John William Hugman was born in Norwich on 16th November 1871 to John and Clara (née Horne). He had one sibling, a sister Arline born in 1874. His father, a timekeeper, died aged thirty-two in 1877. John and Arline continued to live with their mother, who worked as a grocer, until John left home to marry Jane Bardwell on 19th June 1898 at St Etheldred’s Church in Norwich.  

The 1901 census shows John working as a brewer’s accountant and living with Jane in Blofield, Norfolk. On 9th May 1903, John joined the staff of St Audry’s Hospital as an attendant, but there is no record of Jane or their son John Edward, born in 1902, accompanying him to Suffolk. In 1911, the census records John as living on-site at St Audry’s.

The St Audry’s Hospital employment records show that John Hugman “joined Kitchener’s Army” on 8th September 1914, enlisting in Ipswich. On the day he enlisted, John joined the 9th Battalion Suffolk Regiment and was immediately promoted to Acting Corporal and the following day, to Company Sergeant Major. By this time, the 9th Suffolks were based in Shoreham, Sussex, where they spent their first three months under canvas in very wet and unpleasant conditions. In January 1915, John was promoted again to Warrant Officer 2nd Class, reverting to Acting Company Sergeant Major when he transferred to the 12th Battalion Suffolk Regiment in August 1915. In March 1916, he was posted to the 12th Suffolk’s Depot Companies as Company Sergeant Major and a day later, joined the 10th Suffolk (Training) Regiment.

John’s remaining time in the army was spent as an instructor and when, in September 1917, the training battalions were rationalised, he joined the 26th Training Battalion and later the 52nd (Graduate) Battalion Training Reserve, based at Taverham Camp near Norwich. While there, John qualified as an “Anti-Gas Measures” instructor.

John was demobilised from the army on 18th April 1919 but did not start work back at St Audry’s until April 1920.

John’s next of kin was given as Miss Florence Norman (cousin), a nurse at St Audry’s. In 1937, they were married in Ipswich. John died there two years later in 1939.

As John did not serve overseas during the war, he was not entitled to receive any medals.