Born in Ellenport, near Maryport in Cumberland, Sharp's father died when he was just over one year old, and he was brought up by his mother, helping financially by working in agriculture from an early age.
[1] Sharp educated himself and became an active trade unionist, but was victimised as a result, and had to relocate to County Durham to find work.
However, he returned to Cumberland in 1872, and that year attended the Amalgamated Association of Miners' conference.
Sharp was inspired to form the Cumberland Miners' Association (CMA) and affiliated it to the AAM; by 1874, it had 1,500 members, and he worked as its general secretary and full-time agent.
[1] Under Sharp's leadership, the CMA won an important strike, solidifying its position, and he supported the formation of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB), serving on its executive on several occasions.