Born in Canning Town he was made a partner in the business founded by his father, which became John Byford & Son. They were lime, cement and brick merchants of Poplar. In 1898 he was elected to West Ham Borough Council, becoming an alderman in 1901 and served as Mayor of West Ham for 1904-05. He was knighted for "political and public services in West Ham" in the 1925 Birthday Honours. Some information here [1].