John was the eldest of twelve children of John Waymouth (Timber John) and Eliza (nee Glanville).   The family lived at Pembroke Dock for the first 18 years of his life.   He would have learned about ship design in this period.   In 1841 he was a druggist at Chobham, Surrey, where he met Ann Blackman.   They married at Southwark in 1844 and their first child was born at Chobham.   By 1851 John was a clerk in London.   In 1858, John, Ann and their six surviving children left London on the "William Watson", arriving in Auckland in 1859.   John took employment as an accountant and during the land wars he was appointed Under Secretary of Defence.   After the war he started his own business as a public accountant.   Two of his sons were associated with the firm at different times.   In 1872 Auckland City Council asked John to reorganise the city accounts and in 1884 to 1886 he was a member of the City Council.   John was a keen boat designer and yachtsman and was at one time secretary of the regatta committee and Commodore of the Auckland Yacht Club.