Douglas of Drumlanrig, was born about 1570. His father was grandson of that Sir Andrew Ker [q. v.] of Cessfurd who was father of Mark Kerr [q. v.], abbot of Newbattle. He had charters of lands in the barony of Caverton on 22 March 1573 (Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1546–80, entry 2213), and also on the same date a charter of the barony of Cessfurd and other lands (ib. 2214). It was Sir Robert Ker's father (not himself, as stated sometimes) who in 1585 assisted the banished lords in driving Arran from power, and towards the close of 1587 was, at the same time as Scott of Buccleuch, committed to ward, at the instance of Lord Hunsdon, for making excursions on the borders. In 1590 Sir Robert conspired the murder of William Ker of Ancrum, which was committed in Edinburgh ‘under silence of night’ (Hist. James the Sext, p. 245). He fled to England (ib.), but on 18 Nov. 1591 obtained a remission under the great seal (Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1580–93, entry 1961). He was an adherent of the Chancellor Maitland of Thirlestane, whom in 1592 he succeeded in reconciling with the queen (Sir James Melville, Memoirs, p. 405). In October 1593 Ker, with two or three hundred horse, joined the king at Linlithgow to support him against the Bothwell party (Moysie, Memoirs, p. 105), and while returning homewards in December, accompanied by only one servant, accidentally encountered Bothwell, who also was accompanied by only one attendant. They fought on horseback two by two for several hours without decisive result, until at length both parties were so exhausted with their exertions that they separated by mutual consent (ib. p. 111). On 27 March 1594 Ker, as warden-depute of the middle marches, received a commission from the privy council for the pursuit of Bothwell (Reg. P. C. Scotl. v. 137), and in August Ker of Ferniehirst and others were ordered into ward for declining to subscribe an association to assist him in the pursuit (ib. p. 161). On 16 Oct. following he was ‘denounced a rebel’ for failing to present before the council Andrew Ker of Newhall (ib. v. 230). On 2 Dec. the Earl of Morton complained that Sir Robert had evaded the act by formally presenting Andrew Ker before some of the council in Edinburgh (ib. pp. 240–1). On 5 July 1596, for neglecting to appear before the king and council to give advice regarding the means to be used for the quieting of the borders, he and others were denounced as rebels (ib. p. 300), but on the 24th he found caution that he would keep good rule (ib. p. 742). The chief reason for his non-appearance was, probably, that he was himself the prime promoter of the disorders. Sir Robert Carey [q. v.], afterwards earl of Monmouth, who describes Ker as a ‘brave, active young man’ (Memoirs, ed. 1808, p. 67), gives a graphic description of his exploits, and of the manner in which he checkmated him by the capture of Geordie Bourne, one of Ker's most daring subordinates. In December 1596 a settlement of the disputes on the borders had been arranged, including an exchange of prisoners, and Ker, having failed to deliver up some English prisoners, surrendered himself in the following year to Sir Robert Carey, by whom he was courteously treated. Not long afterwards he was released, and on 24 July 1599 he was admitted a member of the privy council of Scotland (Reg. P. C. Scotl. v. 557). In the following year he was created Lord Roxburgh. Douglas and others state that the date of creation is uncertain, all that is known being that it was previous to that of Lindores (created 31 March 1600–1), before whom his name appears in the ranking of the nobility in 1606; but, according to Sir James Balfour, the creation took place on 29 Dec. 1600 (Annals, i. 409). His name appears as Roxburgh in the council sederunt of 10 Feb. 1601 (Reg. P. C. Scotl. vi. 203). On 3 Aug. 1602 a commission of wardency was appointed for the middle marches in view of Roxburgh's intention to go abroad (ib. p. 441). He accompanied King James in his journey to London in 1603, after his succession to the English crown, and subsequently retained a position of influence in his counsels. At the parliament held at Perth in July 1604 he was appointed a commissioner to treat with the English commissioners regarding a union with England. On 24 July 1606 he was served heir to his father, and subsequently he received a large number of charters of other lands, including (15 Aug. 1630) that of the burgh of Canongate, united into the barony of Broughton. On 24 June 1606 the council ordained that a deadly feud between him and the Kers of Ancrum on account of the slaughter of their father should be submitted to arbitration (ib. vii. 215), and on 20 Nov. the Kers of Ancrum, although declining to submit the feud to arbitration, agreed to be reconciled (ib. vii. 272).
In October 1607 Roxburgh was sent as the king's commissioner to the synod of Merse and Teviotdale, to urge its compliance with the enactment of the Linlithgow convention by admitting one of the ‘constant moderators’ of the presbytery to be moderator of the synod, but ‘got a flat nolumus’ (Calderwood, vi. 680). He was retained a member of the privy council on its reconstruction by
