Author: Hart, Mary Kerr
Biography:
Hart, Mary Kerr (b c 1791 d c 1869: ancestry.co.uk)
Although she lived much of her life in poverty, she was the daughter of William John Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian, and Elizabeth Parker—with whom Kerr had formed a liaison following the death of his wife in 1780. As told in Hart’s memoir in Heath Blossoms, her mother died at Farnham, Surrey, in 1793, leaving two infant daughters. Kerr took in the children, raised them, and provided for them through his will. However, Mary’s marriage to Mr. Hart led Kerr to revoke this provision for her and, instead, she was left £1000 on his death in 1815. This sum proved inadequate when Mr. Hart was found to be both bankrupt and insane. An 1842 application to the RLF indicates that she was financially responsible for her husband and at least one of her two sons. She seems to have published nothing after 1835, and the RLF rejected her application on the grounds of insufficient evidence of authorship. She may be the Mary Kerr Hart whose 1869 death is recorded in ancestry.co.uk documents. (ancestry.co.uk 28 Feb 2020; RLF file NCCO; http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1820-1832/member/kerr-john-1794-1841 accessed 28 Feb 2020)