BIO: James W. Kerr, M.D., York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Abby Bowman

Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, historical editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Part II, Biographical Sketches, York Borough, Pg 27

JAMES W. KERR, M.D., is a native of Lancaster County, Penn., born September 19, 
1813, the second of seven children to Rev. William and Mary (Wilson) Kerr, and 
is of Scotch-Irish extraction.  The father of Dr. Kerr was also born in 
Lancaster County in 1776, and his mother was a native of Dauphin County, born in 
1789.  The paternal grandfather of Dr. Kerr was also a native of Lancaster 
County.  The father of subject was a minister of the Presbyterian Church; for 
nearly a quarter of a century he was the pastor of a congregation at Donegal 
Church, in Lancaster County.  His death occurred September 22, 1821.  The mother 
of Dr. Kerr died February 22, 1850.  The subject here mentioned was reared on 
the farm.  He attended the common schools and subsequently spent some time at 
West Nottingham Academy in Maryland, and then entered Jefferson College, in 
Washington County, Penn., from which he graduated in 1834.  After his graduation 
he went to Harrisburg and took up the study of medicine under Dr. Roberts, and 
then attended medical lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he 
graduated in 1840, and the same year came to York and began the practice of his 
profession, which he has without intermission, since continued.  He is the 
oldest practitioner of medicine now in York.  The marriage of Dr. Kerr occurred 
in 1844 to Miss Jane McIlvain, a native of York.  Of three children born, only 
one survives the mother, viz.: Martha, now Mrs. Dr. Bacon.  Mrs. Kerr died 
March, 1881.  Dr. Kerr is a Republican and a member of the Presbyterian Church, 
having united with that denomination at seventeen years of age.  In 1840 he was 
elected Sabbath-school superintendent of the Presbyterian Sabbath-school, and 
has since held that office.  For almost half a century he has taken great 
interest in Sabbath-school work.  He is an old and prominent physician and an 
earnest Christian gentleman.  He is a member of York County Medical Association, 
the State and national Associations.