Schomberg Kerr, 9th Marquess of Lothian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Honourable
The Marquess of Lothian
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|---|---|
 |
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| Secretary for Scotland | |
| In office 11 March 1887 – 11 August 1892 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| Preceded by | Arthur Balfour |
| Succeeded by | George Trevelyan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 December 1833 |
| Died | 17 January 1900 (aged 66) London |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Lady Victoria Montagu Douglas Scott
(m. 1865) |
| Children | 9 (see below) |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
Schomberg Henry Kerr, the 9th Marquess of Lothian, was an important British diplomat and politician. He was born on December 2, 1833, and passed away on January 17, 1900. Before he became the Marquess of Lothian in 1870, people called him Lord Schomberg Kerr.
He was a member of the Conservative Party. One of his most important jobs was serving as the Secretary for Scotland from 1887 to 1892. He worked under Prime Minister Lord Salisbury. People often just called him Lothian.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Schomberg Henry Kerr was the second son of John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian. His mother was Lady Cecil Kerr. He had two younger brothers, Lord Ralph Kerr and Lord Walter Kerr. Both of his brothers had successful careers in the military.
Schomberg went to Glenalmond College in Perth, Scotland. He was one of the first students to join the school when it opened in 1847. After that, he studied at Eton College. He then went to New College, Oxford but did not finish his degree there.
A Career in Diplomacy and Politics
Lothian started his career in the Diplomatic Service. This meant he worked for the British government in other countries. In 1854, he was an attaché (a junior diplomat) in Lisbon and Tehran. He also worked in Baghdad in 1855 and Athens from 1857.
Later, he became a second secretary. He worked in Frankfurt from 1862, Madrid from 1865, and Vienna from 1865. In 1870, his older brother William passed away without children. This meant Schomberg became the 9th Marquess of Lothian. He then took his place in the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament.
Serving Scotland
In 1886, he became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the Queen. The next year, in 1887, he took over from Arthur Balfour as the Secretary of State for Scotland. This job meant he was in charge of many government matters in Scotland. He also became the Vice-President of the Scottish Education Department.
He held this important role in Lord Salisbury's Conservative government. He stayed as the head of the Scotland Office until the government changed in 1892.
Other Important Roles
Besides his political work, Lord Lothian held several other significant positions. From 1874 until his death, he was the Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland. This was a very old and respected role. While he was Secretary for Scotland, he was also the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.
In 1878, he was made a Knight of the Thistle. This is a very high honor in Scotland. The University of Edinburgh gave him an honorary degree (LL.D.) in 1882. Students at the same university also chose him to be their Rector of the University of Edinburgh from 1887 to 1890. He was also a Trustee of the Board of Manufactures in Scotland.
He was the Captain-General of the Royal Company of Archers. This is the Queen's bodyguard in Scotland. He was also the president of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland from 1876 to 1890. From 1894 to 1898, he was president of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He was also a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.
From 1878 to 1889, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel in charge of the 3rd (Edinburgh Light Infantry Militia) Battalion, Royal Scots. His father and grandfather had also commanded this battalion. Later, he became an Honorary Colonel for the same group.
Family Life
In 1865, Lord Lothian married Lady Victoria Alexandrina. She was the daughter of Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch. They had a large family with nine children: three sons and six daughters.
Their children were:
- Lady Cecil Kerr (born 1866) who married John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu.
- Walter William Schomberg Kerr, Earl of Ancram (born 1867).
- Lady Margaret Kerr (born 1868).
- Lord Schomberg Kerr (born 1869).
- Lady Mary Kerr (born 1870) who married Henry Kidd.
- Lady Helen Kerr (born 1872) who married Major Frederic Walter Kerr.
- Robert Schomberg Henry Kerr, who became the 10th Marquess of Lothian (born 1874).
- Lady Victoria Kerr (born 1876) who married William Sullivan Gosling.
- Lady Isobel Alice Adelaide Kerr (born 1881) who married James Cospatrick Hepburne-Scott.
Sadly, their eldest son, Walter Kerr, died in a shooting accident in Australia in 1892. He was not married. Their second son, Lord Schomberg Kerr, died when he was a young child in 1877.
Lord Lothian passed away in London on January 17, 1900, at the age of 66. His third and only surviving son, Robert, became the next Marquess of Lothian. Lady Lothian, his wife, later remarried and lived until June 1938, reaching the age of 93.
