Robert Lowther (colonial administrator)
Robert Lowther (13 December 1681 – September 1745) was an English landowner, holding the estate of Maulds Meaburn, and colonial governor. He was the eldest son of Richard Lowther and Barbara Prickett. He owned the Christchurch Plantation, a slave plantation in Barbados.[1]
From 1711 to 1714 and 1715 to 1720, he served as Governor of Barbados. The Privy Council met in Whitehall to hear several complaints against Lowther on 4, 5, 12, 18 and 25 October 1720. At their meeting on the 25th the Council ordered a warrant to be issued for Lowther's arrest for 'Crimes and Misdemeanours Committed by him in the said Island, which were fully proved before Their Excellencies in the council, and several other Complaints having been made to this Board against him, Their Excellencies Judged it incumbent on them to take care that Crimes so Heinous should not Escape the punishment due to them by Law'.[2]
On 22 June 1731, he married his cousin Katherine Pennington, daughter of Sir Joseph Pennington, 2nd Baronet. They had five children:
- James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale (1736–1802)
- Margaret Lowther (1728 – 10 September 1800), married on 19 March 1757 Henry Vane, 2nd Earl of Darlington
- Katherine Lowther (d. 21 March 1809), married on 8 April 1765 Harry Powlett, 6th Duke of Bolton
- Robert Lowther (1741–1777)
- Barbara Lowther, died unmarried
References
- ^ "The Abominable Traffic: Cumbria's connections to the history and legacy of slavery" (PDF). Cumbria.gov.uk.
- ^ Barbados. Privy Council Register, Volume 3, 1720 (Reference: PC 2/97). pp.22-24.
