Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Henry Brookes a garden labourer, born 1851 in Wymeswold, Leics., and his wife Elizabeth, born 1856 in Wymeswold, Leics. John Wilfred was born in 1890 in Wymeswold, Leics., his siblings were Katherine, born 1893 and Alice, born 1895, both his siblings were born in Wymeswold, Leics., in March 1901 the family home was at Far Street, Wymeswold, Leics. In April 1911 John was employed as a farm labourer and was residing in the family home at East Street, Wymeswold, Leics., together with his parents and brother James Henry, born 1887 in Wymeswold, Leics. In the July, August, September quarter of 1913, John married Mary Simpson in the Loughborough, Leicestershire registration district.