ROXBURGHE, EARLS AND DUKES OF. ROBERT KER, 1st earl of Roxburghe (c. 157o-165o), was the eldest son of William Ker of Cessford (d. 1606) and the grandson of Sir Walter Ker (d. c. 1584), who fought against Mary queen of Scots both at Carberry Hill and at Langside. He was descended from Sir Andrew Ker of Cessford (d. 1526) who fought at Flodden and was killed near Melrose in Jan. 1526 by the Scotts of Buccleuch. After a turbulent life on the border Robert Ker became a Scot tish privy councillor in 1599 and was made Lord Roxburghe about the same time; he accompanied King James to London in 1603, and was created earl of Roxburghe in 1616. He was lord privy seal for Scotland from 1637 to 2649, and in the Scottish parliament he showed his sympathy with Charles I.; but he took no part in the Civil War, although he signed the "engagement" for the king's release in 1648. His titles and estates passed by special arrangement to his grandson, WILLIAM DRUM MOND (d. 1675), the youngest son of his daughter Jean and her husband John Drummond, 2nd earl of Perth. William took the name of Ker, became 2nd earl of Roxburghe, and married his cousin Lord Ker's daughter Jean.
The duke was a representative peer for Scotland in four parlia ments; George I. made him a privy councillor and keeper of the privy seal of Scotland, and he was loyal to the king during the J acobite rising in 1715. He was again a secretary of State from 1716 to 1725.
His grandson JOHN, 3rd duke of Roxburghe (174o-1804), was a famous bibliophile. The duke's library, including a unique col lection of books from Caxton's press, and three rare volumes of broadside ballads, was sold in 1812, when the Roxburghe Club was founded to commemorate the sale of Valdarfer's edition of Boccaccio. Roxburghe's cousin William, 7th Lord Bellenden (c. 1728-1805), who succeeded to the Scottish titles and estates, died childless in October 1805, and for seven years the titles were dormant.
Then in 1812 SIR JAMES INNES, Bart. (1736-1823), a descend ant of the I st earl, established his claim to them, and taking the name of Innes-Ker, became 5th duke of Roxburghe_ In his family the dukedom remained. Its holder has a seat in the House of Lords as Earl Innes in the peerage of the United Kingdom.