Christopher Lowndes was a leading businessman in Bladensburg, Maryland. Lowndes had arrived in Maryland in the 1730s as a representative for Liverpool merchants Henry and Edward Trafford. He later established Christopher Lowndes and Co. through which he sold dry goods and supplies. In addition, Lowndes owned a shipyard and manufactured rope and cordage for ocean-going vessels. This wealthy local merchant also owned several farms, and numerous tracts of land, and on two occasions, he was an investor in a ship that imported and sold slaves. A leading shipbuilder and provider of shipping to and from Maryland and England, Lowndes ships carried a wide assortment of cargo. In May 1752 Lowndes and his brother-in-law,
Benjamin Tasker, Jr. were listed in the advertisement in
The Maryland Gazette announcing the arrival of the Elijah with its cargo of "healthy slaves" for sale at Severn River. ==Other==