William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian

William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian KT, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (c. 1690 – 28 July 1767) was a Scottish nobleman, styled Master of Jedburgh from 1692 to 1703 and Lord Jedburgh from 1703 to 1722. He was the son of William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian and Lady Jean Campbell.

Although his title of Lord Jedburgh is generally regarded as a courtesy title, he voted at the election of Scots representative peers under that name in 1712. On 7 December 1711, he married Margaret Nicolson, daughter of Sir Thomas Nicolson, 1st Baronet and Margaret Nicolson. They had three children:

• Lord Robert Kerr (d. 1746), killed at the Battle of Culloden
• William Henry Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian (1710–1775)
• Lady Jane Kerr, died young

He succeeded to the Marquessate of Lothian in 1722 and was elected a representative peer in 1731, sitting in the House of Lords until 1761. From 1732 to 1738, Lothian was Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and he was appointed a Knight of the Thistle in 1734. From 1739 until his resignation in 1756, he was Lord Clerk Register.

His first wife died on 30 September 1759 at Newbattle Abbey and was buried there. He 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. Lothian died at Lothian House, Canongate, Edinburgh, and was buried at Newbattle; his wife died at Lothian House on 26 December 1787.

References

Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Loudoun	Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1732–1738	Succeeded by The Earl of Hyndford
Preceded by The Earl of Selkirk	Lord Clerk Register 1739–1756	Succeeded by Alexander Campbell
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by William Kerr	Marquess of Lothian 1722–1767	Succeeded by William Kerr