After these tasteful decorations of the residence followed the beautifying of the neighbourhood. The park was planted with the present trees, which though now few, are noble specimens of what were, in the memory of those still living, so close and thick and dark that no vegetation flourished beneath them. The thick forest of oaks in the Mains would also be planted, with the avenues of yews and holly. The oaks have disappeared, and a young spring has overgrown the whole. The most remarkable neighbouring feature is the avenue on Morland Bank. This is a long, elevated piece of land, stretching out into the low-lying holmes, and probably its name is a corruption of Mer—or Mireland, from the marshes around. This has been planted on each side with Scotch firs, forming an avenue of about a mile in length. The trees are traditionally said to have been brought from Lowther, and were, at the time of planting, a cart load each. From being so large when planted, they never attained so great a height. At the north end are Ratla Park and Hard Bank plantations, of about the same age. Of this we have a good guess: a man of the name of Wharton, who died about 55 years ago, aged 90, assisted in his youth to plant them; so that it will be about 130 years ago; while the yews and park at Meaburn Hall, if planted soon after the erection of the present Hall, may be about 180 or 190 years old. We are no doubt indebted also to Robert, afterwards Governor Lowther, son of Richard, who would follow in the footsteps of his father in beautifying the lovely valley, in which it was their lot to be placed. Nature had formed a district having great capabilities, and with all respect to the memories of those men, they have done their duty towards it with most praiseworthy taste, and what is chiefly to be regretted is, there are none to follow their footsteps, but "hewers of wood and drawers of water."
In the year 1700, Richard purchased Crosby Hall and the manor of Margaret Bayly. He married Barbara, daughter of Robert Pricket, Esq., of Wresal Castle, Yorkshire, and died about the year 1704. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Robert Lowther, who was sometime store-keeper of the Tower, and in 1716 was appointed Captain-General and Governor-Chief of Barbadoes. He married a lady by whom he became possessed of an extensive property in Barbadoes. She died, and it appears he returned to reside at Meaburn Hall, and brought with him a great quantity of sugar and rum, which was stored in the wine-cellar; and tradition still retains a vivid recollection of the superior quality of the Governor's rum. For his second wife he married Catherine, daughter of Sir Joseph Pennington, Baronet; and issue two sons and three daughters.
Robert Lowther, Esq., from his patrimony and landed property, no doubt was an influential man in the neighbourhood. According to a valuation made the year before his death, his property in Meaburn is valued at £105; the next highest is John Salkeld, £41; the whole valuation of the lordship being £698 10s. It was his intention to rebuild the Hall; with this in view he had plans made, and a new site chosen amongst the yew trees in the south-east corner of Stonycrofts, opposite the Mills. He had kilns erected for burning bricks in Eelmires, for that purpose, the remains of which may still be seen, and got so far as to pull down the middle part of the Hall; but his schemes were doomed never to be perfected, all further advance being stopped by his death, which took place in 1745. His death is said to have been caused by the Rebellion. The Lowthers were ever staunch Royalists, and either himself or his son James held out some favourable support to the encouragement of the Pretender; after whose misfortunes Robert, being of a very nervous and timorous disposition, became so perplexed and afraid of the consequences that it injured his health and was the cause of his death. He was buried beneath the Threlkelds' tomb in Crosby Church. He was succeeded by his eldest son James, afterwards known as Jammy Lowther.
This James, by the death of his father, by the death of Henry, Viscount Lowther, of Lowther, who died without issue, and by the death of Sir William Lowther, Bart., of Whitehaven,[15] who also died without issue, became possessed of the three great estates of Meaburn, Lowther and Whitehaven. James Lowther represented the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland for several years in Parliament, and was elevated to the peerage in 1784 by the titles of Baron Lowther of Lowther, Viscount Lowther, and Earl of Lonsdale; consequently he was the first Earl. He was born at Meaburn Hall, where he resided at different times while the Hall at Lowther was in ruins, being burnt down about 1720. There is every reason to believe Meaburn was his favourite residence, where he kept a large establishment, of which the dairy over the bridge bears unmistakeable evidence. He also stocked the park with deer; and there are many yet living who can remember the last of them being removed to Lowther.
RUINS OF LOWTHER HALL from a sketch by Lady Mary Lowther.
In 1761 he married Lady Mary Stewart, daughter of John, Earl of Bute. Lady Mary appears to have been an accomplished lady, and extremely fond of sketching in water colours; some of her sketches are tolerably well executed. There is at Lowther a large portfolio containing numbers of her sketches, generally in the neighbourhood of Lowther, Ullswater, Shap and Meaburn; some of which are extremely interesting as depicting places now either gone or greatly changed.[16] He died in the year 1802, leaving no issue, and after his day, Meaburn Hall passed into the hands of farmers.