Background
He was born in Ameliasburg, Upper Canada in 1836, the son of Francis William Kerr, an Irish immigrant, and Olive Shelley, and was educated at Victoria University in Cobourg.
He was born in Ameliasburg, Upper Canada in 1836, the son of Francis William Kerr, an Irish immigrant, and Olive Shelley, and was educated at Victoria University in Cobourg.
He represented Northumberland West in the Canadian House of Commons from 1874 to 1878 as a Liberal member and served in the Senate of Canada from 1899 to 1906. He was called to the bar in 1859 and set up practice in Cobourg. Kerr served on the town council for Cobourg and was mayor from 1867 to 1873.
He was made a Queen"s Counsel in 1876.
He ran unsuccessfully for the federal seat in 1878 and 1882. Kerr was named to the Senate in 1899 and died in office in 1906 in Toronto.
Kerr later served as a member of the University"s senate and as its bursar.