Robert Kerr, 1st Marquess of Lothian
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Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
(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, he was born at Newbattle, Midlothian. He left Scotland and was educated at Leyden, Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, and Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
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
William Ker, 2nd Earl of Roxburghe
William Ker, 2nd Earl of Roxburghe was the grandson of Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe. He was born William Drummond, the youngest son of John Drummond, 2nd Earl of Perth, and Jean Ker, daughter of Robert. On Robert's death in 1650 he had no surviving male heirs, consequently his titles and...
over the use of the courtesy title of Lord Kerr; it was reserved for Roxburghe's heir, and Kerr was thereafter styled Lord Newbattle.
Lord Newbattle was a volunteer in the Dutch War
Third Anglo-Dutch War
The Third Anglo–Dutch War or Third Dutch War was a military conflict between England and the Dutch Republic lasting from 1672 to 1674. It was part of the larger Franco-Dutch War...
of 1673. He succeeded his father to the earldom in 1675. Sworn a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
in January 1686, he was removed by James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
in September. Lothian supported the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
and sat in the Convention of Estates of Scotland
Convention of Estates of Scotland
The Convention of Estates of Scotland sat between 16 March 1689 and 5 June 1689 to determine the settlement of the Scottish throne following the invasion of William, Prince of Orange...
. He was appointed appointed Lord Justice General of Scotland in 1689, holding the office until his death, and was re-appointed a privy counsellor by William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
in 1690. In the same year, he succeeded his uncle Charles
Charles Kerr, 2nd Earl of Ancram
Charles Kerr, 2nd Earl of Ancram was a Scottish peer and a member of the English House of Commons.-Biography:Charles was born on 6 August 1624 at Richmond, Surrey to Anne daughter of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and the second wife of Robert Kerr, 1st Earl of Ancram...
as Earl of Ancram.
He was Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland
Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland
The Lord High Commissioners to the Parliament of Scotland, sometimes referred to as the fifth estate of the Estates of Scotland, were the Scottish Sovereign's personal representative to the Parliament of Scotland following James VI of Scotland's accession to the throne of England and his becoming,...
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. The Assembly, however, proving hostile, the proposal was not taken up. He was created Marquess of Lothian
Marquess of Lothian
Marquess of Lothian is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1701 for Robert Kerr, 4th Earl of Lothian. The Marquess of Lothian holds the subsidiary titles of Earl of Lothian , Earl of Lothian , Earl of Ancram , Earl of Ancram , Viscount of Briene , Lord Newbattle ,...
on 23 June 1701, and was appointed Justice-General and a commissioner to treat for the union of Scotland and England in 1702. However, he did not see the project out, as he died in the following year.
Lothian married Lady Jean Campbell (d. 1700), daughter of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, 8th Earl of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell, was the de facto head of government in Scotland during most of the conflict known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, also known as the British Civil War...
, in January 1660/1, by whom he had ten children:
- William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of LothianWilliam Kerr, 2nd Marquess of LothianLieutenant-General William Kerr, 2nd Marquis of Lothian, KT was a Scottish peer and soldier. He was styled Master of Newbattle until 1675, Lord Newbattle from 1675 to 1692, and was the 5th Lord Jedburgh from 1692 to 1703.Kerr was the eldest son of Robert Kerr, 1st Marquis of Lothian and his wife,...
(1661–1722) - Lord Charles Kerr (d. 1735), appointed Director of Chancery 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 DouglasJames Douglas, 2nd Marquess of DouglasJames Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas was the son of Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus and 1st Earl of Ormonde, and Lady Anne Stuart....
- 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
Douglas Castle was a stronghold of the Douglas 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 mansion house was built in its place. This too was demolished in 1938, and today...
by the Duke of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 1st Duke of Douglas was a Scottish nobleman.He was the second son of James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas, by his second marriage...
.
He is buried in the family vault of Newbattle Church, Scotland.