Cyril Arthur Snipe was born at
Conisborough, Yorkshire, in the first quarter of 1888 to Arthur W Snipe, a schoolmaster, and Fanny (née Banner). By the time of the 1901 census the family were living in
Tamworth, Staffordshire. Snipe was the nephew of a Manchester car dealer, John Bennett of
Newton-Bennett, who backed his early racing career. ==Motoring career==