John Guffin was born around 1792 in New York to Andrew and Hannah Guffin. His father was an Irish immigrant who earned a living as a farmer. He married Hannah Dings, and they had at least three children: Andrew, born on June 6, 1846; John, born around 1848; and Charles, born on October 21, 1852. They lived in Greenbush, New York, and Guffin worked as a farmer. By 1850, he owned $15,000 of real estate. They moved to Schodack, New York, in the 1850s. According to an early biographer, he “was very successful financially, owning a number of farms and other real estate.” He supported the Republican Party. He moved to Albany, New York, in the 1860s, and by 1870, he owned $13,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property. He died in 1871.