William Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian

William Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian, was born on September 4, 1870, in London, England. He was the son of Schomberg Kerr, 9th Marquess of Lothian, and Lady Victoria Alexandrina Montagu-Douglas-Scott. As a young man, William Kerr studied at Eton College and then attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in 1892. After completing his education, he pursued a career in politics and was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish constituency of Roxburghshire in 1895. In 1900, William Kerr was appointed as a Lord-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria, and he later served in the same role for King Edward VII. He also served as a Captain in the Royal Company of Archers, which is the sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland. During World War I, William Kerr served in the British Army and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his service. In 1930, after the death of his father, William Kerr succeeded to the title of Marquess of Lothian. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Roxburghshire from 1930 to 1959. William Kerr was married twice, firstly to Mary Harriet Louise McDonnell in 1903 (with whom he had four children), and secondly to Lady Cecil Elizabeth Mary Victoria Gordon-Lennox in 1924 (with whom he had two children). He passed away on October 12, 1940, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Philip Kerr, as the 11th Marquess of Lothian.