William Kerr (Royal Navy officer)

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

The Honourable William Kerr
Commodore William Kerr
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Captain
Commands held	HMS Deptford HMS Burlington HMS Eagle HMS Revenge 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.^[1] 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.^[1] He went on to receive the command the third-rate HMS Revenge in 1702.^[1]

Appointed a commodore, Kerr became Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station in 1706.^[2] 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.^[3]

References

1. "William Kerr". Three Decks. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
2. Cundall, p. xx
3. Rodger, N. A. M. (2006). The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain 1649–1815. Penguin. p. 350. ISBN 978-0141026909.

Sources

• Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica. West India Committee.

Military offices
Preceded by Sir William Whetstone	Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station 1706	Succeeded by Sir John Jennings