John was born in Ashwell on 1st November 1891, third son of John and Mary Ann (nee Brindy) Ashwell. He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School, Ashwell.
George was born on 15 December 1885 at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, the third son of Charles and Harriet (nee Smith) Barrett. He married Florence Naomi Pope at Biggleswade on 8 September 1910, and soon thereafter moved to Mill Street, Ashwell, Hertfordshire.
Oswald was born at Ashwell, Hertfordshire on 25 September 1889, the second son of Edward Snow Fordham and Annie (nee Carr Jackson) Fordham. He was educated at Northaw School, Hatfield and Trinity College, Cambridge.