Jack was born in Kempston on 26 February 1885. In 1907 he married Florence Olive Church in Wootton, and the couple began their married life in a small two-room cottage in Bott End in Wootton then later they moved to Potters Cross in Wootton. At that time Jack was working as a farm labourer, a role that was physically demanding and poorly paid.
When the brickmaking industry began to grow in what was then Wootton Pillinge, it opened up new opportunities. Like many men in the surrounding villages, Jack made the decision to leave farm work and take up a position as a bricklayers labourer, stepping into an industry that would shape the rest of his working life.
During the First World War he served in the Area Employment Company of the Labour Corps, rising to the rank of Sergeant.
After the war Jack went back to the Forders Brick Company and resumed work as a brickyard labourer. In 1928 the family moved to 45 Churchill Close in Stewartby, joining the growing community that had formed around the brickworks. Jack continued his long years of service there, becoming one of the many steady and dependable workers who helped shape the industry.