Although he was taught to read and write at the local school, he learned mechanics and natural history from his father, Thomas, who had built himself a lathe.
By 1805 he was making looms at a factory in Kirkby Stephen, then moved first to Carlisle, then to Glasgow where he learned draughtsmanship from Peter Nicholson.
[2] Following Bramah's death, Clement took up a position as chief draughtsman at Maudslay, Sons and Field, in Lambeth, where he played a role in the design of the firm's early marine steam engines.
Clement had managed to save the sum of £500 and took a small workshop[2] at 21 Prospect Place, Newington, where he set up in business as a draughtsman and manufacturer of precision machinery.
In 1818 he was awarded the gold medal of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts for his invention of a machine for marking ellipses, inspired by the trammels used by carpenters.