John Walter was born, possibly in Wales, in 1665.  As a young man, he went to Barbados, in the West Indies, to make his fortune; there he met Lucy Alleyne, whom he married in 1697.  At the time of his marriage, he was described as ‘Captain’.

John and Lucy returned to England in about 1704.  John then bought the manor of Busbridge in Godalming.  In 1713, he purchased the manor of Woking.

It is believed that it was John Walter who cleared the remains of Sir Edward Zouch’s house at Hoe Place, and made alterations to the current one.  When John died in 1736, his estates were inherited by his eldest son, Abel.