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Marquess of Lothian

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For the early Earldom of Lothian, seeEarl of Dunbar.

Marquessate of Lothian
Arms:Quarterly: 1st & 4th, Azure, a Sun-in-Splendour proper(Lothian, as a coat of augmentation);2nd & 3rd, Gules, on a Chevron Argent, three Mullets Gules(Kerr of Jedburgh).Crests:1st, A Sun-in-Splendour proper(Lothian);2nd, A Stag's Head cabossed Argent(Kerr of Jedburgh).Supporters:Dexter: An Angel proper, vested Azure, surcoated Vert, winged and crined Or; Sinister: A Unicorn Argent, armed crined and unguled Or, gorged with a Collar Gules, charged with three Mullets Argent.
Creation date23 June 1701
Created byWilliam III & II
PeeragePeerage of Scotland
First holderRobert Kerr, 4th Earl of Lothian
Present holderMichael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian
Heir presumptiveLord Ralph Kerr
Remainder toHeirs malewhatsoever
Subsidiary titlesEarl of Lothian
Earl of Ancram(1633)
Earl of Ancram(1701)
Viscount of Briene
Lord Newbattle
Lord Jedburgh
Lord Kerr of Newbattle
Lord Kerr of Nisbet, Langnewtoun, and Dolphinstoun
Baron Ker (Peerage of the United Kingdom)
StatusExtant
Seat(s)Ferniehirst Castle
Former seat(s)Newbattle Abbey
Blickling Hall
MottoSERO SED SERIO
(Late, but in earnest)

Marquess of Lothianis a title in thePeerage of Scotland,which was created in 1701 forRobert Kerr, 4th Earl of Lothian.The Marquess ofLothianholds the subsidiary titles ofEarl of Lothian(created 1606),Earl of Lothian(created again 1631),Earl of Ancram(1633),Earl of Ancram(created again 1701),Viscount of Briene(1701),Lord Newbattle(1591),Lord Jedburgh(1622),Lord Kerr of Newbattle(1631),Lord Kerr of Nisbet, Langnewtoun, and Dolphinstoun(1633),Lord Kerr of Newbattle, Oxnam, Jedburgh, Dolphinstoun and Nisbet(1701), andBaron Ker,of Kersheugh in the County of Roxburgh (1821), all but the last in the Peerage of Scotland. AsThe Lord Kerin thePeerage of the United Kingdom,previous marquesses sat in theHouse of Lordsbefore 1963, when Scottish peers first sat in the House of Lords in their own right. The holder of themarquessateis also theChiefofClan Kerr.

The current Marquess of Lothian, the 13th, is better known as theConservativepoliticianMichael Ancram.In November 2010, he received alife peerageasBaron Kerr of Monteviotand so became entitled to sit in the House of Lords. He lives atMonteviot Housein Roxburghshire. The family previously owned a larger Scottish seat,Newbattle Abbeyin Midlothian, which is now a college, and alsoBlickling Hallin Norfolk, which now belongs to theNational Trust.

Theheir presumptiveto the marquessate is the 13th Marquess' younger brother Lord Ralph Kerr, who ownsFerniehirst Castlein Roxburghshire, which is the family seat that was restored by the 12th Marquess, andMelbourne Hallin Derbyshire.

History of the titles[edit]

Clan Kerrhas several branches. The name "Kerr," from theOld Norse"kjrr" meaning "marsh-dweller," arrived in Scotland from Normandy. In Scotland it was rendered Kerr, Ker, Carr and Carre, with a Scottish variant on the west coast taken from the Gaelic "ciar," meaning dusky.[1]According to the lore of the family ofMark Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian,the name comes from the Norman chiefs, Ralph and Robert, both brothers who came to Roxburgh from Lancashire[1]in the 1300s.[2]

The Kerrs of Ferniehurst claim descent from Ralph, and the Kerrs of Cessford claimed they are descended from Robert.[1]These two man branches of Clan Kerr were often at odds with one another, fighting until they came together in the early 1500s.[1]The Kerrs subsequently also warred with the Scott Clan, until the feud ended when Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehurst married Janet Scott. In a 1591 charter, Mark Kerr had his lands at Newbattle and Prestongrange erected into the barony of Newbattle.[1]

1st title[edit]

Mark Kerrwas createdLord Newbattlein 1591 andEarl of Lothianin 1606, both with remainder to his heirs male.[3]The title went to the eldest of his four sons,Robert Kerr, 2nd Earl of Lothian.[2]In 1621 both titles were surrendered by the 2nd Earl and regranted with a special remainder to his daughters, the eldest of whom,Lady Anne Kerr,succeeded to both titles on his death in 1624.[4]Her husband,Sir William Kerr(eldest son ofSir Robert Kerr,later 1st Earl of Ancram) was createdLord Kerr of NewbattleandEarl of Lothianin 1631. On her death in 1667 their eldest son became 4th Earl of Lothian (though he was not recognised as such) and on her husband's death in 1675 also 2nd Earl of Lothian.

2nd title as Marquess[edit]

By this point Sir Robert Kerr, father of the 1st Earl of the 2nd creation, had been createdLord Kerr of Nisbet, Langnewtoun and DolphinstounandEarl of Ancram,and the titles had been inherited by the 4th and 2nd Earl of Lothian's uncle,Charles Kerr,on whose death in 1690 he became 3rd Earl of Ancram.

He was then createdLord Ker of Newbattle, Oxnam, Jedburgh, Dolphinstoun and Nisbet,Viscount of Briene,Earl of AncramandMarquess of Lothianin 1701.

The 2nd Marquess succeeded his cousin asLord Jedburghbefore succeeding to theMarquessate,and the 6th Marquess was createdBaron Ker,of Kersheugh in the County of Roxburgh, in 1821, in thePeerage of the United Kingdom.

Earls of Lothian; First creation (1606)[edit]

Earls of Lothian; Second creation (1631)[edit]

Lords Jedburgh (1621/2)[edit]

  • Andrew Ker, 1st Lord Jedburgh (died 1633)
  • Alexander KirkaldylaterKer,[5]de jure2nd Lord Jedburgh (c. 1590 – c 1650)
  • John Ker,de jure3rd Lord Jedburgh (died before 1670)
  • Robert Ker, 4th Lord Jedburgh (died 1692)
  • William Ker, 5th Lord Jedburgh(1661-1722);later2nd Marquess of Lothian(title held by the Marquesses of Lothian from 1703- see below)

Earls of Ancram (1633)[edit]

Marquesses of Lothian (1701)[edit]

Theheir presumptiveis the present holder's brother Lord Ralph William Francis Joseph Kerr (born 1957).
The heir presumptive'sheir apparentis his son John Walter Donald Peter Kerr (born 1988).

Family tree and succession[edit]

Line of succession (simplified)
  • William John Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian (1737-1815)
    • William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian (1763-1824)
      • John William Robert Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian (1794-1841)
        • William Schomberg Robert Kerr, 8th Marquess of Lothian (1832-1870)
        • Schomberg Henry Kerr, 9th Marquess of Lothian (1833-1900)
          • Robert Schomberg Kerr, 10th Marquess of Lothian (1874-1930)
        • Lord Ralph Drury Kerr (1837-1916)
          • Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian (1882-1940)
        • Lord Walter Talbot Kerr (1839-1927)
          • Andrew William Kerr (1877-1929)
            • Peter Francis Walter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian (1922-2004)
              • Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian (b. 1945)
              • (1)Lord Ralph William Francis Joseph Kerr (b. 1957)
                • (2)John Walter Donald Peter Kerr (b. 1988)
                • (3)Frederic James Michael Ralph Kerr (b1989)
                • (4)Francis Andrew William George Kerr (b. 1991)
                • (5)Hugh Alexander Thomas Joseph Kerr (b. 1999)
            • Lord John Andrew Christopher Kerr (1927-2018)
              • (6)William Walter Raleigh Kerr (b. 1950)
                • (7)Robert John Edward Kerr (b. 1987)
                  • (8)Hugh Cornelius William Kerr (b. 2019)
                  • (9)Rupert Aubrey Michael Kerr (b. 2022)
                • (10)Walter William Kerr (b. 1992)
              • (11)David John Kerr (b. 1952)
                • (12)John Andrew David Kerr (b. 1981)
                • (13)Andrew Christopher Kerr (b. 1984)
              • (14)Andrew Peter Hugh Kerr (b. 1955)
      • Lord Henry Francis Charles Kerr
        • Francis Ernest Kerr
          • Henry Francis Kerr
            • Francis Robert Newsam Kerr (1916-1995)
              • Male issue living
      • Lord Charles Lennox Kerr (1814-1898)
        • Charles Wyndham Rodolph Kerr (1849-1894)
          • Charles Iain Kerr, 1st Baron Teviot (1874-1968)
            • Charles John Kerr, 2nd Baron Teviot (1934-2023)
              • Male issue living
      • Lord Frederic Herbert Kerr (1818-1896)
        • Arthur Herbert Kerr 1862-1930)
          • Mark Peregrine Charles Kerr (1891-1951)
            • Frederic Mark Kerr (1919-2000)
              • Male issue living
    • Lord Mark Robert Kerr (1776-1840)
      • Hugh SeymourMcDonnell,4th Earl of Antrim (1812-1855)[6]
      • Mark McDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim (1814-1869)
        • William Randal McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim (1851-1918)
          • Randal Mark Kerr McDonnell, 7th Earl of Antrim (1878-1932)
            • Randal John Somerled McDonnell, 8th Earl of Antrim (1911-1977)
              • Alexander Randal Mark McDonnell, 9th Earl of Antrim (1935-2021)
                • Male issue living
    • Lord Robert Kerr (1780-1843)
      • William Walter Raleigh Kerr (1809-1881)
        • William Walter Raleigh Kerr (1859-1941)
          • Louis William Howard Kerr (1894-1977)
            • Male issue living

The above line of succession represents only those whom are in remainder to the Marquessate of Lothian. There are further collateral branches that provide heirs to other titles separately granted and are currently held by the current Marquess of Lothian.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcde"Scottish clan profile: Kerr".www.scotsman.com.Retrieved21 May2019.
  2. ^ab"A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the".1839.Retrieved21 May2019.
  3. ^"Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage".Google Books.1914.Retrieved18 May2019.
  4. ^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Lothian, Earls and Marquesses of".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 18.
  5. ^Alexander Ker's father, William Kirkaldy (formerly Ker), assumed the surname of Kirkaldy upon assuming the Grange estates of the Kirkaldy family. Alexander Ker re-assumed his father's original surname of Ker upon relinquishing those Grange estates back to the heir male of the Kirkaldy family
  6. ^The Antrim Earldom was granted, underspecial remainderto Randal William McDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim and 1st Earl of Antrim with only the Earldom falling under the terms of the special remainder that allowed the succession to the title to pass through the 1st Earl's daughters for lack of male heir. He was succeeded in the Earldom first by his eldest daughter, the 2nd Countess of Antrim, and then his younger daughter, the 3rd Countess of Antrim who was also the wife of Lord Mark Robert Kerr who was, in his own right, in the line of succession to the Marquessate of Lothian. Members of the Antrim line have assumed thematrilinealsurname ofMcDonnellbydeed poll.

External links[edit]

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