Early Career
Born the fourth son of John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian and Lady Cecil Chetwynd Talbot (daughter of Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 2nd Earl Talbot), Kerr was educated at Radley College and joined the first-rate HMS Prince Regent as a naval cadet in August 1853. He saw action during the Crimean War serving in the first-rate HMS Neptune in March 1854 and then in the third-rate HMS Cornwallis in May 1855. Promoted to midshipman in August 1855, he joined the frigate HMS Shannon on the China Station in August 1856. He saw action during the Indian mutiny when the ship's crew landed as a naval brigade in December 1857. Kerr was wounded near Cawnpore but still took part in the capture of Lucknow in February 1858. After being mentioned in despatches on 31 March 1858 and promoted to mate on 28 September 1858, he transferred to the royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert in June 1859.
Promoted to lieutenant on 5 September 1859, Kerr was appointed to the steam frigate HMS Emerald in the Channel Squadron in July 1860 and to the second-rate HMS Princess Royal, flagship on the East Indies and Cape of Good Hope Station in February 1864. Promoted to commander on 3 April 1868, he was posted to the ironclad battleship HMS Hercules in the Channel Squadron in November 1868 and was awarded the Royal Humane Society's silver medal for jumping overboard to rescue a man who had fallen from the rigging into the River Tagus.
Kerr became Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron and Captain of the battleship HMS Lord Warden in September 1871 and, having been promoted to captain on 30 November 1872 and while remaining Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron, he became Captain of the frigate HMS Agincourt in October 1874 and then Captain of the frigate HMS Minotaur in August 1875. He became Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and Captain of the frigate HMS Inconstant in February 1880 and then, while remaining Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, he became Captain of the ironclad battleship HMS Alexandra in March 1880.
Kerr supervised the handover of Ulcinj to Montenegro to allow Montenegro an outlet to the sea in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Berlin in September 1880. He became Captain of the Medway Steam Reserve in December 1881 and naval private secretary to Lord George Hamilton, First Lord of the Admiralty in July 1885.
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