▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Melbourne ▁An arch ist ▁Club ▁which ▁formed ▁on ▁ 1 ▁May ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁the ▁first ▁formal ▁an arch ist ▁organisation ▁in ▁Australia . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Tr ades ▁Hall ▁E ight ▁H ours ▁Day ▁committee ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁executive ▁of ▁Tr ades ▁Hall ▁Council . ▁He ▁was ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Fitz roy ▁Political ▁Labor ▁League , ▁the ▁for er un ner ▁to ▁an ▁Australian ▁Labor ▁Party ▁branch . ▁For ▁more ▁than ▁si xty ▁years ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁regular ▁speaker ▁at ▁the ▁Queens ▁Wh arf ▁and ▁Y ar ra ▁Bank ▁speak ers ▁corners ▁on ▁Sund ays . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Derby , ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁to ▁an ▁Irish ▁father , ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁we aver , ▁and ▁an ▁English ▁mother , ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁factory ▁hand . ▁His ▁mat ernal ▁grand father ▁had ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁Corn ▁La ws ▁strugg les , ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁strik es ▁in ▁Derby . ▁His ▁mother ▁died ▁when ▁' Ch ummy ' ▁was ▁five . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁a ▁Le ic ester ▁boot ▁factory , ▁which ▁took ▁its ▁to ll ▁on ▁the ▁boy ' s ▁health , ▁and ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁personal ▁understanding ▁of ▁social ▁in just ice . ▁In ▁his ▁te ens ▁he ▁attended ▁Fre eth ought ▁lect ures ▁of ▁Charles ▁Brad la ugh , ▁George ▁Jacob