Searching for Kerr family connections

I have found some more information

William Kerr married Jane McCabe

Their son John Kerr was born in Ireland 1819 and died in Scots County Missouri 1891

I hope that helps us make a connection.  I would like to know more about William and Jane, who their parents were, how long the Kerrs were in Ireland, narrow down the Parish.

Thank you

Dear Anncali:

                  Hi! I think I am probably a cousin. I am Sherry and I live outside Chicago! I think I can help you with a little bit of Kerr history and especially the Kerr of Scott County Missouri. (My husband Dennis has some records on a website that he can direct you to.) My dad is a Kerr through his mother Ruby Gladis Kerr (with a brother Charlie Kerr) who married Willian A. Derken Senior. He grew up in Scott County Missouri , and the neighboring Clark County Missouri. My grandma lived in a tiny town called Purdy, Mo. and neighboring towns are Memphis, Missouri. We know of other Kerrs in the area, but they lived in tiny towns and we don't know why, but our parents did not keep in touch much except for a few.  The KERRS had many farms because when my grandma Ruby's dad (Thomas) died, he gave each of his kids a 200 acre farm of their own.  My husband Dennis is the geneologist in the family, and so I will let him make an accout on Reach Out Ireland and respond to you. (He has all the records and links so far.)    I know the cemetary that some of the Kerr ancestors are buried in Scott County. Missouri . We just went there two years ago to take photos of the very large tombstones.

We also know about the link of the Funkhousers and McCabes.  There is a homestead museum of the Funkhauser-Hotter's in WEST Virginia that we went to where one of the Kerrs linked up with a Funkhouser and moved to Scott County Missouri.  There are several houses from the mid 1800's all in a short eyesight distance of each other where the families all lived in close proximity. One house was distressed and ramshackle, one was still in use by the caretakers of the museum property, and the main grand house used to hold all the antiques/artifacts for the museum. In the 1970s (?) someone stole all (most) of the antiques and burned the house down. It is marked by a very very large fireplace. Every year in (June?) they still have a very large Funkhouser reunion. (My husband knows the location and little town this is nearby as it really is out in the boonies.) The property is so beautiful as it sits with a little stream running through it,  and in the shade of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

             We had traced our Kerr ancesters back to Armagh county in the town of PortaDowne. However, we cannot seem to go back further because of no records that we can find.  We were in Ireland and stopped by Portadowne, but did not have time to do any geneology.  We are trying to make the link back to Scotland, but no records. Many Scotts, (Kerr is a Scottish name) were expelled from Scotland and sent to Armaugh County in Ulster Ireland and surrounds when they fell out of religious or political favor.... (Thus called Uster-Scots).   The Kerrs in Scotland have the largest Castle in Scotland still in use by the Carrs (kerrs) and lived in by The Marquis of Lothian, Mark Kerr. (?)  There are several other Kerr Castles like Fernihurst that still stand and is the part time residence of Mark Kerr, Marquis of Lothian, and part was used as a bed and breakfast/backpacker's lodge for awhile in the 1970's (?) .One is a college now.There is also Teviot and some other Kerr castles in Scotland. They are known for being left handed sword fighters and so the staircases in the castles were built to accomodate quick accent carring a left handed sword. This left handedness also gave them an advantage in battle. There is a saying called "Kerr Handed. "   Kerrs were friends to Braveheart and a Kerr died protecting his life one time. Kerrs were also friends to Mary Queen Of Scots, and there is a big history of Kerrs around Jedburgh where Fernihurst castle is.   The Kerrs were knights and Dukes and Marquis in the favored eye of the crown of Mary Queen of Scotts (and before.)   It would be SO cool to make our link to royalty!  There are all kinds of books about the Kerrs in Scotland. "The Reivers" by Alistaire Moffit has many Kerr citations. 

Dear Anncali:

                  Hi! I think I am probably a cousin. I am Sherry and I live outside Chicago! I think I can help you with a little bit of Kerr history and especially the Kerr of Scott County Missouri. (My husband Dennis has some records on a website that he can direct you to.) My dad is a Kerr through his mother Ruby Gladis Kerr (with a brother Charlie Kerr) who married Willian A. Derken Senior. He grew up in Scott County Missouri , and the neighboring Clark County Missouri. My grandma lived in a tiny town called Purdy, Mo. and neighboring towns are Memphis, Missouri. We know of other Kerrs in the area, but they lived in tiny towns and we don't know why, but our parents did not keep in touch much except for a few.  The KERRS had many farms because when my grandma Ruby's dad (Thomas) died, he gave each of his kids a 200 acre farm of their own.  My husband Dennis is the geneologist in the family, and so I will let him make an accout on Reach Out Ireland and respond to you. (He has all the records and links so far.)    I know the cemetary that some of the Kerr ancestors are buried in Scott County. Missouri . We just went there two years ago to take photos of the very large tombstones.

We also know about the link of the Funkhousers and McCabes.  There is a homestead museum of the Funkhauser-Hotter's in WEST Virginia that we went to where one of the Kerrs linked up with a Funkhouser and moved to Scott County Missouri.  There are several houses from the mid 1800's all in a short eyesight distance of each other where the families all lived in close proximity. One house was distressed and ramshackle, one was still in use by the caretakers of the museum property, and the main grand house used to hold all the antiques/artifacts for the museum. In the 1970s (?) someone stole all (most) of the antiques and burned the house down. It is marked by a very very large fireplace. Every year in (June?) they still have a very large Funkhouser reunion. (My husband knows the location and little town this is nearby as it really is out in the boonies.) The property is so beautiful as it sits with a little stream running through it,  and in the shade of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

             We had traced our Kerr ancesters back to Armagh county in the town of PortaDowne. However, we cannot seem to go back further because of no records that we can find.  We were in Ireland and stopped by Portadowne, but did not have time to do any geneology.  We are trying to make the link back to Scotland, but no records. Many Scotts, (Kerr is a Scottish name) were expelled from Scotland and sent to Armaugh County in Ulster Ireland and surrounds when they fell out of religious or political favor.... (Thus called Uster-Scots).   The Kerrs in Scotland have the largest Castle in Scotland still in use by the Carrs (kerrs) and lived in by The Marquis of Lothian, Mark Kerr. (?)  There are several other Kerr Castles like Fernihurst that still stand and is the part time residence of Mark Kerr, Marquis of Lothian, and part was used as a bed and breakfast/backpacker's lodge for awhile in the 1970's (?) .One is a college now.There is also Teviot and some other Kerr castles in Scotland. They are known for being left handed sword fighters and so the staircases in the castles were built to accomodate quick accent carring a left handed sword. This left handedness also gave them an advantage in battle. There is a saying called "Kerr Handed. "   Kerrs were friends to Braveheart and a Kerr died protecting his life one time. Kerrs were also friends to Mary Queen Of Scots, and there is a big history of Kerrs around Jedburgh where Fernihurst castle is.   The Kerrs were knights and Dukes and Marquis in the favored eye of the crown of Mary Queen of Scotts (and before.)   It would be SO cool to make our link to royalty!  There are all kinds of books about the Kerrs in Scotland. "The Reivers" by Alistaire Moffit has many Kerr citations. 

Pic of Grave of Thomas A. Kerr