 C. E. Spooner was born on 22 November 1853 at Hafod Tan y Craig, North Wales, the youngest son of Charles Easton Spooner.He received his education in Engineering at Trinity College, Dublin, and became the resident engineer of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways from 1874 to 1876 at the time of its construction.Spooner joined the Survey Department of Ceylon in 1876, and in the following year moved to the Ceylon Public Works Department where he stayed for 14 years.