Learning about The Lowthers

Today we braved the snowy conditions and headed down to Lowther Castle.  Again we met our friends from Distington School to do some research together.  This is an important part of Carlisle's Textile History because of coal.  The lowther family made much of their fortune in the coal industry particularly from their coal mines in the Whitehaven area.  In the 1700s they were exporting approx 35,000 tons of coal a year making a profit of about £1000 a year.  The Lowthers built the harbour at Whitehaven which meant they could export it and transport it up Carlisle's shipping canal to fuel the Mills in Carlisle.   

The Earls of Lowther have varied in their contributions to Cumbria and in their characters. It was William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale who was the coal magnate, earning the family its great fortune and spent £200,000 creating the very opulent Lowther castle.  The later 5th Earl of Lowther, known as the Yellow Earl is perhaps the most memorable.  As his names suggests he liked all things yellow and at one point was the chairman of the AA still known today by its characteristic yellow.  He was the last earl to live at Lowther and the one who squandered the fortune. 

We enjoyed the day learning more about our local history and some of its characters and left as the large snow flakes became larger and larger making us think about getting home.