William Kerr

Captain William Kerr was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station.

Naval career Born a younger son of the Earl of Lothian, Kerr was promoted to post captain on 14 May 1690 on appointment to the command of the fourth-rate HMS Deptford. He transferred to the command of the fourth-rate HMS Burlington in 1696, of the third-rate HMS Lenox later the same year and of the third-rate HMS Eagle in 1700. Starved of resources including medicines to treat his men, who were sick from tropical diseases, Kerr was unable to prevent the Spanish ships from leaving port. On return his to England he was prosecuted, impeached and then dismissed from the Royal Navy.