John Kerr (Virginia Congressman)

John Kerr ( * August 4, 1782 in Yanceyville, Caswell County, North Carolina, † September 29, 1842 in Danville, Virginia ) was an American politician. Between 1813 and 1817 he represented two times the state of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

John Kerr came from an illustrious family of politicians. He was the father of the eponymous Congressman John Kerr (1811-1879) and a cousin of Bartlett Yancey (1785-1828), who represented the State of North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also the great-uncle of Congressman John H. Kerr (1873-1958), who also sat for North Carolina in Congress. Kerr attended the public schools of his home. After a subsequent study of theology and of his ordination to the clergy in 1802 were made of the Baptist Church, he began to work in this profession. Since 1805 he has been resident in Halifax County. At the same time he proposed as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party launched a political career.

In the congressional elections of 1812, Kerr was in the 15th electoral district of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of John Randolph on March 4, 1813. Since he lost to Matthew Clay in the election of 1814, he was initially able to do only one term in Congress until March 3, 1815. This was marked by the events of the British -American War. After the death of Clay Kerr was re- elected at the election due to Congress, where he held his previous mandate again on 30 October 1815. Until March 3, 1817, he was able to end the current parliamentary term.

In 1816, Kerr opted not to run again. In the following years until 1832, he worked in various cities of Virginia as a clergyman. Then he withdrew into retirement. Since 1836 he lived on a farm near Danville, where he died on 29 September 1842.