Robert Kerr, 1st Marquess of Lothian (8 March 1636 – 15 February 1703), known as the 4th Earl of Lothian from 1675 to 1701, was a Scottish nobleman. He was styled Lord Kerr until 1661 and Lord Newbattle from 1661 to 1675. The eldest son of

William Kerr, 3rd Earl of Lothian William Kerr, first Earl of Lothian of a new creation (1605–1675) was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman. Career Kerr signed the Covenanter, national covenant in 1638 and marched with the Scots into England in 1640, being present when the Engl ...

and Anne Kerr, he was born at

Newbattle Abbey Newbattle Abbey was a Cistercians, Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which subsequently became a stately home and then an educational institution. Monastery It was founded in 1140 by monks from Melrose ...

, Midlothian. He left Scotland and was educated at

Leyden Leiden ( ; ; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 127,046 (31 January 2023), but the city forms one densely connecte ...

Saumur Saumur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgu ...

, and

Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

from 1651 to 1657. He unsuccessfully claimed the earldom of Roxburghe in 1658. In 1661, his father lost an additional dispute with the new

Earl of Roxburghe Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

over the use of the courtesy title of Lord Kerr; it was reserved for Roxburghe's heir, and Kerr was thereafter styled Lord Newbattle. Parliamentary Register, 1661
/ref> Lord Newbattle was a volunteer in the Dutch War of 1673. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1675. Sworn a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council, formally His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its members, known as privy counsellors, are mainly senior politicians who are current or former ...

in January 1686, he was removed by James II in September. Lothian supported the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

and sat in the

Convention of Estates of Scotland The Convention of Estates of Scotland was a sister institution to the Scottish Parliament which sat from the early sixteenth century. Initially, it was only attended by the clergy and nobles, but the burgh commissioners were later added. The Conv ...

. He was appointed

Lord Justice General Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

of Scotland in 1689, holding the office until his death, and was re-appointed a privy counsellor by

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily () * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg (1817–1890) N ...

in 1690. In the same year, he succeeded his uncle

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

Earl of Ancram Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

. He was

Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland The Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland was the List of Scottish monarchs, monarch of Scotland's high commissioner, personal representative to the Parliament of Scotland. From the accession of James I of England, James VI of Sc ...

in 1692, and addressed the assembly with a speech advocating tolerance and liberality towards episcopal ministers wishing to be received into the Kirk, in harmony with the King's recommendations. However, the Assembly proved hostile, and the proposal was not taken up. He was created

Marquess of Lothian Marquess of Lothian is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, which was created in 1701 for Robert Kerr, 1st Marquess of Lothian, Robert Kerr, 4th Earl of Lothian. The Marquess of Lothian holds the subsidiary peerages of Earl of Lothian (created ...

on 23 June 1701, and was appointed Justice-General and a commissioner to treat for the union of Scotland and England in 1702. He did not see the project out, as he died in the following year.

Personal life

Lothian married Lady Jean Campbell (d. 1700), daughter of

Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll (March 160727 May 1661) was a Scottish nobleman, politician, and peer. The ''de facto'' head of Scotland's government during most of the conflict of the 1640s and 1650s known as the Wars of the Three K ...

, in January 1660–1, by whom he had ten children: *

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 ...

(1661–1722) *Lord Charles Kerr (d. 1735), appointed

Director of Chancery The office of Director of Chancery (or Chancellory), the keeper of the Quarter Seal of Scotland, was formerly a senior position within the legal system of Scotland. The medieval post, latterly an office at General Register House, Edinburgh, was ...

in 1703, married Janet Murray, daughter of Sir David Murray, 2nd Baronet, and had issue *Hon. Margaret Kerr (bap. 1670), died young *Hon. Jean Kerr (bap. 1671), died young *Lord John Kerr (bap. 1673 – 8 September 1735), British Army officer *Lady Mary Kerr (bap. 1674 – 22 January 1736), married

James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas (c.1646 – 25 February 1700)David Menarry, 'Douglas, James, second Marquess of Douglas (c.1646–1700)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. was the son of Archiba ...

* Lord Mark Kerr (bap. 1676–1752), British general *Lady Margaret Kerr (bap. 1678), died young *Hon. James Kerr (bap. 1679), died unmarried *Lady Annabella Kerr (bap. 1682), died young Lothian also had a natural son, Captain John Kerr, who was slain at

Douglas Castle Douglas Castle was a stronghold of the Douglas (later Douglas-Home) family from medieval times to the 20th century. The first castle, erected in the 13th century, was destroyed and replaced several times until the 18th century when a large man ...

by the

Duke of Douglas The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the Duke's eldest son. History ...

. He is buried in the family vault of Newbattle Church, Scotland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lothian, Robert Kerr, 1st Marquess of 1636 births 1703 deaths Nobility from Midlothian Lords Justice-General Lords High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Scottish soldiers Members of the Privy Council of Scotland 17th-century Scottish people 18th-century Scottish nobility

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1689 1