Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Robson Bateson a Commercial Traveller for Leather, born 1857 in Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire and his wife Ellen, born 1859 in Manchester, Lancashire. John Mark was born in 1882 in Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, his siblings were Harold Robson, born 1884 in Leicester and Dorothy, born 1890 in Leicester, in April 1891 the family home was at 59, Laurel Road, Leicester, this being situated within the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Peter. In March 1901 John was employed as an Apprentice in the Boot Trade and was residing in the family home at 55, Evington Road, Leicester, this being situated within the Ecclesiastical Parish of S. Peter together with his parents and siblings, Harold, Dorothy, Nellie, born 1886, Elsie Kathleen, born 1893, Lilian Ida, born 1898 and Donald William, born 1901, the latter four siblings were all born in Leicester. His mother was later given residing at 11, St. George's Road, St. Margaret's-on-Thames, Middlesex. The Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys published a Roll of Honour on the 31st January 1920 in which an entry shows that he was a pupil at the school between 1894 and 1897. It also records that he was killed by a sniper.