The Lowell family is one of the

Boston Brahmin The Boston Brahmins are members of Boston's historic upper class. From the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, they were often associated with a cultivated New England accent, Harvard University, Anglicanism, and traditional Britis ...

families of New England, known for both intellectual and commercial achievements. The family had emigrated to Boston from England in 1639, led by the patriarch Percival Lowle (c. 1570–1664/1665). The surname was spelt in many ways until it was standardised as Lowell from about 1721, apparently by the Rev. John Lowell. It was a later

John Lowell John Lowell (June 17, 1743 – May 6, 1802) was a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, a judge of the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture under the Articles of Confederation, a United States district judge of the United States Distric ...

(1743–1802) from whom the famous dynasty was descended.

Background

The Lowells originally settled on the North Shore at

Cape Ann Cape Ann is a rocky peninsula in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. It is about northeast of Boston and marks the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester and the towns of Essex, Man ...

after they arrived in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

on June 23, 1639. The patriarch, Percival Lowle, was born in Portbury before possibly becoming a merchant in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

and later arriving in the New World. By the 19th and 20th centuries, the Lowells descended from

(1743–1802) were widely considered to be one of America's most accomplished families.

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around Massachusetts Bay, one of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of M ...

Governor

John Winthrop John Winthrop (January 12, 1588 – March 26, 1649) was an English Puritan lawyer and a leading figure in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the fir ...

needed solid, dependable people to settle the North Shore area as a buffer against the French from Canada and urged that the Lowells relocate to Newburyport on the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...

, at the border of the failing

Province of Maine The Province of Maine refers to any of the various English overseas possessions, English colonies established in the 17th century along the northeast coast of North America, within portions of the present-day U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire ...

Ancestry in the UK

Origin of the name

Many suggestions about the origins of the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

name Lowle were offered during the late 20th century. Some argued that it was Welsh or

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

while others supported the name was of Norman origin. One possibility is that it originates from the Latin word lupellus (wolf-cub) from Latin lupus (wolf). Lowell family historian Delmar R. Lowell, gave much weight and persuasion to the origins of the name Lowle in his work and he and others concluded the Lowles of England were unquestionably of Norman descent. There were still Louels in Scotland on the

Scottish Marches Scottish Marches was the term used for the Anglo-Scottish border during the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern era, characterised by violence and cross-border raids. The Scottish Marches era came to an end during the first decade of the 17 ...

in the Royal Burgh of

Roxburgh Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at lea ...

when Edward Longshanks, King of England, ordered the nobility and gentry in Scotland to swear an oath of allegiance to him in the Ragman Roll in 1291. It is during this period, in 1288, that the earliest documentation for the name Lowle appears. William Lowle of Yardley in Worcestershire is documented as a yeoman, and standing as a witness to a border dispute between two of his neighbours. It is from this period that Delmar Lowell traces the descent of the Lowles through England until their departure for the colonies. Documentation for this period also exists in The National Archives of England showing that there were also Lowels in the

Welsh Marches The Welsh Marches () is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh March (in Medieval Latin ''Marchia W ...

. In 1317, William de Braose, 2nd Baron Braose petitioned

King Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

, the King's Council, and the Parliament to request that

Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore, 1st Earl of March (25 April 1287 – 29 November 1330), was an English nobleman and powerful marcher lord who gained many estates in the Welsh Marches and Ireland following his advantageous marr ...

send two justices to arrest and bring to trial 200–300 men he accused of attacking his Knights and Ministers and for, ''"trespasses made against the King's peace to Brewose and his people of Gower."'', a peninsula, part of

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

in Wales. Members named in this band of men included Ieuan and Griffith Lowel for the attack at Eynon.

Coat of arms

The Harleian Society, a British publisher of the official Royal Heraldic visitations, describes the Lowle Coate of Arms from the herald's records taken in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

shire in the years 1573, 1591, and 1623. *

Blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

: Sable, a dexter hand couped at the wrist grasping three darts, one in pale and two in saltire, all in argent. * Crest: A Stag's head cabossed, between the attires a pheon azure. *

Motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

: Occasionem Cognosce (oh-kay-see-OH-nem kogg-NOHS-keh). The coat of arms has a shield with black field displaying a right hand cut-off at the wrist and grabbing three arrows, one vertical and two crossed diagonally, in silver; above the shield is a male deer's head with a barbed, broad arrowhead in blue between its antlers. A loose translation of the family motto is ''Know Your Opportunity.'' The use of the Lowle coat of arms has varied slightly between the generations; some families omitted the pheon azure or substituted blunted bolts for the pointed darts; and one generation, notably a pastor, used an urn in his families crest instead of the stag's head. The right for a man to bear arms traditionally passes from father to eldest son; occasionally subsequent generations change the coat of arms to reflect their lives or vocations better, sometimes even "quartering" their coat of arms with another family by way of marriage. Some believe that the Lowle coat of arms fell into

abeyance Abeyance (from the Old French ' meaning "gaping") describes a state of temporary dormancy or suspension. In law, it can refer to a situation where the ownership of property, titles, or office is not currently Vesting, vested in any specific perso ...

when Percival Lowle and his sons emigrated to Massachusetts. They were still subjects of the Crown and its favor until the colonies declared Independence from Britain in 1776 and were entitled to bear their coat of arms. Also, there were a number of Lowles who remained in England who could claim the right.

Family tree

The Lowell family of Boston was traditionally known as the descendants of John Lowell (1743–1802) of Newburyport. His descendants were the Lowells, well known as members of the Boston Brahmins.Scott Steward and Christopher Child, The Descendants of Judge John Lowell of Newburyport Massachusetts, 2010 *

(1743–1802), Member of the Continental Congress and Federal Judge **

(1769–1840), lawyer and Federalist ***

John Amory Lowell John Amory Lowell (November 11, 1798 – October 31, 1881) was an American businessman and philanthropist from Boston. He became the sole trustee of the Lowell Institute when his first cousin, John Lowell Jr. (1799–1836), the Institute's e ...

(1798–1881), industrialist, philanthropist ****

(1824–1897), Federal Judge ***** John Lowell (1856–1922), lawyer ****** Mary Emlen Lowell (1884–1975), Countess of Berkeley, m. Randal Thomas Mowbray Berkeley, 8th Earl of Berkeley ****** Ralph Lowell (1890–1978), philanthropist, founder of WGBH and PBS ****** Olivia Lowell (1898–1977), m. Augustus Thorndike (1896–1986) ***** James Lowell (1869–1933), Federal Judge **** Augustus Lowell (1830–1900), industrialist, philanthropist m. Katherine Bigelow Lawrence (1832–1896), daughter of Abbott Lawrence, Ambassador to the United Kingdom, congressman, industrialist, and original founder of the Harvard School of Engineering ***** Percival Lowell (1855–1916), astronomer *****

Abbott Lawrence Lowell Abbott Lawrence Lowell (December 13, 1856 – January 6, 1943) was an American educator and legal scholar. He was president of Harvard University from 1909 to 1933. With an "aristocratic sense of mission and self-certainty," Lowell cut a large ...

(1856–1943), President of

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, 1909–33 ***** Katharine Lowell (1858–1925), m. Alfred Roosevelt (1856–1891), banker, director of Roosevelt & Son, and Gallatin National Bank ****** Elfrida Roosevelt (1883–1963), m. Sir Orme Bigland Clarke, 4th Baronet, military officer ******* Sir Humphrey Clarke, 5th Baronet (1906–1973) ******** Sir Toby Clarke, 6th Baronet (1939–2019), British businessman ********* Theodora Roosevelt Clarke (1985–), United Kingdom parliamentarian ********* Sir Lawrence Clarke, 7th Baronet (1990–), Olympic hurdler and investment banker ****** Major James Alfred Roosevelt (1885–1919), military officer and engineer, awarded the Silver Star for valor during the

Meuse–Argonne offensive The Meuse–Argonne offensive (also known as the Meuse River–Argonne Forest offensive, the Battles of the Meuse–Argonne, and the Meuse–Argonne campaign) was a major part of the final Allies of World War I, Allied Offensive (military), offe ...

****** Katharine Roosevelt (1887–1961), m. Josiah

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

Reeve, sportsman and foxhunter ***** Elizabeth Lowell (1862–1935), m. William Lowell Putnam (see below) ****** George Putnam (1889–1960), founder of

Putnam Investments Putnam Investments is an investment management firm founded in 1937 by George Putnam, who established one of the first balanced mutual funds, The George Putnam Fund of Boston. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, it has offices in London, To ...

****** Katherine Putnam (1890–1983), m. Harvey Bundy (1888–1963) ******* William Bundy (1917–2000), foreign affairs advisor to John F. Kennedy and

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

*******

McGeorge Bundy McGeorge "Mac" Bundy (March 30, 1919 – September 16, 1996) was an American academic who served as the U.S. National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 through 1966. He was president of the Ford Fou ...

(1919–1996), U.S. National Security Advisor ******* Katharine Lawrence Bundy (1923–2014), m. Hugh Auchincloss Jr. (1915–1998), 1st cousin once removed of Hugh D. Auchincloss ******** Hugh Auchincloss III (b. 1949), m. Laurie Hollis Glimcher (b. 1951), divorced; daughter of Melvin J. Glimcher ********* Jacob Daniel Auchincloss (b. 1988), U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district since 2021 ****** Roger Putnam (1893–1972), Mayor of Springfield, Director of the Economic Stability Administration (ESA) ***** Amy Lowell (1874–1925),

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

-winning poet ** Francis Cabot Lowell (1775–1817), pioneer textile industrialist *** John Lowell, Jr. (1799–1836), Founder of the

Lowell Institute The Lowell Institute is a United States educational foundation located in Boston, Massachusetts, providing both free public lectures, and also advanced lectures. It was endowed by a bequest of $250,000 left by John Lowell Jr., who died in 1836. T ...

*** Francis Cabot Lowell, Jr. (1803–1874), industrialist **** George Gardner Lowell (1830–1885) ***** Francis Cabot Lowell (1855–1911), Federal Judge **** Edward Jackson Lowell (1845–1894), historian ***** Guy Lowell (1870–1927), architect ***** Frederick Eldridge Lowell (1874–1933), landscape painter ****** Mariana Lowell (1904–1979) m.

Jacques Barzun Jacques Martin Barzun (; November 30, 1907 – October 25, 2012) was a French-born American historian known for his studies of the history of ideas and cultural history. He wrote about a wide range of subjects, including baseball, mystery novels, ...

(1907–2012), historian ******* Roger Barzun (1941–), lawyer ******** Matthew Barzun (1970–), Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Sweden m. Brooke Brown ** Rebecca Russell Lowell (1779–1853), m. Samuel Pickering Gardner (1767–1843) *** John Lowell Gardner (1804–1884) **** John Lowell Gardner (1837–1898), m. Isabella Stewart (1840–1924) ** Charles Lowell (1782–1861), Unitarian minister *** Charles Russell Lowell (1807–1870) **** Charles Russell Lowell, Jr. (1835–1864), Civil War general, m. Josephine Shaw **** Harriet Lowell (1836–1920), m. George Putnam (1834–1917) ***** William Lowell Putnam (1861–1923), lawyer and banker, m. Elizabeth Lowell (see above) *** Mary Traill Spence Lowell Putnam (1810–1898), author, translator *** Robert Traill Spence Lowell (1816–1891) **** Robert T.S. Lowell (1860–1887) ***** Robert T.S. Lowell (1887–1950), naval officer ******

Robert Lowell Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV (; March 1, 1917 – September 12, 1977) was an American poet. He was born into a Boston Brahmin family that could trace its origins back to the ''Mayflower''. His family, past and present, were important subjects ...

(1917–1977), Pulitzer Prize–winning poet ***

James Russell Lowell James Russell Lowell (; February 22, 1819 – August 12, 1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the fireside poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets to r ...

(1819–1891), American Romantic poet, Ambassador to Spain and England

Notable Lowells

, lawyer, historian, philanthropist, and former President of

* Amy Lowell, poet, critic, publisher, and sister of Abbott Lawrence and Percival Lowell * Augustus Lowell, businessman, philanthropist, and father of Percival, Abbott Lawrence, and Amy Lowell * Carey Lowell, model, actress and philanthropist * Charles Russell Lowell, Sr., Unitarian pastor, son of The Old Judge, father of James Russell, and great-great-grandfather of Robert Lowell * Charles Russell Lowell, Union General and

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

hero * Delmar R. Lowell, pastor, Civil War veteran, and genealogist * Edward Jackson Lowell, author and father of Guy Lowell * Francis Cabot Lowell (1775–1817), businessman and namesake of

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...

* Francis Cabot Lowell (1855–1911), U.S. Congressman and Federal Judge * Guy Lowell, architect and landscape designer *

, poet, critic, publisher, abolitionist, Harvard professor, and foreign diplomat * Joan Lowell, actress and newspaper reporter * Rev. John Lowell, colonial era Massachusetts minister *

aka ''The Old Judge'', Federal Judge appointed by President

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and American Revolutionary * John Lowell, Jr., aka ''The Boston Rebel'', Federalist lawyer and son of ''The Old Judge'' * John Lowell, Jr. Son of Industrialist Francis Cabot Lowell and founder of the

, businessman and philanthropist * Judge John Lowell, Federal judge and son of John Amory Lowell * Josephine Shaw Lowell, sister of Civil War hero Robert Gould Shaw, first woman to hold a public office in New York City, and wife of Gen. Charles Russell Lowell * Maria White Lowell, poet, abolitionist, and wife of James Russell Lowell * Percival Lowell, author, astronomer, founder of

Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark ...

, and brother of Amy and Abbott Lawrence Lowell * Ralph Lowell, businessman, philanthropist, and founding force behind Boston's WGBH public television *

, poet and lecturer Other notable descendants: * Sir Cuthbert Ackroyd, 1st Baronet,

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

(1955–56) * Godfrey Lowell Cabot, businessman and philanthropist * Julian Lowell Coolidge, mathematician * Abbott Lowell Cummings, noted Yale architectural historian * John Lowell Gardner II, art collector * William Lowell Putnam, banker, lawyer, and philanthropist * William Lowell Putnam III alpinist, broadcasting executive * Ava Lowle Willing, Philadelphia socialite and ex-wife of

John Jacob Astor IV John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He was among the most ...

(

RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that Sinking of the Titanic, sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking Iceberg that struck the Titanic, an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York Ci ...

casualty) * Robert Warren Miller, champion sailor and founder of

DFS Group DFS Group (DFS) ( Chinese: 迪斐世) is a global travel retailer of luxury products based in Hong Kong. Established in 1960, its global network consists of stores located in major global airports and downtown locations featuring over 750 brand ...

* Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece * Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark * Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark, future titular King of

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Other descendants of Percival Lowle: *

, former National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

, Ex-

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

, author *

John Lothrop Motley John Lothrop Motley (April 15, 1814 – May 29, 1877) was an American author and diplomat. As a popular historian, he is best known for his works on the Netherlands, the three volume work ''The Rise of the Dutch Republic'' and four volume ''His ...

, historian *

Tuesday Weld Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is a retired American actress. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcome ...

, actress *

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

, playwright * William Whipple, signer of the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

, poet *

Edward Arlington Robinson Edwin Arlington Robinson (December 22, 1869 – April 6, 1935) was an American poet and playwright. Robinson won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on three occasions and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. Early life Robinso ...

, poet *

Elliot Richardson Elliot Lee Richardson (July 20, 1920December 31, 1999) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. As a member of the cabinets of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1970 and 1977, Richardson is one of two men in United States history ...

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government of the United States, federal government. The attorney general acts as the princi ...

* Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, son of Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia *

Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II (November 5, 1830 – September 3, 1893) was a French-American military officer who served in the United States Army and later in the French Army. He was a member of the American branch of the House of Bonaparte. Ea ...

, soldier, officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

* Charles Joseph Bonaparte,

and

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

in, his distant relative by marriage, Theodore Roosevelt's cabinet

Portrait gallery

Image:James_Russell_Lowell.jpg, Image:Percival Lowell 1900s2.jpg, Image:Abbott Lawrence Lowell on TIME Magazine, June 21, 1926.jpg, Image:JohnLowellJr.jpg, Image:GenCharlesRussellLowell.jpg, Image:JohnAmoryLowell.jpg,

References

External links

''The Historic Genealogy of the Lowells of America from 1639 to 1899''
is available for free download at Google Books.
Domesday Books
The National Archives, England

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lowell Family People from Massachusetts American families of English ancestry Boston Brahmins