COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

THE YELLOW EARL
The Life of Hugh Lowther
5th Earl of Lonsdale, K.G., G.C.V.O,
1857-1944
by Douglas Sutherland
New York: Coward-Mann, 1965.

The National Sporting Library's F. Ambrose Clark Rare Book Room holds over 2,000 books, which includes the collection of 300 books that once belonged to Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale. A portion of his collection was donated to the NSL in 1975 by the Arundel Foundation, founded by Russell Arundel (1902-1978) who was once MFH of Warrenton Hunt (Va.). The remainder of the collection was donated by Marjorie S. Arundel in April 2000.

Douglas Sutherland's biography of Lonsdale, The Yellow Earl, is a fascinating read about the sportsman who was loved by many. Lonsdale seems far from the literary type as he lived life as fully as possible. Born into wealth in 1857, his name was readily associated with the highest echelons of sport and scandal. Because of this, he was an immensely popular figure among the working class and Victorian Society.

Peter Winants, director emeritus of the NSL, writes in the NSL Newsletter, Summer 1997: "The sport of foxhunting often attracts powerful, colorful and eccentric leaders. None can hold a candle, though to Hugh Cecil Lowther, the fifth Earl of Lonsdale. Lowther lived life to the hilt. In his own oft-used phrase, it was 'lovely fun.' His fun included masterships of three of England's top hunts - the Quorn, Cottesmore and Woodland Pytchley."

His marriage to Lady Grace Gordon suffered at times due to his sometimes egregious behavior - spending extravagant amounts of money that the trustees of the Lowther estate struggled to control, and his affairs with Lily Langtry and Violet Cameron. But Grace was the anchor in his robust life. They remained husband and wife, in fact quite loyal to one another, throughout their lives.

Hugh and Grace had no children due to a fall she suffered in the hunt field while pregnant with their first child. The child was lost and she was unable to conceive after that. Therefore, Hugh decided that he was the last of the Lowthers and would spend his money accordingly.

Despite his faults, Hugh established a well-founded reputation for good sportsmanship and fairness. He wielded strong influence in the world of boxing. The sport in his early days was illegal in England. Hugh and his associates gradually cleaned up the sport, discouraging the ruffians that arrived for each match. Eventually through their efforts, rules were established and the sport became legal.

The local farmers came to greatly appreciate Hugh during his masterships. The hunts, to which powerful men belonged, often ran rough-shod over the farmers' land with little regard to the farmers' crops and livestock. Through his iron-will, Hugh disciplined the field and was influential in how the huntsmen hunted their hounds. This of course caused hard feelings within the hunts, but the landowners rallied to support him when he considered resigning his mastership.

Hugh had written a letter to his huntsman relating his philosophy of how hounds should be hunted. This letter is in the back of this biography, "Hugh Lonsdale's Philosophy on Foxhunting." He also corresponded with Harry Worcester Smith, MFH of Grafton Hunt (Mass.) on the protocol in the hunt field. These letters, along with news clippings on Lonsdale, are in the NSL's Harry Worcester Smith archive collection.

On your next visit to the Library, look for The Yellow Earl in the biography section in the main reading room. His portrait hangs in the NSL's stairway that leads to the Forrest E. Mars Sr. Exhibit Hall.