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Raise your hand if your name is Kerr.
 Did you raise your right or left hand?

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Bodmer and McKie in The Book of Man, begin their treatise on the human genome project, by speaking extensively about the Kerr's propensity for left handedness. In his poem "The Raid of the Kerr's" the Ettrick Shepherd summed up the feelings Englishmen had toward this Scottish border clan family.

 

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Similarly, in his poem "The Reprisal", celebrating the storming of Ferniehirst Castle, Walter Laidlaw mentioned the Kerr's propensity for left handedness.  This tradition of left handedness possibly traces back the mid 15th century and Andrew Kerr who was naturally left handed. Left handedness was a decided advantage to have if you were fighting up a right curving castle stairwell, as well as fighting a right handed swordsman.  Andrew taught his sons as well as those who joined the household as servants to utilize their left hands with sword or Jethart Axe.

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A dry lent, a fertile year.
Scottish Proverb