Show ContentsLowders History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Lowders

What does the name Lowders mean?

The history of the Lowders family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Lowther, now in the civil parish in Eden District, Cumbria. Historically in Westmorland, Lowther was first recorded as Lauder c. 1175 and it thought to have been named from the River Lowther. 1 "It formerly contained a village of the same name, which was demolished in 1682, by Sir John Lowther, who soon afterwards built another, called New-town, where carpet and linen manufactories were established." 2 "Lowther Castle, the residence of the family of that name, stands majestically in a park of 600 acres, and combines the grand effect of a fortification with the splendour of a palace; the fabric is modern, having been commenced in 1802, upon the site of the ancient Hall, which was nearly destroyed by fire in 1720. " 2

Early Origins of the Lowders family

The surname Lowders was first found in Westmorland, an area in the North East of England (now part of Cumbria,) where the family is "eminently a knightly family, traced by Brydges to Sir Gervase de Lowther, living in the reign of Henry III. Other authorities make Sir Hugh de Lowther, knight for this county, in the 28th of Edward I., as the first recorded ancestor; his great-grandson was at Agincourt in 1415." 3

Lowther is a parish in Westmorland. "It formerly contained a village of the same name, which was demolished in 1682, by Sir John Lowther, who soon afterwards built another, called New-town." 2

Early History of the Lowders family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lowders research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1215, 1583, 1588, 1589, 1593, 1605, 1626, 1628, 1640, 1641, 1655, 1659, 1660, 1668, 1675, 1692, 1693, 1696, 1700, 1713, 1723 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Lowders History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowders Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Lowther, Louder, Lowder, Louther and others.

Early Notables of the Lowders family

Sir Richard Lowther of Lowther, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1588; Gerard Lowther of Penrith, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1593; Sir John Lowther of Lowther Hall; Richard Lowther (ca. 1583-1659), an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed 1626, Member of Parliament for Appleby 1640; Sir John Lowther, 1st Baronet (1605-1675), an English lawyer, landowner, and politician who sat in the House of Commons for Westmorland in 1628 and 1660; Colonel Sir...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lowders Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lowders family to Ireland

Some of the Lowders family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lowders family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Lowders or a variant listed above were: Luke Lowther settled in Barbados in 1679; William Lowther settled in Virginia in 1635; Thomas Lowther settled in Jamaica in 1679; Joseph Lowther settled in New York in 1804..



The Lowders Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Magistratus indicat virum
Motto Translation: The magistracy shows the man.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.


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