He was born in Hulme, Manchester, the son of a prominent surgeon and local magistrate, and was baptised there on 4 May 1866.
He was well educated, but decided to work as a stage ventriloquist, adopting the surname Clemart (an anagram of his birth name).
It was said that "the inception and birth of the Federation were largely due to his unfailing energy and his command of all the details of the profession, and his tactful handling of difficult problems helped in an immeasurable degree towards the successful organisation of the profession.
[3] He died of lung cancer in London in 1915 at the age of 49,[1][4] and was buried at Hendon Cemetery.
[5] This biographical article about a trade unionist in the United Kingdom is a stub.