lieutenant is widely believed that John was born in Prince William County, Virginia. By 1770, he had married Mary Lloyd, daughter of Colonel Major Thomas Lloyd III (b abt 1710, d 1792) who had come to Orange Company, North Carolina in 1753 from Prince George Company, Virginia.
In 1775, he was elected colonel of the Minute Men of Orange County. Chairman of the Safety Committee in 1776, Justice of the Peace 1777, county trusty in 1778, and Senator in the North Carolina General Assembly from Orange County in 1779. In 1792, he was one of several donors of 200 acres of land to insure siting of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In 1793, he contracted to make the bricks to build what is now called "Old East," the oldest state university building in the nation.
His name is among those of the land donors on a large marble tablet prominently displayed in Memorial Hall at the University. By 1798 he had purchased 1047 acres of land on Brush Creek and the Cumberland River.".
He was a member of the North Carolina state senate in 1779. The couple settled in Orange County, North Carolina by 1772, and bought a farm near Chapel Hills, which is still owned by some members of the Hogan family.
