By Norman times, the parish boundaries were firmly fixed and remain largely unchanged since.

In 1706, Jean Le Couteur enlarged his own family's pew, which obstructed Josué Ahier's view.

Ahier complained to the Ecclesiastical Court, which ordered Le Couteur to remove the obstruction.

Le Couteur then complained to the Royal Court, which ordered Ahier to cease disturbing him.

[4]: 170 La Route du Nord was constructed during the German occupation of the Channel Islands as a scheme to provide work.

In 2019, the parish's Connétable Chris Taylor drove his car at an off-duty police officer on a road in neighbouring Trinity.

[6][7] The parish is a first-level administrative division of the Bailiwick of Jersey, a British Crown dependency.

There is a single usable beach in the parish at the Bonne Nuit harbour, accessible by a hilly windy road that connects to the village.

The Mont Mado hamlet and wider area is found to the east of St John's village.

The full name of the church is Saint-Jean des Chênes (English: St. John of the Oaks; Latin: Sanctus Johannes de Caisnibus).

Traditionally on 23 June (St John's Eve), there used to be a custom of faire braire les poêles, a form of music-making using brass boilers and rushes.

Les Cornes de St Jean was observed on either 23 or 24 June whereby shells or horns were blown just before sunset to remind tenants to pay the rental for their land (payable at midsummer).

On St John's Day, northern fishermen would circumnavigate the rock known as Le Cheval Guillaume and light bonfires and indulge in Bacchanalian dances.