Cremer was born to a working-class family in the southern English town of
Fareham. His father was a coachman, who abandoned the family soon after Randal Cremer was born. His mother raised him along with his two sisters, ensuring he received an education at a local
Methodist school. He augmented his knowledge by attending free lectures, was apprenticed as a builder and became a skilled
carpenter. Moving to London 1852, Cremer became active as a union organiser, swiftly becoming a recognized labour leader. Cremer was elected as the Secretary of the
International Workingmen's Association in 1865 but resigned two years later in 1867, when the organization decided to make women eligible for membership. Being strongly opposed to women's suffrage, Cremer might have now felt that the organisation was becoming too radical. While heavily involved in campaigning for progressive causes and respected by
Karl Marx, Cremer did not agree with a worker-led revolution. ==Role in the international arbitration movement==