Marquess of Lothian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 date	23 June 1701
Monarch	William III & II
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	Robert Kerr, 4th Earl of Lothian
Present holder	Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian
Heir presumptive	Lord Ralph Kerr
Remainder to	Heirs male whatsoever
Subsidiary titles	Earl 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)
Status	Extant
Seat(s)	Ferniehirst Castle
Former seat(s)	Newbattle Abbey Blickling Hall
Motto	SERO SED SERIO (Late, but in earnest)

The Marquess of Lothian is a very important title in Scotland. It's part of the Peerage of Scotland, which is a system of noble ranks. This special title was first given in 1701 to Robert Kerr. He was already the 4th Earl of Lothian before becoming a Marquess.

The person who holds this title also has many other smaller titles. These include Earl of Lothian, Earl of Ancram, and Lord Jedburgh. Many of these titles are also from the Peerage of Scotland. The Marquess also holds the title of Baron Ker in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This allowed earlier Marquesses to be part of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament.

The current Marquess of Lothian is the 13th person to hold this title. He is also known as Michael Ancram, a well-known politician. In 2010, he received another special title, Baron Kerr of Monteviot. This new title also allows him to sit in the House of Lords.

The Marquess family has several historic homes. The current Marquess lives at Monteviot House in Roxburghshire, Scotland. The family used to own a larger home called Newbattle Abbey in Midlothian. This grand old building is now a college. They also owned Blickling Hall in Norfolk, England, which is now looked after by the National Trust.

The next person in line to inherit the title is called the heir presumptive. For the Marquess of Lothian, this is the current Marquess's younger brother, Lord Ralph Kerr. He owns Ferniehirst Castle in Roxburghshire. This castle is considered the main family home and was restored by the 12th Marquess. Lord Ralph also owns Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire, England.

History of the Lothian Title

The family name "Kerr" comes from an old word meaning "marsh-dweller." It arrived in Scotland from Normandy, France. Over time, the name was spelled in different ways, like Kerr, Ker, Carr, and Carre.

The Kerr family has two main branches: the Kerrs of Ferniehurst and the Kerrs of Cessford. These two groups were often rivals and even fought each other for many years. However, they eventually came together in the early 1500s. The Kerrs also had feuds with the Scott Clan. This rivalry ended when Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehurst married Janet Scott.

How the Titles Were Created

The first important title for the family was created in 1591. Mark Kerr was made Lord Newbattle. Then, in 1606, he became the 1st Earl of Lothian. These titles were meant to pass down to his male heirs.

His eldest son, Robert Kerr, 2nd Earl of Lothian, inherited these titles. Later, the titles were passed to Robert's daughter, Lady Anne Kerr. Her husband, Sir William Kerr, was then made Lord Kerr of Newbattle and Earl of Lothian in 1631.

The title of Marquess of Lothian was created much later, in 1701. This happened when Robert Kerr, who was already the 4th Earl of Lothian and 3rd Earl of Ancram, received even higher honors. He was given the titles of Lord Ker of Newbattle, Oxnam, Jedburgh, Dolphinstoun and Nisbet, Viscount of Briene, Earl of Ancram, and finally, Marquess of Lothian.

Later, the 6th Marquess was given the title of Baron Ker in 1821. This title is part of the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which allowed him and future Marquesses to sit in the House of Lords.

Marquesses of Lothian (since 1701)

Here is a list of the people who have held the title of Marquess of Lothian:

• Robert Kerr, 1st Marquess of Lothian (1636–1703)
• William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian (1661–1722)
• William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian (1690–1767)
• William Henry Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian (1713–1775)
• 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)
• Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian (1882–1940)
• Peter Francis Walter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian (1922–2004)
• Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian (born 1945)

The heir presumptive (the next person in line) is the current Marquess's brother, Lord Ralph William Francis Joseph Kerr (born 1957). The next in line after Lord Ralph is his son, John Walter Donald Peter Kerr (born 1988).

Family Tree

See also

• Baron Teviot
• Clan Kerr