Born in the late 19th Century, Jack was the son of a Bailiff on a private country estate. He grew up on the estate, eventually leaving to take up an apprenticeship with a gardener, and then following in his father's footsteps, working on various estates. He volunteered for service in the Great War, where he was captured and held as a POW until the end of the war. After the war he eventually found work as a Head Gardener, achieving his childhood ambition.