John had a sister Kerstine and a bastard brother Willem van Duvenvoorde.

[2] In his early years, John got help from his uncle Diederik van der Wale.

In the early 1320s he got possession of tithes in Monster, Delft, Maasland, and Schipluiden.

[2] In 1327 John bought Oud Haerlem Castle and the lordships (ambachtsheerlijkheden) of Heemskerk and Castricum.

In 1329 he was mentioned as such, when he got a castle huis in De Lier and the promise that he could succeed to the lordship of Geertruidenberg and the office of castellan of Geertruidenberg Castle if his half brother would die without legal issue.