William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian, ( – 28 July 1767) was a Scottish nobleman, styled Master of Jedburgh from 1692 to 1703 and Lord Jedburgh from 1703 to 1722.

Early life

He was the son of

William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian Lieutenant-General William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian, (1661 – 28 February 1722) was a Scottish peer who held a number of minor military and political offices. He was known by the courtesy title of Lord Newbattle until 1692, when he su ...

and Lady Jean Campbell.

Career

Although his title of Lord Jedburgh is generally regarded as a

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

, he voted at the election of Scots

representative peer In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords. Until 1999, all members of the Peerage of England held the right to ...

s under that name in 1712. He succeeded to the Marquessate of Lothian in 1722 and was elected a representative peer in 1731, sitting in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

until 1761. From 1732 to 1738, Lothian was

Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the Scottish monarch's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (the Kirk), reflecting the Church's role as the national church of ...

, and he was appointed a

Knight of the Thistle A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

in 1734. From 1739 until his resignation in 1756, he was

Lord Clerk Register The office of Lord Clerk Register is the oldest surviving Great Officer of State in Scotland, with origins in the 13th century. It historically had important functions in relation to the maintenance and care of the public records of Scotland. To ...

Personal life

On 7 December 1711, he married Margaret Nicolson, daughter of Sir Thomas Nicolson, 1st Baronet, of Glenbervie, and his wife, Margaret (née Nicolson) Hamilton Nicolson. His wife's mother was previously married to James Hamilton of Ballincrieff, with whom she had Alexander Hamilton of Ballincrieff. They had three children: *

William Henry Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian General William Henry Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian (1710 – 12 April 1775) was a Scottish nobleman, British soldier and politician, the eldest son of William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian. He was styled Master of Jedburgh until 1722, Lord Jedb ...

(1710–1775) *

Lord Robert Kerr Lord Robert Kerr (died 16 April 1746) was a Scottish nobleman of the Clan Kerr and the second son of William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian. His family's surname at the time he lived was often also spelt as 'Ker'. He is thought to have gone on a gr ...

(d. 1746), who was killed at the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...

.The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford, Vol. II 1744–1753 (1840 pub. Richard Bentley), page 136 & footnote, Letter to Sir Horace Mann, 1st August 1746: ''..the Marquis of Lothian in weepers for his son who fell at Culloden...'' Footnote: ''William Ker, third Marquis of Lothian. Lord Robert Ker, who was killed at Culloden, was his second son. – D.'' * Lady Jane Kerr, who died young. Lady Margaret died on 30 September 1759 at

Newbattle Abbey Newbattle Abbey ( gd, Abaid a' Bhatail Nuaidh) was a Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which subsequently become a stately home and then an educational institution. Monastery It was founded in 1140 by ...

and was buried there. William Kerr subsequently married his cousin, Jean Janet Kerr, daughter of Lord Charles Kerr of Cramond and Janet Murray, on 1 October 1760, by whom he had no issue.

Death

Lothian died at Lothian House, Canongate,

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1767, and was buried at

. His second wife died at Lothian House twenty years later, on 26 December 1787.

References

1690s births 1767 deaths Knights of the Thistle Scottish representative peers Lords High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Marquesses of Lothian Freemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England {{Scotland-marquess-stub