Thomas Lyon-Bowes, 11th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne facts for kids

Thomas Lyon-Bowes, 11th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (born May 3, 1773 – died August 27, 1846) was an important Scottish nobleman. He was the third son of John Bowes, 9th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Mary Bowes, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. His mother was a writer who created a play called "The Siege of Jerusalem." Thomas Lyon-Bowes was also the great-great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth II.

Becoming an Earl

Thomas Lyon-Bowes became the 11th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. An Earl is a noble title, usually passed down through families. Thomas inherited this important title because his older brothers could not.

How He Inherited the Title

Thomas's oldest brother was John Bowes, 10th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. John had a son named John Bowes. However, this son was not considered a legal heir to the title until after his father passed away. Even then, he inherited most of his father's land and money, but not the title of Earl.

Thomas's second brother, George Bowes-Lyon, married Mary Thornhill. Sadly, George passed away on December 26, 1806, without having any children. This meant that Thomas Lyon-Bowes was the only legal heir left. Because of this, he became the new Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne on July 3, 1820.

His Marriages and Family

Thomas Lyon-Bowes was married three times and had children from his first two marriages.

First Marriage

Mary Elizabeth Louisa Rodney Carpenter

On March 25, 1800, Thomas married Mary Elizabeth Louisa Rodney Carpenter. She was born on January 1, 1783, and passed away on June 1, 1811. Mary was the only daughter of George Carpenter and Mary Elizabeth Walsh.

Thomas and Mary had two children together:

• Thomas George Lyon-Bowes, Lord Glamis (born February 6, 1801 – died January 27, 1834). He was the father of future Earls, including Thomas Lyon-Bowes, 12th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
• Mary Isabella Lyon-Bowes (born August 8, 1802 – died September 11, 1836). She married John Walpole Willis.

Second Marriage

His second wife was Elizabeth Northcote. She was the daughter of a British Army Colonel. They were married on September 6, 1812, in St George the Martyr, Southwark. It is not known when or if this marriage ended.

They had one daughter:

• Sarah Eliza Bowes-Lyon (born August 8, 1813 – died June 6, 1847). She married twice. Her first husband was George Augustus Campbell, who worked for the East India Company. Her second husband was General Charles Philip de Ainslie.

Third Marriage

On December 8, 1817, Thomas Lyon-Bowes married his third wife, Marianna Cheape. She was the daughter of Captain John Cheape. This marriage did not result in any children, but it lasted until Thomas's death in 1846.

After Thomas Lyon-Bowes passed away, his grandson, Thomas Lyon-Bowes, became the 12th Earl of Strathmore.