Lord Mark Kerr (British Army officer, born 1676)
| Lord Mark Kerr | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1676 |
| Died | 1752 |
| Buried | Kensington, London |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | 29th Foot; 13th Foot; 11th Hussars |
| Battles/wars | Almansa; Capture of Vigo |
| Other work | Governor of Edinburgh Castle |
General Lord Mark Kerr (baptised 1 April 1676 – 2 February 1752) was a general in the British Army and Governor of Edinburgh Castle.
He was the fourth son of Robert Kerr, 1st Marquis of Lothian and Lady Jean Campbell.
He was commissioned in 1694 as a subaltern into the regiment of McGill's Foot and, when that regiment was disbanded, obtained a post as captain of a company of infantry serving William III in Flanders. He transferred in 1697 to a Foot Regiment (later the 7th Dragoons) commanded by his eldest brother, William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian, otherwise known as Lord Jedburgh.[1]
In 1704 he served in the Low Countries as a Lieutenant-Colonel in Macartney's Foot and in 1706 was given command of a new Foot Regiment which sailed under Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers to Portugal. During the subsequent Spanish campaign he was wounded in the arm at the Battle of Almansa in 1707 after his Portuguese flanks had deserted the battlefield.[2]
Kerr was promoted Brigadier-General in 1711 and his regiment disbanded, but in 1712 he was appointed Colonel in command of another Foot Regiment (later the 29th Foot). In 1716 he was appointed Governor of Carrickfergus and Commander of all British Forces in Counties Down and Antrim. In 1719 he commanded a Brigade of Infantry in the Expedition to Spain under Lord Shannon and was present at the Capture of Vigo, Rodendella and Port-a-Vedra. [1]
In 1725 he was given command of the late Stanhope Cotton's Regiment (later to be named the 13th Foot) and then, promoted to Major-General in 1727, was given the command of Philip Honeywood's Dragoons (later the 11th Hussars) in 1732. He was appointed Governor of Sheerness from 1729 to 1745.[3]
He was promoted Lieutenant-General in 1735 and full General on 26 February 1743.[4] In 1745 he became Governor of Edinburgh Castle and in 1751 was placed on the Staff in Ireland.
He died unmarried in London in 1752 and was buried in Kensington church.
References
- 1 2 "Brigadier Lord Mark Kerr". Worcestershire Regiment. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
- ↑ "General Lord Mark Kerr". BritishEmpire.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
- ↑ "No. 6842". The London Gazette. 23 December 1729. p. 1.
- ↑ "No. 8200". The London Gazette. 22 February 1742 (Old Style). p. 3. Check date values in:
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| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Farrington |
Colonel of Lord Mark Kerr's Regiment of Foot 1712–1725 |
Succeeded by Henry Disney |
| Preceded by Unknown |
Governor of Carrickfergus 1716–? |
Succeeded by Unknown |
| Preceded by Stanhope Cotton |
Colonel of Lord Mark Kerr's Regiment of Foot 1725–1732 |
Succeeded by John Middleton |
| Preceded by Henry Withers |
Governor of Sheerness 1729–1745 |
Succeeded by John Huske |
| Preceded by Sir Philip Honywood |
Colonel of the 11th Regiment of Dragoons 1732–1752 |
Succeeded by Earl of Ancram |
| Preceded by Sir James Campbell |
Governor of Edinburgh Castle 1745–1752 |
Succeeded by Humphrey Bland |