Mark Kerr (or Ker), 1st Earl of Lothian (15538 April 1609) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He became the first Earl of Lothian in 1606.

Family background

He was a member of the "famous border family" of Ker of Cessford. He was the son of Mark Kerr, abbot of Newbattle Abbey,

Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...

, and Helen Leslie, sister of the Earl of Rothes. The House of Kerr was of Anglo-Norman and Norse lineage, and the Kerrs of Fernihirst settled in Scotland in the 13th century. Kerr and his family lived in Newbattle Abbey, a mansion occupying the site of a Cistercian abbey founded in 1140.Colin McWilliam, Christopher Wilson,

Career

Kerr was named

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

of Linton in 1567. He was appointed Master of Requests in 1577, a role he held until 1606. He was a gentleman of the king's chamber in 1580. In 1581, he succeeded his father as Commendator of Newbottle. Like his father, Mark Kerr was an Extraordinary Lord of Session under king beginning in 1584, with his lands at Newbattle made into a Barony. On 28 October 1587, he was made a Lord of Parliament as Lord Newbottle, or possibly 15 October 1591. In 1587 he was made a baron and Privy Counsellor. In December 1593, Kerr was appointed to a committee to audit the account of money spent by the

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

, John Maitland of Thirlestane, on the royal voyages. The funds in question came from the English subsidy and the dowry of

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

. In 1604 he acted as interim Chancellor. He was created Earl of Lothian on 10 July 1606, and resigned the office of Master of Requests in the same year. An English list of the Scottish nobility states his residences were "Morphele" and Prestongrange.

Marriage and family

He married Margaret Maxwell, a daughter of John Maxwell, Lord Herries. Kerr and his wife were said to have 31 children. Their children included: * Robert Kerr, 2nd Earl of Lothian * Anne Kerr * Margaret Kerr, who married James Hay, 7th Lord Hay of Yester * Janet Kerr, who married William Cunningham, 8th Earl of Glencairn * Jean Kerr, who married (1) Robert Boyd, Master of Boyd, (2) David Lindsay, 12th Earl of Crawford, (3) Thomas Hamilton of Robertoun. In 1623 King James made steps to help the dowager Countess of Crawford and her children, because she had been a faithful servant to

Death

He died on 8 April 1609. His wife Margaret Maxwell was accused of causing his death through witchcraft. She died at Prestongrange House on 8 January 1617. He was succeeded by his son Robert, 2nd Earl of Lothian. The second earl had no sons, and the title passed to his daughter Anne Kerr, Countess of Lothian. In 1631 her husband was created William Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian.David Laing, ''Correspondence of Sir Robert Kerr, first Earl of Ancram'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1875), pp. xlviii, li.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lothian, Mark Kerr, 1st Earl of 1553 births 1609 deaths Nobility from Midlothian Earls of Lothian Ordained peers Peers of Scotland created by James VI

Family background

Career

Marriage and family

Death

See also

References