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