Wealthy earl leaves his son nothing but a pocket watch
the £325M battle of the Lonsdales.

The Daily Express - 25/08/2007

As the eldest son of one of Britain's richest aristocrats, Hugh Lowther was in line for a substantial inheritance from his father. James Lowther, the 7th Earl of Lonsdale, thought differently – and left his successor nothing but a pocket watch. The Earl is said to have disinherited his son on his deathbed. And the extent of his bitterness, following a longstanding row between the two of them, emerged yesterday after the publication of his will.

The 84-year-old Earl, who died in May last year, left personal wealth of £9.5million, with probate granted to his fourth wife Caroline and their son Charles. Mr Lowther, 58, now the 8th Earl of Lonsdale, could not be contacted for comment at his home in Newby, near Penrith, Cumbria, where the family's 72,000-acre estate is based. But his response to the news of his insulting inheritance was said to have been: "That's families." Businessman Mr Lowther is involved in a complex legal battle with other family members over the control of the £325million estate.

The late Earl and his eldest son had not spoken for years. Mr Lowther claims his father did his best to stop him receiving any income from the estate because he had accused him of sexually abusing him as a child. The disputed estate includes Lowther Castle and is home to the Lowther Horse Driving Trial and Country Fair, which counts Prince Philip among its regular competitors.

In March, a writ was issued in the High Court alleging that as the late Earl lay dying he scratched an illegible mark on legal documents preventing his eldest son benefiting from his share of the family fortune. But the writ also claims the Earl was unable to disinherit Mr Lowther completely because of the way the estate is constructed. All parties involved have refused to comment and the bulk of the family fortune remains tied up in various companies. The Lowthers are one of Britain's oldest titled families. In the 13th century Edward I appointed Sir Hugh Lowther as his attorney general.]

One Lowther was at Agincourt with Henry V in 1415. In 1784, Sir James Lowther was created the first Earl of Lonsdale. Another family member founded the Lonsdale Belts for boxing.

In the 20th century, the 7th Earl faced death duties of £2million and a run-down estate. But he transformed the family's fortunes with his business acumen.

© 2007 Associated Newspapers. All rights reserved
Date: 25/08/2007
Publication: The Daily Express