Willian Henry Kerr
4th Marquess of Lothian KT
(Earl of Ancram)

Colonel of the 11th Dragoons from 8th Febraury 1752 to 25th April 1775. The Kerr family had a long association with the 11th. The regiment was known as Kerr's Dragoons for 20 years when Lord Mark Kerr was Colonel and William Henry succeeded him. He was a grand nephew of Lord Mark and he held the position for 23 years until his death in 1775. William Henry, born in 1710 started his military career in Kerr's Dragoons in 1735 and became the commanding officer during the 1745 rebellion. The year before he was Cumberland's ADC at Fontenoy and was wounded in the head. He lead his regiment at Culloden where the rebels were finally defeated. Cumberland was a cruel man and ordered his cavalry to pursue the fleeing army of the Young Pretender and inflict punishment. William Henry could not have relished this task, he was described as a 'chivalrous and Compassionate man'.

Regimental details