Born in Portsmouth,[1] Cathery first went to sea at the age of eleven, and was soon working on Syria for P&O.
He became active in the North of England Sailors' and Firemen's Friendly Society, and was a leading supporter of Havelock Wilson's foundation of a national organisation, the National Union of Seamen (NUS).
[2] Cathery succeeded Wilson as general secretary of the NUS in 1894, which he renamed as the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union (NSFU).
[3] During World War I, he served on the National Maritime Board, and he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1920.
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