Peter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian

The Most Honourable

The Marquess of Lothian

KCVO
The Most Honourable; The Marquess of Lothian; KCVO
	by Walter Stoneman, 1949
Tenure	12 December 1940 – 11 October 2004
Predecessor	Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess
Successor	Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess
Born	Peter Francis Walter Kerr; 8 September 1922; Shardlow, Derbyshire, England
Died	11 October 2004 (aged 82); Jedburgh, Scotland
Spouse(s)	Antonella Reuss Newland (m. 1943)
Issue	Lady Mary von Westenholz; Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian; Lady Cecil Cameron; Clare FitzRoy, Dowager Countess of Euston; Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch; Lord Ralph Kerr;
Father	Andrew William Kerr
Mother	Marie Kerr

Peter Francis Walter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian,

KCVO (8 September 1922 – 11 October 2004) was a British peer, politician and landowner. He was the son of Captain Andrew William Kerr by his wife, Marie Kerr. Both of his parents were male-line descendants of William Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian

.

Life and career

His father, Andrew Kerr, and grandfather,

National Trust. Another family house at Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire was opened to the paying public in 1952.^[2]

Lothian took part in the

Ministry of Health during the short period of Lord Home's term as prime minister in 1964. He returned to the Foreign Office with Alec Douglas-Home (then formerly Lord Home) in 1970, serving as parliamentary under-secretary for two years. He was nominated as a member of the European Parliament in 1973, when the UK joined the European Economic Community

.

Lord Lothian retired from politics in 1977, after which he served as Lord Warden of the Stannaries, Keeper of the Privy Purse to the Duke of Cornwall, and Chairman of the Prince's Council for the Duchy of Cornwall. He was appointed KCVO in 1983. He was also a member of the Royal Company of Archers, commandant of the Special Constabulary in the Scottish Borders, and a Knight of Malta.

He returned the

Franciscan Friars Minor in 1979, and he ceded control of Monteviot and Melbourne House to his elder and younger son, respectively, in the 1980s, to take on the restoration of Ferniehirst Castle in Roxburghshire

.

Family

The 12th Marquess married Antonella Newland on 30 April 1943. They had five children:

Lady Mary Marianne Anne Kerr (20 March 1944), who married Charles Freiherr von Westenholz (17 March 1945 – 9 March 2006) on 6 April 1971. They had three sons and six grandchildren.
Lady Herries of Terregles
, on 7 June 1975. They have three daughters and two grandchildren.
Lady Cecil Nennella Therese Kerr (22 April 1948), who married Donald Angus Cameron of Lochiel, 27th Chief of Clan Cameron on 1 June 1974. They have four children and five grandchildren.
Lady Clare Amabel Margaret Kerr (15 April 1951), who married James FitzRoy, Earl of Euston
, on 16 September 1972. They have five children and three grandchildren.

Lady Elizabeth Marion Frances Kerr (1954–2023) she married Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch on 31 October 1981. They had four children.
Lord Ralph William Francis Joseph Kerr (b. 1957), who married Lady Virginia FitzRoy on 6 September 1980; they were divorced in 1987. He married Marie-Claire Black in 1988. They have six children.

His elder son, the Conservative politician Michael Ancram, succeeded to the marquessate on his death.

Notes

^ According to his wife's Times obituary, their mothers were cousins, and they had first met as children.
^ Melbourne Hall was inherited via his great-great-grandmother Emily Cowper, sister of the 2nd Viscount Melbourne and mistress of Palmerston whom she later married. See Independent obituary (2004) by James Stourton for details.

References

Obituary^{[dead link]}, The Daily Telegraph, 12 October 2004
Obituary, The Independent, 19 October 2004

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Marquess of Lothian

Court offices
Preceded by The Earl Waldegrave	Lord Warden of the Stannaries 1977–1983	Succeeded by Nicholas Henderson
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by Philip Kerr	Marquess of Lothian 1940–2004	Succeeded by Michael Kerr

[1] According to his wife's Times obituary, their mothers were cousins, and they had first met as children.

[2] Melbourne Hall was inherited via his great-great-grandmother Emily Cowper, sister of the 2nd Viscount Melbourne and mistress of Palmerston whom she later married. See Independent obituary (2004) by James Stourton for details.

[2]

Authority control databases
International	VIAF WorldCat
National	Germany
People	UK Parliament