John was born in 1897 in Farnsfield and was the son of Thomas, a general labourer, and Mary Ann Hogg, née Sharman, of Station Road, Farnsfield.
His father Thomas was born in 1864 in Farnsfield while his mother Mary Ann was born in 1870 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Their marriage is recorded in the Southwell Registration district in June 1896 and they went on to have a large family of 11 children. Sadly, however, four were to die in infancy prior to the 1911 census. Their children were:- John Henry b1897, Eleanor Audrey b1899, Thomas Aubrey b1900, Hilda Eliza b1902, Fred James b1906, Charles b1908 and Doris Rose b1912. All the children were born in Farnsfield.
The family in the 1901 census are living at Lower Hexgrave, Farnsfield, and by the 1911 census are still living at Farnsfield and shown as, Thomas 47 yrs a general labourer living with his wife Mary Ann 41 yrs and their children, John Henry 14 yrs a day boy on a farm, Eleanor Audrey 12 yrs, Thomas Aubrey 11 yrs, Hilda Eliza 9yrs, Fred James 5 yrs and Charles 3 yrs.
In June 1919 Thomas completed a form for the army listing his son's surviving blood relatives. John's mother, Mary Ann, was not named on the form, but his father was living at Back Lane, Farnsfield, with his six surviving children: Eleanor Audrey (20), Thomas Aubrey (19), Hilda Elizabeth (17), Frederick James (13), Charles (11) and Doris Rose (7). In John's service record is an army memorandum dated January 1918 requesting that any personal possessions be returned to Mrs Mary Ann Hogg of Back Lane, Farnsfield. No record has yet been found of his mother's death.