He was born in 1876, as the elder one of three brothers (Francesc and Nicolau). His father owned an inn, were he worked when he was young.
He was deputy at Catalan Parliament and Spanish Congress (1932), as an Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya affiliate. He also was the last Parliament's President before Franco's abolishion. He became the President, while he was exiliar of the Generalitat de Catalunya when the President Lluís Companys was murdered. Then he established an exiliar government and appointed Josep Tarradellas as Prime Councillor. He resigned as President in 1954.