John was born in Somercotes the eldest son of John William Hayes by his first wife who has not yet been identified. Their father, John William, was born in Nottingham, and a younger brother, Alexander, in Lancashire in 1892 (birth registered O/N/D Warrington, Lancashire).
Their father remarried and the marriage record suggests it was in Nottingham in 1900 (O/N/D) to Annie May H Hold, known as May. May and John William were to have four children; Annie May (May), Elizabeth, Albert and Ernest, all of whom were born in Nottingham.
In 1901 John William (45), a plasterer's labourer, and his wife May (20) were living at 2 Alvey's Yard, Fisher Gate, Nottingham, with John's sons by his first marriage, John (10) and Alex (8), and their daughter Annie (3 months). Also in the household was John's widowed mother, Elizabeth (57, b. Somercotes), his uncle, Richard Hayes (52, b. Eastwood), a coal miner/hewer, and his aunt, Josephine Hayes (46, b. Somercotes).
John (45), now a brass foundry labourer, and May (30), a blouse machinist working from home, were stil living at 2 Alvey's Yard in 1911. The six children were still at home; John (20), a labourer (roadworks), and Alexander (18), a lace dipper, and their four half-brothers and half-sisters; May (10), Elizabeth (8), Albert (6) and Ernest (4).
John's younger brother 1300 Private Alexander Hayes served with the 1/7th Bn Sherwood Foresters and was also killed at Loos, on 15 October 1915, having served in France from 25 February 1915 (Loos Memorial). Alex left a widow, Kathleen, whom he had married in 1914; she remarried in 1920 (Palethorpe).
