• General Notes

  REFN: 1193AN
  Alias:<ALIA> Thomas /Kerr/
  REFN: P1193
  Thomas Kerr became the 9th Baron of Fe rniehirst Castle. He was also noted
  for his involvement with Mary Stuart, Que en of Scots.  Assisted Mary,
  Queen of Scots, escape the English.
  Sir John’s son, Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehirst, was noted for his loyalty
  to Mary Queen of Scots, for whom he built a fortified house in the centre
  of Jedburgh. He r aised the Royal Standard for her in Dumfries, helping
  her and her husband Dar nley to put down an insurrection by a group of her
  nobles (she won at the tim e but was forced into exile a few years later).
  Subsequently he sheltered her English supporters after the rising of the
  Northern Earls (1568) and rescued Lady Northumberland, stranded by
  illness in a Liddesdale outlaw’s hide-out. He helped his father-in-law,
  Kirkcaldy of Grange, to defend Edinburgh Castle in the Queen’s name; when
  it was taken he lost precious family documents whic h were never seen
  again, but at least he escaped with his life (Kirkcaldy was beheaded) and
  fled abroad for some years. He was re-instated in his lands by James VI
  when the young King came of age and took power into his own hands. The
  townsmen of Jedburgh supported the Regent Morton (later also beheaded)
  against Mary; they "debagged" and publicly caned a herald sent out by
  Fernieh irst to read out a proclamation of loyalty to the Queen, also
  compelling him to eat his document.
  From her English prison, Mary wrote to Sir Thomas, thanki ng him for his
  past services and encouraging him to keep up his loyalty. She seems to
  have taken a particular liking to his young son Andrew, the first Lo rd
  Jedburgh, and may have knighted him while still a child, for she asks in
  particular to be remembered to "Sir Andrew".
  Briefly imprisoned after the fal l of Edinburgh Castle, Sir Thomas was in
  exile and unable to perform his duti es as Warden at the time of the last
  major clash on the Border, the Raid of R edeswire. This incident developed
  on one of the "days of truce" when the Ward ens or their deputes met to
  resolve various local problems and to exchange or hang wanted criminals.
  On this occasion the English Warden complained that t he Scots had failed
  to hand over a thief known as "Farnstein" (not a German r efugee or
  mercenary, as one might think, but an Englishman whose real name wa s
  Robson). This led to mutual insults, no doubt aggravated by the fact that
  both sides had been liquidating a great deal of liquid. The argument grew
  in to a scuffle and the scuffle grew into a fight. Eventually the Jedburgh
  men a rrived in strength and dispersed the English, killing a few and
  capturing oth ers, who were later released without ransom.
  Though he missed this particular incident, Sir Thomas was involved in a
  similar but smaller affray, on almost the same spot, ten years later. By
  then he was back in office as Warden of th e Middle March; Forster, now
  84, was still in charge on the other side, and F orster’s son-in-law, who
  was also a son of the Earl of Bedford, was killed. E lizabeth Tudor was
  not amused, and insisted on Ferniehirst’s punishment, thou gh the rights
  and wrongs of the whole affair were by no means clear. Being an xious to
  succeed to the English throne, James VI sought to ingratiate himself with
  her, and exiled Sir Thomas to Aberdeen, where he died within a year. Th e
  inscription on his memorial in Jedburgh Abbey reads "Sir THOMAS KERR of
  F ernyherst, Warden of the Marches, Provost of Edinburgh and Jedburgh,
  Father o f Andrew Lord Jedburgh, Sir James Kerr of Creylin (Crailing) and
  Robert Earl of Somerset. He died at Aberdeen on March 31, 1586 and lies
  buried before the Communion Table. He was a man of action and perfit
  loyaltie and constancie t o Queen Marie in all her troubles. He suffered
  14 years’ banishment besides f orfaulter (forfeiture) of his lands. He was
  restored to his estates and honou rs by King James the Sext."
  Sir Thomas married t

Details of Thomas' family

Details of Thomas' family with Janet Scott