Born: December 31, 1859, Foulden, Norfolk, England.
Died: September 9, 1922, Watford, Hertfordshire, England. At his memorial service, Salvation Army General Bramwell Booth said, He sang his way through this life and he will sing his way through Eternity.
Buried: Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London, England.
John was the son of farm worker John Lawley and Anne Feetham, and husband of Harriet Charteris.
He worked on farms until his family moved to Bradford, where he became an engine-lad.
He came to Christ at a meeting in Pullan’s Theater in Bradford, and a few months later became an evangelist for Christian Missions (the early name of the Salvation Army). He wrote his first Gospel song in 1878 while serving at Jarrow-on-Tyne.
He went on to work at Salvation Army (SA) corps and divisions. He was an aide-de-camp to SA founder William Booth (1890–1912) and to SA General Bramwell Booth (1912–21).