Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/247

 KERR

KERR

set off as Caswell. John Kerr, Jr., engaged in teaching school and was licensed as a Baptist preacher in 1802. He made extensive preaching tours, visiting South Carolina and Georgia, where he addressed large assemblies. He settled in Halifax county, Va., in 1805, and was a Demo- cratic representative from Virginia in the 13th and 14th congresses, 1813-17. On his return to Halifax count}' lie preached in the cluu-ches at Arbor and ]\Iary Creek, and in IMarch. 1825, re- moved to Richmond, Va., and took cliarge of the First Baptist church in that city. He resigned the charge in 1832, not agreeing with the teach- ings of Alexander Campbell, and devoted himself to evangelistic labors. In 1836 he removed to a farm near Danville. Va., and still continued to work among the feeble churclies. He presided over the Dover association and the general asso- ciation of Virginia. He married Mary "Williams. He died near Danville, Va., Sept. 29, 1842.

KERR, John, representative, was born in Halifax county, Va., Feb. 10, 1811; son of the Rev. John (q.v.) and Mary (Williams) Kerr. He was educated in Richmond, Va., and was the first law student of Chief-Justice John S. Pear- son. He was admitted to the bar and settled in Yancey ville, Caswell county, N.C. He was the Whig candidate for governor of North Carolina in 1852, defeated by David S. Reid: was a Whig representative from the fifth North Carolina dis- trict in the 33d congress, serving 1853-55, and was defeated as the Conservative candidate for repre- sentative in the 84th congress by Edwin G. Reade. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1858 and in 1860, and was judge of the supreme court of North Carolina during the civil war. He was arrested during the Ku-Klux difficulties in North Carolina. July 8. 1870. His imprisonment brought him into prominence, and the opposition and enmity aroused by Governor Holden's course in the matter did much to elect Kerr as judge of the superior court in 1874 for a term of eight years. He served as vice- president of the Southern Baptist convention, and of the Baptist state conventions for many sessions; was a trustee of the University of North Carolina, 1846-68, and of Wake Forest college, N.C, 1844-56, and was president of the North Carolina Historical society. He received the de- gree of LL.D. from tlieUniversitj' of North Caro- lina in 1877 and from Trinity college. He died at Reidsville. N.C, Sept. 5, 1879.

KERR, John Bozman, diplomatist, was born in Easton, Md., March 5, 1809; second son of the Hon. John Leeds and Sarah HoUyday (Chamber- lain) Kerr, and grandson of David and Rachel Leeds (Bozman) Kerr. He was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1830, A.M., 18.33, studied law at Easton, and began to practice there in 1833. He

was a member of the general assembly of Jlary- land, 1836-38; deputy for the attorney-general of Maryland and for Talbot county, 1847-49; a rep- resentative from Maryland in the 31st congress, 1849-51, and was re-elected in 1850 to the 32d congress, but resigned, having been appointed bj- President Fillmore cliarge d'aff'aiies to the re- public of Nicaragua. During the revolution of 1851 in Central America, he acted as arbitrator between the factions, brought about armistice and saved the lives of the leading revolutionists, who had been taken prisoners. For tliese serv- ices he received the formal thanks of the chief executive of Nicaragua, and in 1853 congress voted him extra pay while in Central America. Upon his return to the United States in 1854, he resumed the practice of his profession, and held office under Attorney-General Black in Washing- ton, and was subsequently appointed deputy so- licitor of the court of claims. He was later em- ployed as solicitor in the treasury department. He was married to Lucy Hamilton Stevens. He was an authority upon the early history of Maiy- land. He died inWashington, D.C., Jan. 27, 1878.

KERR, John Leeds, senator, was born at Greenbury's Point, Annapolis, Md., Jan. 15, 1780; son of David and Rachel Leeds (Bozman) Kerr; grandson of James Kerr, of Scotland, and a de- scendant of the Kerrs of Cessford. He was grad- uated from St. John's college, Annapolis, in 1799, studied law with his uncle, John L. Bozman, and began to practice at Easton. He acted as agent for the state of Marj'land in the settlement of war claims of 1812-14. He was a Whig represent- ative in the 19th and 20th congresses, 182.5-29, failed of election to the 21st congress in 1828, and was a representative in the 22d congress, 1831-33. He was a delegate to the national Whig conven- tion at Harrisburg in 1839, and a presidential elector in 1840. He was U.S. senator, as succes- sor to John S. Spence, 1841-43. He was twice married, first to Sarah Hollyday Chamberlain. He edited Bozman's History of Maryland (1837), ■written by his uncle, John L. Bozman. He died at Easton, Md., Feb. 21, 1844.

KERR, Hark Brickell, geographer, was born at St. Michael's, Talbot county, Md., June 28, 1860; fourth son of the Hon. John Bozman and Lucy Hamilton (Stevens) Kerr, and grandson of the Hon. Jolin Leeds and Sarah Hollyday (Chaml)erlain) Kerr. His ancestor, John Leeds, of Wade's Point, Md., was a commissioner ap- pointed to adjust the Mason and Dixon survey. Mark B. Kerr studied in the schools of the Dis- trict of Columbia, and was appointed an assistant upon the surveys west of the 100th meridian un- der the war department in 1878, and after his resignation served on railroad engineering work in Utah and Mexico. He was appointed in 1882