The son of a cloth manufacturer, Carr was born in 1878. He attended
Bath College and
Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1901 after completing part II of the law
Tripos. Carr was
called to the bar in 1902 but his practice remained small, giving him time to study. He won the
Yorke Prize in 1902 and 1905, published books on the law of corporations (1905) and
collective ownership (1907), and edited a volume of trading company
charters for the
Selden Society (1913). His work was interrupted by his service as a
staff officer in
India during the
First World War. == Administrative law, official appointments and honours ==