Joseph Kerr

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Joseph Kerr (1765August 22, 1837) was a Democratic-Republican politician from Ohio. He served in the United States Senate.

Born in Kerrtown, Pennsylvania (now Chambersburg), Kerr (pronounced "car") moved to Ohio in 1792. He served in a number of positions as clerk, judge and justice of the peace in the Northwest Territory. After statehood was declared, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1808, 1816, 1818, and 1819 and the Ohio State Senate in 1804 and 1810. He also served as a brigadier general of Ohio Volunteers during the War of 1812, in charge of supplying provisions to the Army of the Northwest. Kerr was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1814 to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Thomas Worthington. Kerr served from December 10, 1814, to March 3, 1815. He did not seek re-election. Kerr's extensive farm went bankrupt in 1826, and he moved to Memphis, Tennessee and then to rural Louisiana, where he purchased a homestead.

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Ohio Senate
Preceded by
Abraham Claypool
Nathaniel Massie
Senator from Ross and Franklin Counties
1804–1806
Served alongside: Abraham Claypool (1804–1805)
Duncan McArthur (1805–1806)
Succeeded by
Abraham Claypool
Duncan McArthur

as Senators from Ross, Franklin, and Highland Counties
Ohio House of Representatives
New district Representative from Ross County
1808–1809
Served alongside: Jessup Nash Couch, James Dunlap, Samuel Monnett, David Shelby
Succeeded by
James Dunlap
Joseph Gardner
Nathaniel Massie
David Shelby
Edward Tiffin
Preceded by
Duncan McArthur
James Manary
William Vance
Representative from Ross County
1818–1820
Served alongside: 1818–1819: John Sill, James S. Swearingen
1819–1820: Isaac Cook, Samuel Tizzard
Succeeded by
John Bailhache
John Entrekin
William Vance
United States Senate
Preceded by
Thomas Worthington
United States Senator (Class 1) from Ohio
1814–1815
Served alongside: Jeremiah Morrow
Succeeded by
Benjamin Ruggles
Military offices
Preceded by
Thomas Worthington
Adjutant General of Ohio
1809–1810
Succeeded by
Isaac Van Horne