Content deleted Content added
→Left-handedness: Fixed reference date error(s) (see CS1 errors: dates for details) and AWB general fixes |
|||
| (431 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Scottish clan}}
{{about|the Scottish clan|people with the surname|Kerr (surname)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox clan
| image badge = Clan member crest badge - Clan Kerr.svg
| clan name = Clan Kerr
| chiefs crest = The sun in his splendour Or
| chiefs motto = Sero sed serio (Late but in earnest)<ref name="ScotClans"/>
| chiefs slogan = ''Late but in Earnest''
| district = [[Scottish Borders]]
| origins =
| gaelic names = Cearr, MacGhillechearr<ref name="ScotClans">[http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-kerr/ Clan Kerr Profile] scotclans.com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.</ref>
| image arms = File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Marquess_of_Lothian.png
| plant badge = Bog Myrtle
| animal =
| pipe music =
| chiefs name = The Most Hon. Ralph Kerr
| chiefs title = The 14th [[Marquess of Lothian]]<ref name="ScotClans"/>
| chiefs gaelic title =
| seat = [[Ferniehirst Castle]]<ref name="Coventry">{{cite book |last=Coventry |first=Martin |year=2008 |title=Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans |___location=[[Musselburgh]] |publisher=Goblinshead |pages=305–308 |isbn=978-1-899874-36-1}}</ref>
| historic seat =
| septs = Carr,<ref name="Kith">{{cite book |title=Scots Kith & Kin |year=2014 |page=63 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=9780007551798}}</ref> Cares,<ref name="Lower, Mark A 1860 p. 52">Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain. p. 52.</ref> Carre,<ref name="Kith"/> Cessford,<ref name="Kith"/> Ker<ref name="Kith"/>
| branches = Kerr of Ferniehurst (chiefs) ([[Marquess of Lothian]])<br>Ker of Cessford (senior cadets) ([[Duke of Roxburghe]])<br>Kerr of Linton<br>Ker of Kersland
| Allied clans = [[Clan Leslie]]
| Rival clans = [[Clan Scott]]<br>[[Clan Heron]]
}}
'''Clan Kerr''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=Kerr.ogg|k|ɜːr}}) is a [[Scottish clan]] whose origins lie in the [[Scottish Borders]]. During the [[Middle Ages]], it was one of the prominent [[border reivers|border reiver]] clans along the present-day [[Anglo-Scottish border]] and played an important role in the history of the [[Border country]] of [[Scotland]].
==
===Origins of the clan===
The name Kerr is rendered in various forms such as Kerr, Ker, Kear, Carr, Karr, Carre,<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr">{{cite book |last1=Way |first1=George of Plean |last2=Squire |first2=Romilly of Rubislaw |author-link2=Romilly Squire of Rubislaw |author-link1=George Way of Plean |year=1994 |title=Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia |___location=[[Glasgow]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] (for the [[Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs]]) |isbn=0-00-470547-5 |pages=184–185}}</ref> and Cares.<ref name="Lower, Mark A 1860 p. 52">Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain. p. 52.</ref> Theories on the origin of the name vary; some arguing it stems from the ''{{langx|enm|kerr}}'' which refers to brushwood, low lying grassland, marsh or fen.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> Another variant is found on the west coast of Scotland, particularly on the [[Isle of Arran]], taken from the [[Scottish Gaelic|Scottish]] ''{{lang|gd|ciar}}'', meaning ''dusky'', or [[Irish Gaelic|Irish]] ''ceàrr'', meaning left-handed.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> In some cases it is thought to come from the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] word ''cawr'', meaning giant. Alternatively, it may derive from the [[Irish Gaelic|Irish]] and [[Scottish Gaelic|Scottish]] ''cearr'', meaning pointed spear.
The early Roxburghshire Kerrs had their origins in the 12th century Ayrshire bailiery of [[Cunninghame]]. During the reign of [[David I of Scotland|David I]] (1082–1153), [[Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland|Hugh de Morville]], Lord High Constable of Scotland, granted lands in Cunninghame to the Norman family of William de Ker. These lands became known as [[The Barony of Kersland|Kersland]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://clankerr.co.uk/ferniehirst%20book/index.html|title=The Kerrs of Ferniehirst 1205–1692|last=Lawson|first=Bob|publisher=Self-published|year=2014|pages=4}}</ref> At this time, Cunninghame was under the control of de Morville who also maintained the nearby port of [[Irvine, North Ayrshire|Irvine]] – one of Scotland's earliest capitals – as his military headquarters.
Hugh de Morville hailed from the Normandy town of [[Morville, Manche|Morville]]. In an era when noble families defined themselves by their ___location of origin, it is conceivable that the roots of the family of William de Ker (William from Ker) lie in a town bearing the name of Ker. Though speculative, this could be the Normandy town of Criel, renamed [[Criel-sur-Mer]] in 1902. According to a publication from 1740: "Ker veut dire une maison; & je crois que le nom du bourg de Criel en est derivé..." ("Ker means a house; and I think that the name of the village of Criel is derived from it...")<ref>{{Cite book|title=Description géographique et historique de la haute Normandie|last=Dom. Toussaints du Plessis|year=1740}}</ref>
William de Ker's grandson is said to have been allied to [[William Wallace|Sir William Wallace]] in the [[First War of Scottish Independence|struggle for Scottish independence]]: "William Ker of Kersland joined Wallace in 1296. He and Stephen of Ireland are said to have been the only two of Wallace's men who survived the battle of Elcho. Ker was the constant friend and companion of Wallace. In 1305, when Wallace was taken prisoner at [[Robroyston]], William Ker only was with him. They were found both asleep, and Ker was unfortunately killed in the scuffle".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.electricscotland.com/history/perth/vol1chapter8.htm|title=The Ancient Capital of Scotland: The Story of Perth from the Invasion of Agricola to the Passing of the Reform Bill|last=Cowan, J.P.|first=Samuel|publisher=James Pott & Co.|year=1904|volume=I, chapter VIII|___location=New York}}</ref>
Family tradition asserts the Norman origin for the chiefs comes from two brothers, Ralph and Robert (also called John), who came to [[Roxburgh]] from [[Lancashire]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr" /> It has never been confirmed who was the elder, although the senior branch of the family, the Kerrs of Ferniehurst claim descent from Ralph, while their rivals, the Kerrs of Cessford, descended from John.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr" />
Asked how to say his name, Admiral [[Mark Kerr (Royal Navy officer, born 1864)|Mark Kerr]] told ''[[The Literary Digest]]'' in 1935, "In Scotland the name rhymes with ''care''. Since many of the family have come to England the pronunciation in this country rhymes with ''car'', which we have entirely submitted to."<ref>[[Charles Earle Funk]], ''What's the Name, Please?'', Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.</ref> Another common pronunciation of Kerr, such as in the majority of the United States, is "kur".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kerrfamilyassociation.com/the-kerr-family-association-of-north-america-2/whats-in-a-name |title=What's In A Name? |website=Kerr Family Association of North America |access-date=May 20, 2022}}</ref>
===15th and 16th century clan conflicts===
The two main branches of the Clan Kerr, the Kerrs of Ferniehurst and the Kerrs of Cessford, often feuded with each other.<ref name="KERRELECTRIC">[http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/htol/kerr2.htm Clan Kerr History] electricscotland.com. Retrieved 11, February 2013</ref> However, both Andrew Kerr of Ferniehurst and Andrew Kerr of Cessford were made [[Lord Warden of the Marches|Wardens of the Middle Marches]],<ref name="KERRELECTRIC"/> the first in 1502 and the latter after the [[Battle of Flodden]] in 1513.<ref name="KERRELECTRIC"/> After Flodden, some of the Liddesdale clans put themselves under the Kerr of Ferniehurst's protection, but, in 1523, his castle was captured by an English force after a protracted defence.
The Clan Kerr feuded in particular with the [[Clan Scott]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Scott">{{cite book |last1=Way |first1=George of Plean |last2=Squire |first2=Romilly of Rubislaw |author-link2=Romilly Squire of Rubislaw |author-link1=George Way of Plean |year=1994 |title=Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia |___location=[[Glasgow]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] (for the [[Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs]]) |isbn=0-00-470547-5 |pages=314–315}}</ref> The feud began on 25 July 1526, when [[Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch|Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch]] launched an attack (the [[Battle of Melrose]]) to rescue the young [[James V of Scotland]] who was being held by the Douglas [[Earl of Angus]] at [[Darnick]] just west of [[Melrose, Scottish Borders|Melrose]], and in the ensuing fight Kerr of Cessford was killed.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Scott"/> The Kerrs, however, took their time and, in 1552, they set upon Sir Walter Scott on [[Royal Mile|Edinburgh High Street]] and killed him.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Scott"/> The feud came to an end when Sir [[Thomas Kerr of Ferniehirst]] married Janet Scott who was the sister of the tenth Scott Laird of Buccleuch.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Scott"/>
Mark Kerr had his lands of Newbattle and Prestongrange erected into the barony of Newbattle by a charter of 1591.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/>
===17th century and Civil War===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Clan Douglas clan map.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Scottish clan map showing the territories of the Clan Kerr coloured in dark green to the south east. The lands that belonged to the clan chiefs, the Kerrs of Ferniehurst, are shown to the west of those belonging to the Clan Rutherford, while the lands that belonged to the Kerr of Cessford branch are shown to the east of the Clan Rutherford]] -->
In 1606, Mark Kerr was created [[Marquess of Lothian|Earl of Lothian]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Scott"/> This title failed when his son died in 1624 without male issue.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> In 1621, Sir Andrew Kerr of Ferniehurst was created [[Lord Jedburgh]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/>
The third peerage to come to the family was the earldom of Ancram, which was given to Sir Robert Kerr, a descendant of a younger son of Sir Andrew Kerr of Ferniehurst.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> In 1616, Sir Robert Ker of Cessford, by this time spelt his surname with a single 'r', was created [[Earl of Roxburghe]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> In 1631, Sir William Kerr, son of the Earl of Ancram, was granted a new earldom of Lothian in 1631.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> His son was Robert Kerr who was advanced to the rank of marquess and who also succeeded to the earldom of Ancram on the death of his uncle.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/>
During the [[Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms|Scottish Civil War]], Colonel Kerr supported the [[Covenanter]] commander, General [[David Leslie, Lord Newark]], and took the [[Clan Mackenzie]]'s [[Redcastle]], demolished it, and hanged the garrison.<ref>Mackenzie, Alan (2006) ''[http://www.electricscotland.com/mackenzie/images/CHAPT.09.pdf History of the Mackenzies]'' Chapter 9. p. 105. Retrieved 10 December 2013.</ref>
===18th century and Jacobite risings===
Lord Mark Kerr, son of the Chief, [[Robert Kerr, 1st Marquess of Lothian|Robert Kerr, 1st Marquis of Lothian]], was a distinguished professional soldier and is reputed to have had a high sense of personal honour and a quick temper.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> He fought several duels throughout his military career but rose ultimately to the rank of general, and was appointed governor of [[Edinburgh Castle]] in 1745.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/>
During the [[Jacobite rising of 1745]], the Clan Kerr supported the British government. At the [[Battle of Culloden]] in 1746, Lord Kerr's great nephew, [[Lord Robert Kerr]] (son of William Kerr, 3rd Marquis of Lothian), who was Captain of the grenadiers in [[King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)|Barrell's regiment]], received the first charging [[Clan Cameron|Cameron]] on the point of his [[Spontoon]], but a second cut him through the head to chin.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> He has the dubious distinction of being the only person of high rank killed on the government side.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/> The eldest of the brothers, Mark, Lord Kerr, later the fourth [[Marquess of Lothian]], commanded three squadrons of government cavalry at the Battle of Culloden and survived to serve under the [[Duke of Cumberland]] in France in 1758.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Kerr"/>
==Left-handedness==<!-- This section is linked from [[Handedness]] -->
The Kerrs have typically been associated with left-handedness, and some of their buildings, such as [[Ferniehirst Castle]], supposedly have [[turnpike stair]]s explicitly designed with this in mind,<ref>[http://www.scottish-places.info/families/familyfirst99.html Kerr (Car or Ker)] scottish places.info. Retrieved 10 December 2013.</ref><ref name="Goblinshead 2019">{{cite web | title=Ferniehirst | website=The Castles of Scotland Goblinshead Martin Coventry | date=23 January 2019 | url=https://www.thecastlesofscotland.co.uk/the-best-castles/grand-castles/ferniehirst/ | access-date=31 March 2019}}</ref> though this is disputed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=James |title=Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog #24: Left-handed Kerrs |url=https://triskeleheritage.triskelepublishing.com/2023/08/15/mediaeval-mythbusting-blog-24-the-left-handed-kerrs/ |website=Triskele Heritage |access-date=2025-02-04}}</ref> Andrew Ker (1471–1545), known as Dand,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://clankerr.co.uk/the%20fortress%20in%20the%20forest-2/dand%20kerr%201480-1545-2.html|title=Dand Kerr 1480–1545|website=clankerr.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref> developed Ferniehirst into a formidable stronghold. Both Dand and his paternal grandfather, Andrew of Cessford, are believed to have been left-handed swordsmen. A left-handed mercenary warrior could command a higher fee for his services, and those who fought under the Ferniehirst and Cessford banners were encouraged to fight "ker-handed".<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://clankerr.co.uk/ferniehirst%20book/index.html|title=The Kerrs of Ferniehirst 1205–1692|last=Lawson|first=Bob|publisher=Self-published|year=2014|pages=24}}</ref>
There is an anecdotal link between the Kerrs and left-handedness. An article in the [[British Medical Journal]] around 1972 stated that about 30% of those with the surname Kerr were left-handed, compared to 11% as the world's population. However, a 1993 study found no statistically significant increase in left-handedness among people with the family name Kerr or Carr.<ref>Shaw, D.; McManus, I. C. (1993). "The handedness of Kerrs and Carrs". British Journal of Psychology 84: 545–51.</ref>
==Castles==
{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| width = 250
| footer =
| image1 =Ferniehirst Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1990586.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = Ferniehirst Castle, seat of the Kerrs of Ferniehirst, chiefs of Clan Kerr
| image2 = Newbattle Abbey.jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = Newbattle Abbey, a later seat of the Kerrs of Ferniehirst who became Marqueses of Lothian
| image3 = Cessford Castle ruins.JPG
| alt3 =
| caption3 = The ruins of Cessford Castle, former seat of the Kerr of Cessford branch of the clan, who were once rivals to the chiefly Kerrs of Ferniehurst
| image4 = Floors Castle1.jpg
| alt4 =
| caption4 = Floors Castle, a later seat of the Kerrs of Cessford who became Dukes of Roxburghe
}}
Castles that have been owned by the Clan Kerr include among others:
*[[Ferniehirst Castle]] is about a mile south of [[Jedburgh]] in the [[Scottish Borders]]. It is now an extended and altered tower house that incorporates work from the sixteenth century. The castle was first built in 1470 and the Kerr of Ferniehirst branch of the clan were made [[Lord Warden of the Marches|Wardens of the Middle Marches]] in 1502. The original entrance leads to a staircase known as the 'Left-Handed Staircase' based on a story that Sir Andrew Kerr having returned from the Battle of Flodden in 1513, and who was left handed, had his followers trained to use their weapons with their left hands. The castle was sacked in 1523 by the English, but was recaptured in 1549 with French help, and the leader of the captured garrison was executed. In 1570, the castle was damaged in a raid when Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehirst, protector of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], hoped to have her released from imprisonment. In 1593, [[James VI of Scotland]] attacked the castle because of the help that the Kerrs had given to [[Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell]], whom the king had accused of witchcraft and treason. Between 1934 and 1984, the castle was leased by the Scottish Youth Hostel Association, apart from during [[World War II]] when it was used as an army billet. The Kerr Marquises of Lothian and Earls of Ancrum still own Ferniehirst Castle although they live in [[London]]. The castle is said to be haunted by a ''Green Lady'' and is open to the public in July.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Newbattle Abbey]] or ''Newbattle Castle'' is a mile south-west of [[Dalkeith]] in [[Midlothian]]. After the [[Protestant Reformation]] the property was given to the Kerrs of Ferniehirst and they were made Lords of Newbattle in 1591, and Earls of Lothian in 1606. The feud between the Kerrs of Ferniehirst and the Kerrs of Cessford was ended in 1631, when William Kerr of Ferniehirst married Ann Kerr of Cessford and the family were made Marqueses of Lothian in 1701. Many of the Newbattle buildings were demolished but some were incorporated into a fortified dwelling for the family. It was remodeled down the centuries into a large mansion. The eleventh Marquis of Lothian gave the building to the nation and it is now an adult education college. The castle is said to be haunted with stories of a ''Grey Lady'', said to be the spirit of a girl who was killed when she fell in love with a monk, as well as stories of spectral monks haunting the grounds.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Cessford Castle]], a massive [[L-plan]] castle and is now a ruin. The castle dates from the fifteenth century or earlier. It was surrounded by a curtain wall with a second wall and ditch beyond this. The castle was held by the Kerrs of Cessford who became rivals of the Kerrs of Ferniehirst.Sir Andrew Kerr of Cessford fought and survived the Battle of Flodden in 1513, but Cessford Castle was attacked by the English in 1519. It was besieged by the English four years later who reckoned it the third strongest fortress in Scotland. The castle was torched in 1543 and sacked by the English a year later. Sir Walter Kerr of Cessford was banished to [[France]] for being involved in the murder of [[Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch]] in 1552. The Kerrs of Cessford were made Earls in 1616 and then [[Duke of Roxburghe|Dukes of Roxburghe]] in 1704. In about 1650, Cessford Castle was abandoned and the materials were used to build Floors Castle.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Floors Castle]] is a massive castellated mansion that dates from 1721. It was designed by [[William Adam (architect)|William Adam]], but was remodeled by [[William Henry Playfair]] in the nineteenth century.<ref name="Coventry"/>
==Chief==
*
*Arms: Quarterly, 1st & 4th, Azure, the sun in his splendour Or (for the peerage of [[Lothian]]); 2nd & 3rd, Gules, on a chevron Argent, three mullets of the field (Kerr)
==
The family crest comprises the Latin motto 'Sero Sed Serio' (late, but in earnest) with an image of the sun at its centre. The motto was adopted following the [[Battle of Ancrum Moor]], in February 1545, which took place around 10 km from Ferniehirst Castle during the [[Rough Wooing]]. During four hundred years of cross-border invasions, feuding and lawlessness in the [[Scottish Borders]], survival came to depend upon a shifting pattern of allegiances. On this occasion, the Kerrs, who were accomplished mounted troops, initially sided with the English forces. As the balance of the battle tipped in favour of the Scots, the Kerrs switched loyalties and turned their cavalry against the English, who had a low winter sun in their eyes,<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://clankerr.co.uk/ferniehirst%20book/index.html|title=The Kerrs of Ferniehirst 1205–1692|last=Lawson|first=Bob|publisher=Self-published|year=2014}}</ref> and drove them from the field. The Kerrs thus arriving late, but in earnest.
==
[[File:Kerr tartan (Vestiarium Scoticum).png|thumb|right|200px|''Kerr'' [[tartan]], as published in 1842 in ''[[Vestiarium Scoticum]]''.]]
Clan Kerr has Three recognised tartans:
*Kerr
*Kerr (Hunting)
*Kerr (Muted)
==
{{reflist}}
==
* {{cite book|last=MacDonald Fraser|first=George|author-link=George MacDonald Fraser|title=The Steel Bonnets|year=1972|publisher=Alfred A. Knopt|isbn=0-394-47049-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/steelbonnets00geor}}
==External links==
*[http://www.kerrfamilyassociation.com/ www.kerrfamilyassociation.com] – Kerr Family Association of North America
*[http://heraldry-online.org.uk/kerr/kerr-arms.htm Kerr Heraldry]
{{Scottish clans}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr}}
[[Category:Clan Kerr]]
[[Category:Scottish clans]]
[[Category:Scottish Borders]]
[[Category:Scoto-Norman clans]]
[[Category:Gaelic families of Norse descent]]
[[Category:Kelso, Scottish Borders]]
| |||