Clan Kerr
Clan Kerr
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Clan Kerr is a Scottish clan that played an important role in the
history of the Border country of Scotland.
The origins of the name Kerr are disputed as being either:
- Caer British term for "fort"
- Ciar Scottish Gaelic for "dusky"
- Cearr Scottish Gaelic for "left-handed" - carrie handit in Lowland Scots
- Mac Ghiolla Cheara Irish language
- Kjarr or Kiarr Old Norse mythic figure
| Kerr Tartan | Coat of Arms | Clan Map in Borders | ||
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The Kerrs have typically been associated with left-handedness; some of their buildings,
such as Ferniehirst Castle, have been explicitly designed with this in mind.
There is an anecdotal link between the Kerrs and left-handedness, although it is
unclear whether or not present-day individuals with the surname of Kerr
have a higher incidence of left-handedness than the general population.
An article appearing in the British Medical Journal 1972 confirmed that about
30% of those with the surname Kerr
were left-handed as opposed to a background 10% of the population.
However, a later 1993 study reported no statistically
significant increase in left-handedness among people with the family name Kerr or Carr.
Floors Castle which featured in the 1984 movie
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburgh.
The Dukes of Roxburghe, formerly Earls of Roxburghe, are members of the Innes-Ker, formerly Ker family,
a branch of the Kerr family.
James Innes, on succeeding as 5th Duke in 1812,
and inheriting the estates and peerages through the female line, was obliged to
change his name to Innes-Ker, and thus ceased to be the chief of Clan Innes,
since he now bore a double-barrelled name.
Floors Castle, is a reminder of the Auld Alliance
between France and Scotland that existed for many years, and which culminated in the
marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, to the French Dauphin François.
The name is thought to come either from "flowers" (or the French fleurs),
or from the "floors", or terraces, on which the castle is built.
| Ferniehirst Castle | Floors Castle Today | Floors Castle in 1880 | ||
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