the 'census' of 1787 and are held at the Kendal Record Office of Cumbria Archives Service. The Record Office reference is WQ/SP/C. They are transcribed in Vital Statistics published by Curwen Archives Trust 1992. ISBN 1897590008.There are trancriptions on EdenLinks for

Census returns are available from the usual sources for 1841-1911.

A transcript of the 1841 census of Lowther, Hackthorp, Melkinthorpe, and Whale [HO107/1162] is provided by Virginia Gretton. It includes the following names:

ABBOTT, ARMSTRONG, ASKEW, ATKINSON, BACKHOUSE, BARR, BATEMAN, BENN, BIRD, BLACKLOCK, BLYTH, BOUSFIELD, BOWNESS, BOWSTEAD, BROWN, BRUNSKILL, BUSKBY, BYERS, CAMPBELL, CARRICK, CASTLEY, CONESTON, CPNNOR, COOK, COPLEY, COULSTON, COWIN, CROWDEN, CRUICKSHAK, DIXON, DONALD, DOWLEY, DOWSON, DUFTON, EDGER, ELLIOTT, FALLOWFIELD, FARRER, FAWCETT, FERGUSON, FOSTER, FRY, FURNESS, GARDESS, GLENTON, GOALDING, GOODBURN, GRAHAM, GREY, GRIFFIN, GROVY, HAMILTON, HARRIS, HARRISON, HAYTON, HEBSON, HENDRICK, HILL, HOBSON, HODGSON, HOLMES, HOPE, HOWE, HUDDART, HUDSON, HUNTER, IRVING, ION, JACK, JAQUES, JENKINSON, JOHNSON, KENDALL, KERSHAW, KIDD, KITCHEN, KNIGHT, LAMB, LANCASTER, LAYCOCK, LEACH, LITTLE, LONGLEY, LONGRIGG, LOWIS, M'CADE, M'CALL, M'CRONE, M'LEAN, MALLISON, MARSHALL, MASTYN, MATTINSON, MAWSON, MILLER, MONKHOUSE, NELSON, NICHOLSON, NIXON, ORPHAN, PARKER, PATTINSON, PEARSON, PEET, PLUMB, RELPH, RICHARDSON, RIDLEY, RIGG, ROBINSON, ROCHFORD, ROOK, ROPER, ROSE, SANDERSON, SARGANT, SCOTT, SEWEL, SIBSON, SIDDELL, SLEE, SMITH, SNAPE, STAGDALE, STAMPER, STEELY, STEPHENSON, STODART, SYSON, THOMPSON, THULKELD, TODD, TUNELTY, VARTY, WALKER, WALLY, WARD, WEST, WHARTON, WILKINSON, WILLS, WILSON, WINSKILL, WINTER, WOOF, WOOTHAM, YARKER.

Transcript and index for 1851 has been published by the Cumbria Family History Society and also in 'North Westmorland - An Index to the 1851 Census' compiled by David Lowis and Barbara Slack.

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Church History

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St Michael.
From the outside the appearance is of the 1686 rebuilding by Sir John Lowther.
But inside Norman arcades.with circular piers having scalloped capitals. .
Historical and architectural notes on National Heritage List (EH site).
Photograph(s) and description on VisitCumbria.
Access and contact details on Church of England site
More details and maps in Genuki Westmorland Church Database
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Monuments inside and mausoleum outside to the Lowthers
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Church Records

Parish Registers and Bishop's Transcripts are held by Cumbria Archives :
originals at Kendal RO and microfilm copies at Carlisle RO.

Baptism registers1540-1883
Marriage registers1540-1965
Banns registers1755-1814
Burial registers1540-1902
Bishops transcripts1645-1872

See the CASCAT online calogue for WPR12 for information on these and other parish records..

For searching on LDS familysearch.org see IGI batch numbers (compiled by Jake Prescott)
or use the batch number search site (by Hugh Wallis).

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Lowther which are provided by:

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Directories

The details for the parish from the Parson & White's Directory for 1829 are transcribed on Edenlinks site.

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Gazetteers

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History

British History Online provides historical notes for Lowther from The Later Records relating to North Westmorland by John F. Curwen (1932)

Cumbria County History Trust has published a "Jubilee Digest" for the township of Lowther

Magna Britannica et Hibernia.Volume 6: Westmorland by Thomas Cox (Vicar of Bromfield, Essex) 45 pages, printed in 1731.
Transcription by Sarah Reveley, Joan Fisher and Lisl Schoenwald. (Rootsweb Westmorland Listmembers) (c) 2003

"Lowther, a Village situate upon the River Loder, from when our Antiquaries believe it took its Name, as Strickland doth from the River which runs by it. In the Reign of King Rich. II. Reg 13. it was the Demesne of Roger Lord Clifford 4th, who died possessed of it that Year, and left it to his Son and Heir Thomas, by whose Heirs general his great Estates passed into divers Families, and among the Rest to the Family of Lowthers, who took their Name from it, and have for many Ages had their Seat here, called Lowther-Hall. But least we should diminish any Thing from so antient and noble a Family by our Derivation of their Name from the Town, we will not pass over the Conjectures of the Learned concerning it. Olous Wormius, the Danish Antiquary, being consulted by Sir Henry Spelman, at the Instigation of Sir Peter Osborn, about the Derivation of this, among other English Names, says he finds it among the antient Danish Names of their Kings, and tells us it is derived from the Words Loth and Er, which signify Fortune and Honour, and so make it carry a fortunate Stock of Honour in the very Etymology. Others look upon it as a very honourable Name, because they observe many of the Emperors and Princes of Germany to be called Lotharius; but since most of our English Names, and that of the most noble Families are taken from the Towns of which they were Lords, we shall rather prefer our first Opinion. This Family Lowther hath made a great Figure in this County for many Generations, and several of them have born Offices of State; for Sir Hugh Lowther, Knt. was Attorney General to King Edw. I. and another Sir Hugh Lowther, Knt. was one of the Justices of the King's Bench 5 Edw. III. Sir John Lowther was Sheriff of Cumberland 26, 27, and 28 Edw. III. Hugh Lowther, Esq; was Knight of the Shire for Westmorland, 14, 33, and 46 Edw III. John Fitz hugh de Lowther was also Knight of the Shire 50 Edw. III. And 2 Rich. II. Sir Hugh de Lowther was made Knight of the Bath at the Marriage of Prince Arthur, eldest Son of King Hen. VII. Sir Richard Lowther was Sheriff of Cumberland, and Lord Warden of the West Marches. Sir Christopher Lowther, Knt. was one of the Judges of the Court at York, and his Son John was created a Baronet by King Charles I. His Son Sir John Lowther being a Person of great Accomplishments, and of a considerable Interest in this County, appeared early for King William at the Revolution in 1688, which acceptable Service that Prince having taken Notice of, made him Vice-Chamberlain of his Household soon after he and his Princess were advanced to the Throne, as also one of his Privy Council, Keeper of the Privy Seal, and one of the Lords Justices in that King's absence; in which Stations having done his Majesty and the Nation good Service, that King was pleased further to advance him to the Honour of Baron Lowther and Viscount Lonsdale. He much adorned and beautified his Seat here, called Lowther Hall, with curious Paintings and rich Furniture, but it hath lately been burnt down. In his Honour he was succeeded by Richard his eldest Son and Heir, who came of Age March 1712-13, but died of the Small-Pox in December following, and was succeeded in his Honour and Estate by Henry his Brother, now Lord Viscount Lonsdale, then a Minor, and though now of Age, we do not understand that he is married."

The name Lowther is perhaps connected with Old Irish lothur 'canalis', Bret. laoer 'a trench'.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NY543219 (Lat/Lon: 54.590223, -2.709353), Lowther which are provided by:

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Population

1641/2145(est)
1671307(est)
1787476
1801373
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Probate Records

Lowther is in the diocese of Carlisle and wills will be in Carlisle Record Office.

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Taxation

Hearth Tax records for 1674 Lowther transcribed on Edenlinks
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Hackthorpe (Lowther) transcribed on Edenlinks.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Melkinthorpe (Lowther) transcribed on Edenlinks.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Whale Moor (Lowther) transcribed on Edenlinks.

Window Tax records for 1777 Lowther transcribed on Edenlinks.
Window Tax records for 1777 Melkinthorpe transcribed on Edenlinks.