Charles was born on 6 August 1624 at Richmond, Surrey to Anne daughter of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and the second wife of Robert Kerr, 1st Earl of Ancram. Until he inherited his father"s title after the death of his father in December 1654 he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Carr.
Kerr had a long career in the English House of Commons. He was able to continue to sit in that house after he was ennobled, the fact that Earl of Ancram was a Scottish title was no impediment to sitting in the English House of Commons representing an English or Welsh constituency. Between July 1660 and December 1660 Kerr sat in the Convention Parliament representing Thirsk.
After the Restoration In the Cavalier Parliament (from 1661 to 1681) he represented Wigan and again in the Oxford Parliament (from 1661 and 1681).
The last Parliament in which he sat, still for Wigan, was the Loyal Parliament the first parliament of the reign of James II (from 1685 to 1687). On his death, sometime between 1 September 1690 and 11 September 1690, the earldom devolved upon Robert Kerr, (afterwards Marquess of Lothian), the eldest son of Kerr"s elder half brother William Kerr, 3rd Earl of Lothian.
Ancram married Francis who was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Catherine, Queen Consort to King Charles World War II
Cavalier Parliament. Exclusion Bill Parliament. Habeas Corpus Parliament]
Kerr was the Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Saint Michaels in Cornwall between March 1647 and December 1648 in the Long Parliament, Robert Holborne, a Royalist, was disabled from sitting for Saint Michaels and gave the seat to Kerr, who constituency"s Member of Parliament until he was excluded in Pride"s Purge.
