John James Hine was born on 7th March 1895 at Sutton Weaver and baptised on 24th April of that year at St Peter’s in Aston-by-Sutton. He was the son of John Hine who was born c. 1872 at Winsford and his wife Emma Jane (nee Linaker) who was born c.1867 at Runcorn. The father was a railway labourer.
The 1901 Census recorded the Hine family as living at 2, Portland Street in Runcorn, where the father was employed as a railway signalman. John James had a younger sister called Jessie who was born c. 1897 and a two- month- old brother named William Edward who sadly died later that year.
Ten years later the parents were living in Sutton Weaver and John James was the only child present in the home. His father was still a railway signalman and John James was an assistant to a dog trainer. Jessie was away from home visiting the Littler family in Winsford.
In 1914, at the age of 19 years, John James was admitted as a platelayer to the National Union of Railwaymen Crewe 4 Union branch. He worked on the London and North Western Railway, on the Central Division Permanent Way.
John James first attested on 1st December 1915 and was assigned the rank of Private. He was 5’7’’ tall. His address was given as Station Road in Sutton Weaver. He took the oath at Frodsham at the age of 20 years and eight months and this time was given the rank of Sapper in the Royal Engineers. He was given the service number 149367 and assigned to the 119th Railway Company which was a construction company. He was mobilised on 14th January 1916 and sent to Longmoor in Hampshire for training. It is not known where he served. In 1919 he was given a new service number of W/R 253905.
In 1923 John James Hine married Emily Bellis who was born in 1895 at Coddington near Farndon. They would not appear to have had any children.
The 1939 Register showed the couple as living on Whitchurch Road in Tarvin. John James was employed in railway engineering maintenance.
John’s father passed away in 1950 and his mother in 1955.
John James Hine died in 1969, a few months after Emily passed away. He was 74 years of age.