William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian,KT (c. 1690 – 28 July 1767) was a Scottish nobleman, styledMaster of Jedburgh from 1692 to 1703 andLord Jedburgh from 1703 to 1722.
He was the son ofWilliam Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian and Lady Jean Campbell.[1]
Although his title ofLord Jedburgh is generally regarded as acourtesy title, he voted at the election ofScottish representative peers under that name in 1712.
He succeeded to the Marquessate of Lothian in 1722 and was elected a representative peer in 1731, sitting in theHouse of Lords until 1761. From 1732 to 1738, Lothian wasLord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and he was appointed aKnight of the Thistle in 1734. From 1739 until his resignation in 1756, he wasLord Clerk Register.[1]
InEdinburgh, around 1750, the Marquess constructed a town house off the lowerCanongate, close toHolyrood Palace, which was named Lothian Hutt. This provided a more convenient lodging when requiring to attand the Scottish Parliament or other social events in the capital.[2]
On 7 December 1711, he married Margaret Nicolson, daughter of Sir Thomas Nicolson, 1st Baronet, of Glenbervie, and his wife, Margaret (née Nicolson) Hamilton Nicolson.[3] His wife's mother was previously married to James Hamilton of Ballincrieff, with whom she hadAlexander Hamilton of Ballincrieff.[3] They had three children:[1]
Lady Margaret died on 30 September 1759 atNewbattle Abbey and was buried there. William Kerr subsequently married his cousin, Jean Janet Kerr, daughter of Lord Charles Kerr of Cramond and Janet Murray, on 1 October 1760, by whom he had no issue.[1]
Lothian died at Lothian House, Canongate,Edinburgh in 1767, and was buried atNewbattle Abbey. His second wife died at Lothian House twenty years later, on 26 December 1787.[1]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1732–1738 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lord Clerk Register 1739–1756 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by | Marquess of Lothian 1722–1767 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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