LOWTHER, James William, 1st Viscount Ullswater

1855 - 1949

James William Lowther was born at 56 Park Street, Oxford Street, London on 1 April 1855, son of Hon. William Lowther (14 December 1821–23 January 1912), M.P. for Westmorland, and his wife (Charlotte) Alice Parke (19 November 1828-5 January 1908), third daughter of James Parke, 1st Baron Wensleydale. James was educated at Eton, King's College, London and at Trinity College, Cambridge and called to the bar in 1879. Elected Member for Rutland in 1883 and Member for Penrith 1905-1921 being elected Speaker of the House of Commons in 1905 until his retirement in 1921, when created 1st Viscount Ullswater of Campsey Ash in Suffolk. In 1882 he purchased the High House Estate at Campsey Ash and lived there until his death on 27 March 1949. A trustee of the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery from 1923. A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club from 1932 until his death and exhibited three watercolours from Campsey Ash in 1932 'Porto Pi Mallorca', 'Gables Farm' and 'Cala Mayor Mallorca', in 1933 three further pictures two entitled 'Isle of Wight' and one 'Campsey Ash', in 1935 'Ashe Green Farm' and 'Parham Old Hall', in 1937 'Kyrenia, Cyprus' and watercolours 'Cyprus', 'Kyrenia, Cyprus' and 'Bella Pais, Cyprus' and was a regular annual exhibitor showing in 1941 four works 'Iken Cliff', 'Cosford Bridge, Kersey', 'Bath' and 'Campsea Ashe' and in 1942 'Loweswater' and 'February 1942', in all he exhibited some 28 works. He married on 1 March 1886, Mary Frances Beresford Hope (died 1 May 1944) and had two sons and a daughter. His son and heir was Christopher William Lowther (1887-1935), his grandson and heir, John Arthur, secretary to the Duke of Kent, was killed in a flying accident with the duke in 1942 and the 1st Viscount was succeeded as 2nd Viscount by his great-grandson Nicholas James Christopher Lowther. In 1955 the Campsey Ashe estate and the contents of High House were sold by auction, the lands ploughed for crops and High House demolished.

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Works by This Artist