The Lowell Family Quiz | People

The Lowell Family Trivia Quiz

Percival Lowle (1571-1665, Bristol, England) was the progenitor of a prominent, well-known family, some of whose members in the U.S. became writers, actors and politicians. This quiz concerns his descendants.

A multiple-choice quiz by GLBlesi. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This Lowell descendant was an actress. One of her roles was as Thalia Menninger in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis."

Answer: Tuesday Weld

Joan Lowell and Carey Lowell are also actors. Amy Lowell is a Pulitzer-prize winning poet. Born Susan Ker Weld, Tuesday Weld had a role at the age of 12 in the Alfred Hitchcock film, "The Wrong Man." She had been a model. Among notables she appeared in films with were Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Jackie Gleason, Steve McQueen and Dick Clark.

2. Poets seem to abound in this family. Of the following Lowell poets, which was born in St. Louis, Missouri, became a British subject at age 39 and was also a playwright.

Answer: T.S. Eliot

After working on foreign accounts in Lloyds Bank from 1917 to 1925, T.S. Eliot became a director in the U.K. publishing firm of Faber and Faber, remaining until retirement. He never tried to make a living solely as a writer. He published writers who became well-known, such as W.H. Auden, Ted Hughes and Charles Williams. From a Unitarian background, he converted to Anglicanism in 1927.

3. The poems of which of these Lowell poets were published only posthumously?

Answer: Maria White Lowell

Maria White Lowell was the wife of James Russell Lowell. She was involved in movements against intemperance and slavery, persuading her husband to become an abolitionist. James printed Maria's poem privately two years after her death.

4. Which of these Lowells did not live abroad?

Answer: Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney had a long stateside political career beginning in the Nixon years. James Russell Lowell was an ambassador to Spain and England. T.S. Eliot became a British citizen. Herman Melville lived for a time among the Polynesians, generating material for his first two novels.

5. Which of these Lowells is NOT associated with St. Louis, Missouri?

Answer: James Russell Lowell

Herman Robinson, brother of Edward Arlington Robinson, married a woman that Edward was in love with. The couple then moved to St. Louis. T.S. Eliot was born in St. Louis. Tennessee Williams lived and is buried in St. Louis. Except for a couple of European ambassadorships, James Russell Lowell remained in the eastern U.S.

6. The following are all siblings. Which one was a poet who won a Pulitzer prize posthumously in 1926?

Answer: Amy Lowell

Outspoken and opinionated in school, Amy Lowell was a social outcast, blaming it on her masculine features. She became obsessed with book collecting, turning to poetry at age 28. One remarkable trait was her constant cigar smoking. Due to a glandular problem, she was overweight. She was one of the first to champion free verse, and also wrote sonnets.

7. What is the full name of the poet Robert Lowell (1917 to 1977)?

Answer: Robert Trail Spence Lowell IV

His great-great-great-grandfather was Robert Trail Spence. The latter part of the name was given to his great-great-grandmother, Harriet Trail Spence, who married Charles Russell Lowell, Sr. The next four generations included a Robert Trail Spence Lowell.

8. Which of these well-known Lowell authors is best known for writing "Moby-Dick"?

Answer: Herman Melville

Melville's first two novels, based on his Polynesian adventures, were best sellers. But five more novels, including "Moby-Dick", were not well received in his lifetime. He wrote short stories and then became a customs inspector and started writing poetry. Today "Moby-Dick" is considered a great American novel.

9. Which of these Lowell descendants did NOT have a career in politics?

Answer: Percival Lowell

Percival Lowell was an astronomer whose work led to the finding of canals on Mars and to the discovery of Pluto. Dick Cheney ended his political career as Vice President under George W. Bush. McGeorge Bundy was National Security Adviser to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Elliot Richardson was one of only two people ever to hold four Cabinet positions in the U.S. government, serving under Nixon and Ford.

10. The American branch of the Lowell family are considered a part of the upper class of an historic East Coast establishment that includes wealthy families of Philadelphia and New York City. Based on their city of origin, what is this class usually called?

Answer: Both Boston Brahmins and Boston Elite

The Lowells arrived in Boston in 1639, settling at Cape Ann. The American forebear was John Lowell (1743 to 1802) of Newburyport. He was a member of the Continental Congress and a Federal judge.

Source: Author GLBlesi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Lowell Family Trivia Quiz

Percival Lowle (1571-1665, Bristol, England) was the progenitor of a prominent, well-known family, some of whose members in the U.S. became writers, actors and politicians. This quiz concerns his descendants.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>