John GARNER was the second son of Richard GARNER, a farmer of Burbage, and was baptized by Richard and his wife Mary at the Presbyterian chapel in Hinckley in 1841. He appears in his father's will of 1785.
John married Elizabeth ADCOCK on 15 October 1777 and perhaps their first child, John - the future Serjeant John - was baptized in Mar 1778. They had seven further children.
John father died between 1785 and 1792, and bequeathed £30 to him in his will.
John GARNER was buried in Burbage on 16 Nov 1826, aged 85, consistent with him being born in 1741.
One issue: The calculated birth date range for Serjeant John is Jul 1777 to 16 Oct 1777. The implication is that John was already born when the couple married. Not impossible but unlikely. By 1777 John senior would have been 40, so taking a younger wife, albeit with a newborn child, may have been a reasonable option especially if he was the father.
It's possible that with John's older brother Richard inheriting the farm, John senior was employed as a framework knitter and John was trained by his father in the trade.
Because of this open issues the parentage of Serjeant John GARNER is still tentative. Unfortunately a will for John senior has not yet been found.
Other information
In 1758, another John GARNER, a framework knitter of Burbage, wrote his last will and testament leaving his estate in Burbage to his son John, a framework knitter of Leicester and his son Thomas, daughter Mary and wife Mary who received smaller bequests. Initially this looked like an interesting family. On further investigation: John jnr married a 40 year old widow, Elizabeth HASSALL, in 1755 by license, and, following her presumed death, married Ann MITCHELL in 1760, both in Leicester. This couple had 8 children between 1761 and Samuel in c1776, including a John in 1764. This youngest John married Martha BONNER in 1782 and had 6 surviving children mentioned in his will of 1814. As such this family can be ruled out as being that of John GARNER born c 1777, unless son Thomas bap 1723 was either a late father to John in 1777 or was his grandfather.
Thomas: married Elizabeth MURTON in 1746 and/or Mary ROBINSON in 1756 in Hinckley. Potential children: Thomas 1761, maybe Mary 1764, James 1765, Ann 1769 and John 1770.
A Robert GARNER and Mr FONGAN were churchwardens in Burbage in 17802.