William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale
Encyclopedia
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale PC, FRS
(21 July 1787 – 4 March 1872), styled Viscount Lowther between 1807 and 1844, was a British Tory politician.
, and Lady Augusta, daughter of John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland
. Henry Lowther
was his younger brother. He was educated at Harrow
and Trinity College, Cambridge
.
in 1808, a seat he held until 1813, and later represented Westmorland
between 1813 and 1831 and 1832 and 1841, Dunwich
in 1832 and West Cumberland
between 1832 and 1833. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1818 and served under the Duke of Wellington
as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests between 1828 and 1830 and under Sir Robert Peel as Treasurer of the Navy
and Vice-President of the Board of Trade
between 1834 and 1835.
In 1841 he was summoned to the House of Lords
through a writ of acceleration
in his father's junior title of Baron Lowther and held office under Peel as Postmaster General
between 1841 and 1845. In 1844 he succeeded his father in the earldom of Lonsdale. He held his last ministerial office as Lord President of the Council
, with a seat in the cabinet, in 1852, in the Earl of Derby
's first administration
.
Lonsdale was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
on 5 July 1810. He was also Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland
and Westmorland
between 1844 and 1868.
.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(21 July 1787 – 4 March 1872), styled Viscount Lowther between 1807 and 1844, was a British Tory politician.
Background
Lonsdale was the eldest son of William Lowther, 1st Earl of LonsdaleWilliam Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale
William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale of the second creation KG was a British Tory politician and nobleman.-Life:...
, and Lady Augusta, daughter of John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland
John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland
John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland was an English earl. He succeeded his father the 8th Earl as Earl and as MP for Lyme Regis from 1762 .-Lord Burghersh:...
. Henry Lowther
Henry Lowther (politician)
Henry Cecil Lowther, DL, JP was an English Conservative politician and an amateur cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1819 to 1843...
was his younger brother. He was educated at Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
Political career
Lonsdale was returned to parliament for CockermouthCockermouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Cockermouth was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England in 1295, and again from 1641, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was a parliamentary borough represented by two...
in 1808, a seat he held until 1813, and later represented Westmorland
Westmorland (UK Parliament constituency)
Westmorland was a constituency covering the county of Westmorland in the North of England, which returned Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The constituency had two separate periods of existence....
between 1813 and 1831 and 1832 and 1841, Dunwich
Dunwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Dunwich was a parliamentary borough in Suffolk, one of the most notorious of all the rotten boroughs. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1298 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act....
in 1832 and West Cumberland
West Cumberland (UK Parliament constituency)
West Cumberlandwas a county constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election.- Boundaries :...
between 1832 and 1833. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1818 and served under the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests between 1828 and 1830 and under Sir Robert Peel as Treasurer of the Navy
Treasurer of the Navy
The Treasurer of the Navy was an office in the British government between the mid-16th and early 19th century. The office-holder was responsible for the financial maintenance of the Royal Navy. The office was a political appointment, and frequently was held by up-and-coming young politicians who...
and Vice-President of the Board of Trade
Vice-President of the Board of Trade
The office of Vice-President of the Board of Trade was a junior ministerial position in the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created in 1786 and abolished in 1867. From 1848 onwards the office was held concurrently with that of Paymaster-General...
between 1834 and 1835.
In 1841 he was summoned to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
through a writ of acceleration
Writ of acceleration
A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, was a type of writ of summons to the British House of Lords that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with multiple peerage titles to attend the British House of Lords or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father's...
in his father's junior title of Baron Lowther and held office under Peel as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
between 1841 and 1845. In 1844 he succeeded his father in the earldom of Lonsdale. He held his last ministerial office as Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
, with a seat in the cabinet, in 1852, in the Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
's first administration
Conservative Government 1852
After the fall of Lord John Russell's Whig government in early 1852, the Tory leader Lord Derby formed a government. The Conservatives had been weakened by the defection of the Peelites, and many of the new Cabinet ministers were men of little experience. The government became known as the Who?...
.
Lonsdale was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
on 5 July 1810. He was also Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland
Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland. From 1765 to 1974, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Cumberland.*Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon 20 August 1586 – 14 December 1595*vacant?...
and Westmorland
Lord Lieutenant of Westmorland
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Westmorland. The office was abolished on 31 March 1974 and replaced by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria...
between 1844 and 1868.
Personal life
Lord Lonsdale never married. He died in March 1872, aged 84, and was succeeded in the earldom by his nephew, HenryHenry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale
Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale was a British nobleman and Conservative politician, the eldest son of Henry Cecil Lowther and Lady Lucy Sherard.He married Emily Susan Caulfeild on 31 July 1852. They had six children:...
.