c.1825 Born in Dundee
1853 Married Frances Renton in Dundee[1]
1861 Optician, employing 4 men and 2 boys, lived in Dundee with Francis Lowder (sic) 33, George R Lowder 7, Francis A Lowder 5, John W Lowder 2, Edward J Lowder 1[2]
1871 Optician, employing 3 men and 1 boy, lived in Dundee with Frances Lowdon 46, Fanny Lowdon 15, John W Lowdon 12, Edward L C Lowdon 11, Harry Lowdon 8, Alfred F Lowdon 6, Kenneth Lowdon 4, Renton Lowdon 2[3]
1876 Set up the first firm of electrical contractors in Scotland. He introduced to Scotland the Gramme dynamo with a service lamp, exhibiting the equipment in Dundee High Street, with the dynamo standing on the pavement and the lamp slung over two ladders. Whilst he was successful in persuading some mill owners to try the new system of lighting, not all were convinced that electric lighting was an economic proposition[4]
1881 Optician, living in Mains, Angus, with Frances Lowdon 50, Fanny A Lowdon 23, John Lowdon 22, optician, Edward Lowdon 21, telephonic engineer, Alfred Lowdon 16, Kenneth Lowdon 14, Renton Lowdon 12[5]
By 1890, Lowdon's promoted themselves: "Electric lighting in jute and linen mills and factories a speciality"
1891 Optician, living in Forgan, Fife, with Frances Lowdon 58, Frances A Lowdon 34[6]
1901 Optician and "Seiers Tipie" Instrument Maker, lived in Dundee with Frances[7]