John Luke Lowther
Encyclopedia
Colonel Sir John Luke Lowther KCVO
CBE
(17 November 1923 – 11 April 2011) was a British soldier and Northamptonshire
gentleman.
Lowther was the son of Col. John George Lowther, who in turn was a younger brother of Sir Charles Lowther, 4th Baronet
. He was commissioned a second lieutenant
in the King's Royal Rifle Corps
on 6 March 1943.
He married Jennifer Jane Bevan in 1952, by whom he had three children:
In 1971, Lowther was appointed High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
. He received a deputy lieutenant
's commission in 1977, and in 1984, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant
of the county. While serving as Lord Lieutenant in 1986, he became Honourary Colonel of the Royal Anglian Regiment
, Northampton Territorial Army
battalion, an appointment he held until 1989, following which he received the honourary rank of colonel.
He was made a KCVO
in the 1997 New Year Honours, and stepped down as Lord Lieutenant in 1998.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 November 1923 – 11 April 2011) was a British soldier and Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
gentleman.
Lowther was the son of Col. John George Lowther, who in turn was a younger brother of Sir Charles Lowther, 4th Baronet
Sir Charles Lowther, 4th Baronet
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Bingham Lowther, 4th Baronet, DSO, CB, , was the grandson of Sir Charles Lowther, 3rd Baronet, of Swillington and succeeded to his baronetcy in 1894....
. He was commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the King's Royal Rifle Corps
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
on 6 March 1943.
He married Jennifer Jane Bevan in 1952, by whom he had three children:
- Sarah Charlotte Margaret Lowther (b. 1954), married Henry Merton Henderson in 1977 and had issue
- Hugh William Lowther (b. 1956), married Hon. Amanda Vivian in 1985 and had issue
- Lavinia Mary "Lucy" Lowther (b. 1958), married Julian Edward Tomkins in 1983 and had issue
In 1971, Lowther was appointed High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
High Sheriff of Northamptonshire
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been...
. He received a deputy lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
's commission in 1977, and in 1984, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire
Below is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Since 1735, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Northamptonshire. The lieutenancy included the Soke of Peterborough until 1965, when the Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire became Lord Lieutenant of...
of the county. While serving as Lord Lieutenant in 1986, he became Honourary Colonel of the Royal Anglian Regiment
Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
, Northampton Territorial Army
Territorial Army
The Territorial Army is the part time volunteer force of the British Army. With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals...
battalion, an appointment he held until 1989, following which he received the honourary rank of colonel.
He was made a KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in the 1997 New Year Honours, and stepped down as Lord Lieutenant in 1998.